Vision
We believe in a society that shapes digital transformation with the help of games and acknowledges games as an enrichment to its culture.
Mission
We build bridges between the world of games and political and social institutions in Germany. As an ambassador for games, we illustrate what can be achieved by applying the ideas, mechanics, and technologies behind games for the common good.
Strategic goals
We set topics, highlight opportunities, and promote ideas to demonstrate the potential of games in the fields of culture, education, and research. We do this by developing new and innovative formats, events, and research approaches.
Further information
To get further insides check out our English publications.
The advisory board
Olaf Zimmermann
Chairman of the Advisory Board, Managing Director 'Deutscher Kulturrat'
Prof. Dr. Eik-Henning Tappe
Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board, Board of Directors of the 'Gesellschaft für Medienpädagogik'
Our advisory board helps to shape our work as a foundation. It consists of representatives from the areas of education, society, the protection of minors, culture, media, politics, pedagogy, administration, and scientific research. The advisory board works to ensure our independence and transparency and acts as a multiplier for our projects and formats. The institutions represented are responsible for a variety of projects in the areas of games culture, development, and research, as well as the protection of minors and media education.
Institutions represented on the advisory board (advisory board members)
Association for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK)
'Deutscher Kulturrat' (German Cultural Council)
Directors’ Conference of the State Media Authorities
Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Federal Agency for Civic Education
game – the German Games Industry Association
German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK)
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Chair of Educational Science and Media Education
‘Oberste Landesjugendbehörden’ (Supreme State Youth Authorities, lead agency NRW)
University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair of Media Informatics and Entertainment Computing
Team
Nandita Wegehaupt
Managing Director
030/236258940 Nandita Wegehaupt has been Managing Director of the Foundation for Digital Games Culture since August 2024. She studied Communication Sciences and Art History at the University of Greifswald (B.A.) and Arts and Media Management (M.A.) at the Free University of Berlin. She began her professional career as a journalist in Budapest, followed by positions as Cultural Manager at the Goethe-Institut Taiwan, as Communications Manager in a Berlin gallery for contemporary Chinese art and as CSR Consultant at Scholz & Friends. For over 16 years, she played a key role in shaping the educational work of the Foundation of German Business, where she helped set up the "Studienkompass" student scholarship, among other things, and has been a member of the management team since 2016, most recently as authorized signatory and Head of Partnerships and Strategy.
Niels Boehnke
Head of Education
030/2362589412 Niels Boehnke (born 1984) studied history and political science in Greifswald (B.A.) and then political science and economics as an accompanying subject in Heidelberg (M.A.). From November 2013 to May 2014, he worked as an intern at the foundation and was entrusted in particular with tasks in the area of the German Computer Game Award. Since February 2015, he has been working as a project manager at the Foundation and has supervised various projects, including the specialist conference ‘Digital Games in Children's Hands’, the new edition of the Parents' Guide, the study ‘Traffic and Applied Interactive Technologies (APITs)’ and various live gaming sessions. Currently, he is Head of Education and responsibile for the initiative ‘Stronger with Games’.
Paula Hansch
Project Assistance
030/2362589420 Paula Hansch has been working as a project assistant for the ‘Stronger with Games 2’ initiative since December 2024. Her experience studying media informatics at the Technical University of Berlin, her interest in interactive digital applications and her technical understanding enable Paula to provide targeted support for the project.
Thomas Heidtmann
Project Manager
030/2362589422 Thomas Heidtmann has been the project manager of the “Press Start: Games Founding Grant” funding program since January 2025. After studying Fine Arts at the Berlin University of the Arts, he worked as a freelance artist, visual designer and creative producer. His work has been presented internationally at renowned festivals such as Ars Electronica, ISEA International and Milan Design Week. One of his art installations in collaboration with ESA reached the International Space Station in 2022. Since 2018, he has worked as a creative producer at agencies such as flora&faunavisions and Tamschick Media+Space, creating interactive, immersive worlds for internationally renowned clients. He founded the space art initiative SPARTH in 2017 and the collective and studio Lacuna Lab e.V. in 2016. Together with institutions such as the Goethe-Institut Bangalore, he developed and organized innovative formats for exhibitions, hackathons and conferences.
