Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ready to start your game dev studio? Learn from our founders and startup experts. Sorry about the early video artifacts - they go away quickly
Forrest Raynard (Thor), co-founder of Hiya Studios, is both passionate and driven in his quest to maintain his love for all things Game development, Technology and Broadcasting. Having started his journey more than 10 years ago, he has been blessed to work on SMITE 2, Gigantic, Dreadnought, and Realm Royale, to name just a few. He continues to merge his unique game development style with his expertise as an on air talent to connect with his audience and community. Forrest built his broadcasting talent on the back of his successful Twitch community and continues to be a voice for all things gaming and technology. hiyastudios.com
Michelle Menard is Chief Creative Officer of Dragon Snacks Games. dragonsnacksgames.com
Clara Vargas is both an entrepreneur and Columbus State University faculty.
Dr. Kirk C. Heriot is a Professor of Management at Columbus State University and holds the Ray and Evelyn Endowed Crowley Chair in Entrepreneurship. He has previously taught at universities in SC, GA, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Kirk completed a Ph.D. in Industrial Management with a concentration in Strategic Management at Clemson University in 1996. He teaches Introduction to Entrepreneurship, New Venture Creation, and Entrepreneurial Small Business at the undergraduate level and Entrepreneurship in the Web MBA program. His research interests include strategic planning in small firms, determinants of firm births, and entrepreneurship education. His research has led to publication of over 40 papers in academic journals such as the Journal of Private Enterprise, Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Small Business Institute Journal, Small Business Economics, Journal of Small Business Management, American Business Review, and the Journal of Small Business Strategy, to name a few.
Prior to becoming a university professor, Kirk worked as a consultant with the Clemson University Small Business Development Center assisting over 400 clients. As a college professor, he has assisted students that have started new companies. In addition to his consulting experience, Kirk served as an officer in the US Army on active duty and the reserves. He was also a manager for a privately owned textile company prior to completing his doctorate.
Michael Stumhofer founded Hof Studios in 2015. It publishes multiple computer games, including Depth of Extinction, Polyroll and Panic Porcupine.
From CIMFest 2026
For more great game dev videos like this, please support our Patreon at patreon.com/GeorgiaGameDevs
Ready to start your game dev studio? Learn from our founders and startup experts. Sorry about the early video artifacts - they go away quickly
Forrest Raynard (Thor), co-founder of Hiya Studios, is both passionate and driven in his quest to maintain his love for all things Game development, Technology and Broadcasting. Having started his journey more than 10 years ago, he has been blessed to work on SMITE 2, Gigantic, Dreadnought, and Realm Royale, to name just a few. He continues to merge his unique game development style with his expertise as an on air talent to connect with his audience and community. Forrest built his broadcasting talent on the back of his successful Twitch community and continues to be a voice for all things gaming and technology. hiyastudios.com
Michelle Menard is Chief Creative Officer of Dragon Snacks Games. dragonsnacksgames.com
Clara Vargas is both an entrepreneur and Columbus State University faculty.
Dr. Kirk C. Heriot is a Professor of Management at Columbus State University and holds the Ray and Evelyn Endowed Crowley Chair in Entrepreneurship. He has previously taught at universities in SC, GA, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. Kirk completed a Ph.D. in Industrial Management with a concentration in Strategic Management at Clemson University in 1996. He teaches Introduction to Entrepreneurship, New Venture Creation, and Entrepreneurial Small Business at the undergraduate level and Entrepreneurship in the Web MBA program. His research interests include strategic planning in small firms, determinants of firm births, and entrepreneurship education. His research has led to publication of over 40 papers in academic journals such as the Journal of Private Enterprise, Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Small Business Institute Journal, Small Business Economics, Journal of Small Business Management, American Business Review, and the Journal of Small Business Strategy, to name a few.
Prior to becoming a university professor, Kirk worked as a consultant with the Clemson University Small Business Development Center assisting over 400 clients. As a college professor, he has assisted students that have started new companies. In addition to his consulting experience, Kirk served as an officer in the US Army on active duty and the reserves. He was also a manager for a privately owned textile company prior to completing his doctorate.
Michael Stumhofer founded Hof Studios in 2015. It publishes multiple computer games, including Depth of Extinction, Polyroll and Panic Porcupine.
From CIMFest 2026
For more great game dev videos like this, please support our Patreon at patreon.com/GeorgiaGameDevs
