Five extraordinary women in games celebrated at The Aurora - Barcelona Edition

• The Aurora - Barcelona Edition has awarded five women in the games industry.
• These women have been spotlighted for their achievements across Europe.

The Aurora - Barcelona Edition is celebrating the achievements of founders, CEOs, strategists and other impressive people whose impacts in the industry have extended beyond their titles.

This third edition of the awards have highlighted five names in particular, recognising the work of women from across Europe.

Dimoso CEO Jacki Vause hosted the awards at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona.

"Today, we are here to celebrate leadership. Vision. Resilience. Impact. Aurora was created to shine a light on the women and diversity leaders shaping the games industry, not just through words, but through action. Through companies built. Communities created. Barriers dismantled. And futures redesigned," she said on stage.

"These awards are not about token gestures. They are about recognising excellence: excellence that is transforming our industry in measurable, lasting ways."

Award honourees

Christina Barleben was the first to receive an award. As Thoughtfish’s CEO and creative director, she’s been leading the Berlin-based studio since its founding in 2013. The company has been carving out a niche in VR and AR, with Barleben’s guidance leading to multiple awards. She has secured government grants, represented her studio on international stages and more.

Next on stage was Burny Games head of strategic partnerships Elena Lobova, spotlighted for her impacts over more than 15 years in the industry. Lobova has scaled organisations, created platforms that connect thousands of developers worldwide and has worked on both the development and publishing side of the industry.

She helped grow iLogos from 40 to more than 300 employees, founded the Achievers Hub and co-founded GDBAY and Global Games Pitch.

During the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Lobova helped organise an international game jam from bomb shelters. She has raised over €90,000 to support Ukrainian developers and their families.

Jennifer Lufau was awarded for reshaping the conversation around race and gender in the French games industry, aiming to create more visibility. She's the founder of Afrogameuses, evolving what began as a personal response to racism and sexism in online spaces into a nationally recognised organisation with a network of more than 1,000 Francophone members.

She is also the founder of Narratify Agency, which works to make African narratives global through games.

Maryna Bondarenko, meanwhile, is a London-based awardee, highlighted for her career across Ukraine and the UK in roles at Boombit, Miniclip and beyond. She’s now BD director at Fortis Games, with her resilience and ability to forge lasting partnerships across borders making her an exemplary leader.

Bondarenko has risen to her position amidst industry contraction, global uncertainty and personal upheaval, demonstrating her strength of will and character.

Finally, GameHouse CEO Simonetta Lulli was awarded as one of relatively few female CEOs in the industry. She’s launched 24 kids apps, invested and secured investment of over $50 million and has created a culture focused on women's playing behaviour.

Under Lulli’s leadership, GameHouse has built a following of millions of female players across its portfolio of games.

"Every leader recognised tonight is proof that progress is not theoretical. It is happening. It is measurable. And it is powerful," Vause concluded.

"Steel Media’s commitment to expanding Aurora means that this platform will continue to grow, recognising more women, more diversity leaders and more changemakers."