About Leah Hanes

Nolan Bushnell In 1972, Nolan Bushnell created an industry when he founded Atari and gave the world Pong, the first blockbuster video game. Today his design credo--that games should be "easy to learn and difficult to master"--is inspiring a new generation of developers. A prolific entrepreneur, Bushnell has started more than 20 companies, including Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater; Catalyst Technologies, the first Silicon Valley incubator; and Etak, the first in-car navigation system. In the process, he pioneered many of the workplace innovations that have made Silicon Valley a long-standing magnet for creative talent. Bushnell was the first and only person ever to hire Steve Jobs, which he details in his 2013 book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs.
He is currently chairman of ExoDexa, a gamified education company; CKO of Moxy, a "play to earn" game and token platform; and an advisor to companies in the gaming and eSports spaces. Additionally, he sits on several boards, focusing on games, gaming, and robotics. A true icon of the digital revolution, Bushnell was named one of "50 People Who Changed America" by Newsweek. A biopic about Bushnell, tentatively titled "Atari," was acquired by Leonardo DiCaprio's production company and is in pre-production. Leah Hanes, PhD Leah Hanes, PhD, is CEO of the Two Bit Circus Foundation (2BCF). During her tenure, first as executive director and then CEO, 2BCF has developed a strong voice in the current STEAM education discourse. Bringing potent creative play allies like T4T.org, STEAM Carnival, Imagination.org, and LA Makerspace under the 2BCF big top helped increase both reach and impact in education.
Prior to joining 2BCF, Dr. Hanes held a variety of positions focused on children and education. Most recently, she taught courses on adult developmental theory and ethics at Antioch University Los Angeles. Her PhD included a study of ethical decision-making and gender at Antioch University's Graduate School of Leadership and Change. Her MA is in organizational management.
She is the mother of two grown children, a son and a daughter, and has a 13-year-old granddaughter and a grandson who is 8.