Vassiliki Khonsari

Vassiliki Khonsari, award winning creative producer and writer, co-founded iNK Stories, a New York City based studio known for its boundary pushing storytelling across platforms; games, films, XR, and immersive experiences. iNK’s celebrated original titles have garnered industry acclaim, including BAFTA Nominations, Sundance Imagination Award, Dice, AIS Lumiere Award, META’s Game of the Year, and more. With a background in Visual Anthropology and documentary filmmaking and a Sundance Fellow, Khonsari passionately champions diversity and representation in creative industries. Consulting and mentoring at top institutions like United Nations, Sundance, CPH:DOX, Brooklyn Museum and European Creators Market. A founding member of Rolling Stone Culture Council and ambassador for Women in Games, Khonsari recently served on the jury for Tribeca Festival and Cannes 2024.

Some current collaborations include Royal Shakespeare Company, LA Music Center and Pico.

Navid Khonsari

Navid Khonsari is a multi-talented creative force in the entertainment industry and co founder of iNK Stories in New York City. With a diverse background spanning film, video games, and immersive experiences, Khonsari has left an indelible mark on the world of storytelling. As a writer, director, and producer, Khonsari has worked on a wide range of projects, from blockbuster video games to impact forward immersive experiences. One of Khonsari’s launchpad contributions to the industry is his work on the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto Franchise, where he developed the look and feel. His innovative approach to storytelling helped redefine the open-world gaming genre and set new standards for interactive narrative. 1979 Revolution, Hero, Fire Escape, Blindfold––have earned industries top honors including Best Game Direction and Independent Game of the Year Nominations by the Academy of Interactive Sciences, BAFTA, Winner of Facebook’s Game of the Year, Lumiere Award for Best Immersive, Indiecade Jury Prize, Tribeca Film Festival’s Storyscape Award and more.

Jury board member of the Peabody Awards, overall, Navid Khonsari’s diverse body of work reflects his unique vision and his unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of bold storytelling in all its forms.

Michaela Ternasky-Holland

Holland is a Peabody-nominated and Emmy award-winning director who specializes in creating socially impactful stories using immersive and interactive technology. As an XR/spatial computing creator, consultant, and speaker, she has been recognized as one of the 100 Original Voices of XR by industry veteran Avi Bar-Zeev and listed as one of Blooloop’s 50 Immersive Influencers. Michaela specializes in creative strategy and impact production and has either worked with or had her work featured by top brands and organizations like Disney, TIME, Forbes, The Guardian, Cannes Film Festival, New York Public Library, Tribeca Film Festival, and more.