Katrin Hermann
Office Manager
030/2362589431 Katrin Hermann was born in 1979 in Southern Germany. After spending time abroad in Egypt, she decided to study freight forwarding and logistics at the state vocational college in Neu-Ulm. After successfully passing the IHK examination, she managed her parents' company for 5 years as a junior in the 4th generation. In 2011 she moved to Berlin with her family to work from then on as an office manager and personal assistant. Employed as a team assistant at Ultra Motor GmbH, an e-bike brand with its own design, later Hero Eco Ltd. she was responsible for the back office. From 2016 she worked at Smart AdServer, a French company headquartered in Paris. There she worked in the Berlin office in the areas of office, finance and events/marketing. Since June 2024, Katrin Hermann has held the position of Office Manager for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture.
Benjamin Hillmann
Senior Communications Manager
030/2362589415 Benjamin Hillmann (born 1986) studied Cultural Studies and German at the University of Bremen (B.A.) and then Media Studies at the Babelsberg Film University (M.A.). From 2012, he worked first as a student trainee and later as an editor for the BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware and game – The German Games Industry Association . After that he worked for online media publisher Webedia as Content Manager. Since February 2019, Benjamin Hillmann has been working for the Foundation fpr Digital Games Culture. He currently works as Senior Communications Manager at the foundation and is also responsible for the GamesTalente programme.
Tobias Lo Coco
Finance & Controlling
030/2362589417 Tobias Lo Coco (born 1992) studied Politics, Administration and Organisation (B.A.) and then Political Science (M.A.) at the University of Potsdam. From 2018 onwards, he initially worked as a volunteer project assistant in the context of various projects on the topic of the European Union for the Brandenburg regional association of the Europa-Union Deutschland (EUD). Since December 2019, Tobias Lo Coco has been working as a project assistant for the ‘German Computer Game Awards’ and ‘gamescom Award’ for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, among others.
Beck Niederländer
Project Manager
030/2362589426 Beck Niederländer (they/them) is part of the team for the "Press Start" founding stipend since January 2025. In 2015, Beck graduated the Game Design program at the Mediadesign University of Applied Sciences (B.Sc). During their studies, Beck contributed to multiple projects, including "Cubiverse", which won the newcomer categories in the German Computer Game Award and the German Developer Award in 2016. For the following five years, Beck was a producer at Mixtvision Games, responsible for games like "A Juggler's Tale", "White Shadows" and "Onde" on the publishing side. As Developer Relations Lead for Games/Bavaria, a Bavarian government-funded networking initiative, Beck supported the local games industry and organized delegations to conferences and events. Before joining the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, Beck last worked on the game "The Games You Make" at Munich development studio Jumpy Bit in the areas of producing and content implementation.
Malina Riedl
Project Lead
030/2362589418 Malina Riedl studied Cultural Studies and Spanish Philology (B.A.) at the University of Potsdam, specialising in video games and queer-feminist topics. In 2019, she completed an internship in curation at the Computerspielemuseum in Berlin. She has been working at the Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur since December 2019. Among other things, she was responsible for the ‘Games Project Days’, the planning of the digital expansion of the ‘International Computer Games Collection (ICS)’ as well as specialist conferences on the topics of games and artificial intelligence and accessibility in gaming. She currently heads the ‘Stronger with Games 2’ initiative.
Benjamin Rostalski
Head of Culture
030/2362589414 Benjamin Rostalski (born 1983) studied political science in Berlin from 2003 to 2010. From 2006 to 2012, he worked for the German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) as a reviewer for computer and video games. In 2010, he took over the project area of the USK. Since 2011, he has been in charge of the award office of the ‘German Computer Game Award’, among other things. As Head of Culture he is currently responsible for the foundation's cultural projects..
Matej Samide
Project Manager
030/2362589423 Matej Samide (born 1989) studied History and Philosophy at the University of Stuttgart and the Humboldt University of Berlin (B.A.) and then History at the Humboldt University of Berlin (M.A.). From 2019 he worked as Press Officer DACH at the international video game PR agency Cosmocover. Since 2024, Matej Samide has been working for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture. He initially worked as Communications Manager for the project “Let's Remember! Cultures of Remembrance with Games on Site”. Currently he is working for the award office of the German Computer Game Award.
Angelina Wander
Project Assistance
030/2362589413 Angelina Wander (born in 2003) is studying Sociology and Educational Science (B.A.) at the University of Potsdam, specialising in educational and social research. She has been working as a project assistant for ‘Project Days Games’ since April 2025.
Responsibility & Values
We are committed to an inclusive working environment based on mutual respect and appreciation. Read more about this in our Code of Conduct for Appreciative Interaction (German language-version only).
We are committed to fostering an open-minded, diverse, and democratic society through our projects. We consistently oppose anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism and any other form of group-related misanthropy, discrimination or hate speech. Our Safer Space Policy applies to all our events.