Her Story
About Godavari
Godavari Hughes is a game design, events, and community-building professional with experience in interactive entertainment, creative production, and program coordination. She graduated from Full Sail University in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in game design after attending from 2018 to 2020. Following graduation, she began her career as a lead game designer at Jump Button Studio in 2021, where she contributed to a game developed for Niantic. She founded GLITCHED, a networking community for women in game development, approximately one year prior to the interview, and hosts bi-monthly events that attract 50 to 60 participants. In this role, she manages event planning, outreach, marketing, graphic design, and community building through both in-person meetups and virtual spaces like Discord. She has collaborated with organizations such as GG Women Professionals and Women in Games, and hosted an event as a community partner at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Godavari
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to seeing other people doing similar things and realizing it's possible, like my mom who encourages me, my friend Theresa Deringer who has her own board game business, and Dasha who does Women in Tech meetups in San Francisco. Watching them inspires me to create my own events.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice is 'don't ask, don't get' or 'closed mouths don't get fed'. It's important to ask for what you need, even if you're scared, because you never know who's willing to help, especially when running a community organization.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My biggest advice is just do it, and that your experience doesn't matter. I applied to host at GDC after only two meetups and got accepted. Experience isn't always required; sometimes people just want to help you succeed. Go for it and learn on the job.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Accountability and honesty are most important. When something goes wrong, acknowledge it, don't point fingers, and speak up about issues instead of watching things fail. These values help teams grow and respect each other.
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