Michael DiPonio is a game industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in game development and interactive design. He spent a decade developing racing simulation software for Formula 1 and NASCAR, and co-created the rFactor simulation platform.

In 2009, he transitioned to the finance industry, where he built and led a full-time internal game development team at one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, collaborating with partners such as Marvel, Disney, and Snapchat. He currently leads the Instructional Design team at AmeriSave Mortgage and, in 2020, founded Ninja Penguin Interactive to continue developing work in serious games and entertainment.

» Research Interests

• Game Development
• Gamification & Serious Games
• User Experience Design
• Instructional Design
• Interactive Media

» Professional Experience

• Lead, Instructional Design Team, AmeriSave Mortgage
• Founder, Ninja Penguin Interactive
• Game Developer (F1, NASCAR simulation; co-creator of rFactor platform)

» Affiliations & Service

• Presenter, Serious Play Conference
• Member, Serious Games Showcase & Challenge (I/ITSEC, Orlando)