Jess Vaira (she/her)

Head of Special Events

As Head of Special Events at DigiBC, Jess Vaira takes care of all the finer details involved for gatherings in our Signals Creative Tech Studio space.

Prior to joining DigiBC, Jess was (and still is) involved in a wide range of projects. From festival production (Public Disco Society, Bass Coast, VMF), to custom builds and alterations for clients, as well as writing and performing music, and exploring fermenting and herbology, Jess is passionate about creating in many forms.

Our Executive Office Staff

2023-24 Board of Directors

Jeanne-Marie Owens

Founder & COO, Critical Path Games
Board Chair

Tim Teh

Founder & CEO, Kano
Board Vice-Chair

Lance Davis

CFO & Co-founder, Shred Capital
Board Treasurer

Karam Bayrakal

Partner, Fasken
Board Secretary

Alex Grimbley

Franchise Strategy Director & Executive Producer, The Coalition (Microsoft)

Kay Wong-Alafriz

CFO, Kabam

Heather Puttock

President, Kickstart Entertainment

Lori Massini

General Counsel, Atomic Cartoons / Thunderbird

Megan Moore

Director of Technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Natali Altshuler

Chief Operating Officer, EA SPORTS, Electronic Arts

Sam Fisher

CEO, Hyper Hippo Entertainment

Shyang Kong

Co-founder, SkyBox Labs

The Latest

IO Indie Superboost: AI Clauses & IP Ownership: Legal Risks You Can’t Ignore (Sept 17)

Amar Sidhu (Amar-VR Law) will be discussing the legal risks you can't ignore with AI clauses in contracts at Interactive Ontario's latest Indie Superboost.

[APPLICATIONS OPEN] Video Games Early Stage Growth Program

This new pilot initiative will provide $300,000 in funding to support emerging video game companies in BC. Eligible applicants can apply for grants of up to $50,000. Apply by October 27.

SPARK Animation Career Fair (September 20, 2025)

You won't want to miss this exclusive opportunity to meet face-to-face with top recruiters in the CG industry.

SPARK Animation Festival (September 18-21, 2025)

SPARK Animation is Western Canada's largest celebration of all things animation. This year's festival takes place from September 18-21 at the Roundhouse Community Centre.