Jordan Weisman
CEO and Founder
Smith and Tinker

Jordan has been the creative and motivating force behind the founding and success of a number of entertainment companies, including: FASA Corporation (roleplaying games), Virtual World Entertainment (the world's first public networked virtual reality entertainment centers) acquired by the Disney Family in 1992, FASA Interactive (PC games, including the MechWarrior franchise) acquired by Microsoft in 1999, WizKids (collectible games, including HeroClix) acquired by Topps Inc. in 2003, and 42 Entertainment (alternate reality gaming).

At Microsoft, Jordan was the Creative Director for the entire entertainment business unit which included all PC and Xbox titles. While there, he conceived of the pioneering transmedia non-linear storytelling experience for Steven Spielberg's movie A.I. Artificial Intelligence, which has spawned a whole new genre of interactive entertainment called Alternate Reality Games. Jordan and the 42 Entertainment team have remained in the forefront of ARGs with such experiences as "I Love Bees," "Year Zero," and many others to their credit.

During his career, Jordan has created some of the largest and longest-lasting franchises in the gaming industry, including BattleTech/MechWarrior, Shadowrun and Crimson Skies. He has won more than one hundred awards, including election to the game designer's hall of fame by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design, and in 2003 was selected as the Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young. Jordan also serves as an adjunct professor at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, and at University of Washington's College of Computer Science and Engineering.

His latest transmedia storytelling experiment, entitled "Cathy's Book," co-written with Sean Stewart, became a New York Times bestselling young adult novel, and has recently gone on to become a bestseller in the UK, Germany, Sweden and Italy. Cathy's Book is scheduled to release in seventeen languages before the end of 2008.