THE FULL STORY
Noelle is an award-winning AAA game producer at Blizzard. She works on Diablo IV, where she leads the character pipeline for player cosmetics, player customization, monsters, NPCs, and more. She produces 50+ artists and devs across two major departments: character art and tech art. She additionally produces cross-functional teams for the game’s seasons, expansions, and other future content. Noelle proudly champions DE&I initiatives on the Diablo team, working with both the studio’s Inclusive Game Design group and the multi-cultural ABK Employee Networks to create diverse characters and the support diverse devs that make them.
While Noelle was always a gamer at heart, she was originally preparing for a pre-med program with a focus on women’s health. But after a Games 101 elective, she realized that the games industry was where she belonged. Now she gets to do the job that she always dreamed of!
Noelle began her career doing indie gamedev and programming for VR/AR exhibitions. Later, she joined non-profit Games for Change to help foster and grow the games industry. As the Production Manager, she led DE&I programs, managed international game jams, and built workflows for more inclusive and accessible events at the organization. At G4C, she did everything from teaching middle-school students how to make games in VR/AR, to curating a “games for good” exhibit at the Smithsonian. Noelle also spent many years managing on-site production for the Tribeca Festival’s VR immersive exhibition, acting as the main liasion between developers & the festival team. When Noelle worked as a producer for a small indie studio, their game was funded on Kickstarter and showcased in the Indie MEGABOOTH at PAX West in 2019. Now Noelle has transitioned to AAA development, and works on the Diablo franchise at Blizzard Entertainment.
Noelle’s motto is that “this industry is a better place when we all are winning,” and hopes for a future where everyone has a seat at the table. Noelle pays it forward to the larger games industry by providing mentorship to students and early-career developers. She does so via 1:1 relationships and through well-respected mentorship programs, such as with the IGDA, Women in Games International (WIGI), The Game Production Guild, the Conference Associate Mentorship Program at GDC, and the ABK (Activision Blizzard King) Mentorship program. Noelle has also been a guest speaker at both industry events and college classrooms.
Noelle received her BFA in game design from the NYU Game Center at New York University, where she earned additional recognition and scholarships for her academic achievement. She is now an Industry Advisor and mentor for the NYU Game Center Incubator Program, which helps transform small independent projects into polished, launched games. She is currently based on the East Coast in New York.
Noelle is recognized as part of the 2022 Future Class at The Game Awards and as a "Next Gen Leader" by the IGDA Foundation. 🎮