Teaching games is even more fun than playing them.

Meet Jeff Ettenhofer,
founder & head instructor

The first video game I played was probably some version of Pong on a black and white TV. Yes, really! I have participated in just about every era of video games, from the heyday of physical arcades, to the early days of home consoles, like Atari and Coleco, to the middle-era dogfight of Nintendo versus Sega, to the late-era tech-showdown of Playstation versus XBox, as well as the evolution of PC games from 5.25″ floppy disks to on-demand, VR, and streaming. 

I developed a deep appreciation for the way video games power our imaginations and let us experiment with identity and agency. My left and right brain have always had a strong connection. Video games allow us to be both meticulously analytical and ridiculously creative. I coded my first game when I was 11. I went to school to study art from Northwestern University and design from the Institute of Design.

For more than twenty years I worked for tech companies like Yahoo!, Cisco and GE as a user experience and product designer, creating experiences for global products, leading teams and helping companies connect with audiences.

In 2010, I founded an online gaming company. We built a massively multiplayer persistent pinball metaverse. Here is where I learned advanced game development with high-quantity asset workflows, client-server networking, and graphics shaders.

Along the way, I have learned countless programming languages, software suites, development techniques and working methods. Gradually, I began to share my knowledge.

In 2024, after several short-term teaching stints, I decided to bring my skills into education full-time. For two years, I have helped kids of all ages unlock their potential through the power of games.

I can’t wait to see what your child creates!