Gordon Bellamy

Can't Win Without Risk with Gordon Bellamy
Game designer and USC professor Gordon Bellamy shares how embracing his intersecting identities—from queer mathlete to Madden NFL innovator—shaped his leadership philosophy. He describes trusting his team enough to take a bold risk (shipping the game with unconfirmed NFL player rights) and highlights how champion mindsets spark breakthroughs in creativity. Throughout, Gordon underscores the importance of communal care, empathy, and authenticity, explaining how simple acts of safety-building empower people to do their best work. By weaving his personal journey with insights on resilience and hope, Gordon invites listeners to cultivate spaces where everyone can show up fully—and flourish together.
Game designer and USC professor Gordon Bellamy shares how embracing his intersecting identities—from queer mathlete to Madden NFL innovator—shaped his leadership philosophy. He describes trusting his team enough to take a bold risk (shipping the game with unconfirmed NFL player rights) and highlights how champion mindsets spark breakthroughs in creativity. Throughout, Gordon underscores the importance of communal care, empathy, and authenticity, explaining how simple acts of safety-building empower people to do their best work. By weaving his personal journey with insights on resilience and hope, Gordon invites listeners to cultivate spaces where everyone can show up fully—and flourish together.
Guest Biography
Gordon is a Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts at USC and the Director of Cinematic Ethics, helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders in storytelling. He has played key business and product leadership roles at Tencent, Electronic Arts, as a designer on Madden NFL Football, and MTV Networks. In 2020, Bellamy was honored by Games for Change as their Vanguard Award winner for his contributions to the craft. In 2019, he was awarded the first ever Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018 he was featured in Nickelodeon's Black History Month. Currently, he is featured in Netflix's Game Documentary, High Score, Amazon’s It’s In The Game Docuseries, and on The World According to Jeff Goldblum on Disney + . Gordon serves as the Executive Director / CEO of the Gay Gaming Professionals and on the Board of Directors of Wave and has served as Executive Director of both the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and the International Game Developers Association. He is a graduate of Harvard College with a BA in Engineering, and resides with his husband Joe Heally, and their dog, Colby Janet, in Los Angeles, California. |
Show Notes
Season 3, Episode 2 Credits
Guest: Gordon Bellamy Host: Liz Cavallaro Host: Bree Fram Audio: Frieda Garcia Show Notes: Alexa Goodrich-Houska |