About Us

Mission Statement

The Black Immersive Creators Grant is part of a concerted effort to effect change within the immersive industry. 

We are offering support for US-based, Black-identifying creators who are passionate about creating immersive work—whether they are new to the immersive industry and are interested in pushing the boundaries of their existing practice, or already create primarily immersive experiences.

Our goal is to amplify Black voices in the immersive community, to encourage Black artists to live out their dreams by creating immersive works, and to affect culture in a way that opens minds as well as inspires future creators to do the same for generations to come.

Meet the Board

  • Carter

    Carter is a trans-genre performer + facilitator + cultivator of joy based in Brooklyn NY, who is passionate about emerging works of immersive and experiential art.

  • Karmisha Jawell

    Karmisha is an Interactive experience designer currently interested in counter-colonial narratives and experiences that inspire STEM participation by children of color.

  • Jayson Mamaclay

    Jayson Mamaclay, founder of Fuzzy Logic Escape Room and currently owner of Think Quick Events, is an award-winning creator and performer in the escape room industry, as well as director of operations of Norman Professional Services, a Fractional CFO and Concierge Bookkeeping company.

  • Dana McGarr

    Dana McGarr is the founder of New Suns Collective, a consultancy that specializes in delivering diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy at the intersection of transformative vision and practical change.

  • Lawrence Moore

    Lawrence Moore

    Lawrence Moore is a Live Action Roleplay organizer who founded LARPing in Color in 2019. His focus is on eliminating barriers of access to immersive play events, and creating unique, transformative interactive experiences within LARP.

  • Risa Puno

    Risa Puno is an interactive installation artist. Her project The Privilege of Escape was named Most Innovative Immersive Experience in the 2019 Immersion Awards.

  • Lisa and David Spira

    Lisa and David Spira founded Room Escape Artist in 2014. There they publish daily well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room reviews, design tips, player tips, and industry commentary.

  • Christoff Visscher

    Christoff Visscher is the owner of Cantrip Candles, a candle company that designs scents for use with fantasy tabletop games. He has also worked as a scent designer on numerous productions, both immersive and theatrical.

Support Team

  • Leah Ableson

    Leah Ableson is a Brooklyn-based immersive performer and director, best known for their work with the cult classic immersive experiences Whisperlodge and Bottom of the Ocean.

  • Marlee Delia

    Marlee Delia is a Los Angeles based User Experience Designer who creates immersive, gamified experiences in tech and with her immersive theatre company, Shine On Collective.

  • Laura Hess

    Laura Hess is a creative strategist working across experiential formats: immersive theatre, installation art, film, VR, and marketing.

  • Tommy Honton

    Tommy Honton is a Los Angeles-based escape room owner (Stash House) and immersive experience designer specializing in the intersection of narrative and interactivity.

  • Brendan Littlefield

    Brendan Littlefield is a Brooklyn-based composer, producer, and performer. He is co-founder of AudioFarms LLC, and works in fields from Immersive Dance Theatre to podcast production.

  • Kendra Slack

    Kendra is the Co-Artistic Director of Linked Dance Theatre who has been making Immersive and site-specific work since 2014.