Oct 8 · San Francisco showcase
Play. Share. Connect.
Explore educational games, meet their creators, and share perspectives from classrooms and homes at our community showcase during Tech Week 2026.
San Francisco / Tech Week 2026
PLAY IT
FORWARD
A showcase and game jam for learning
in the age of AI.
Free to showcase. Powered by community support.Play It Forward is a community event run on a not-for-profit basis.
Dates
Showcase: Oct 8, 2026
Game jam: TBD
Location
San Francisco
Venue to be announced
Format
Demo showcase +
AI game jam
Community
Creators, educators,
learners & enablers
Great games.
Meaningful learning.
AI is expanding who can build educational games and accelerating how quickly an idea can become playable.
We’re bringing creators together with educators, families, and the people who choose learning tools. Together, we can explore what learners need—and build a community that keeps creating long after the event.
Dates TBD · Game jam
Imagine. Build. Learn.
Turn learning challenges shared by educators and families into playable ideas, with AI and creative tools, expert guidance, and collaboration.
What happens
at the showcase.
Creators, educators, families, and the people who choose learning tools come together to try games, exchange ideas, and explore what learning through play can become.
Play demos
Try learning games, creative tools, and platforms, and see how they work in practice.
Meet creators
Go behind the build with game makers and tool builders. Discover the design choices, technology, and ideas behind their work.
Explore learning challenges
Share perspectives from classrooms, homes, and community spaces, and discuss what learners need.
Test ideas together
Give feedback on playable experiences and meet people who could help shape the next version.
Bring the learning
perspective.
Educators, tutors, school leaders, and families bring learning needs, playtesting feedback, and connections to potential pilot settings. What we learn at the October 8 showcase will help shape the game jam. Game jam dates: TBD.
Showcase for free
Become a community partner
No fee to showcase. Sponsorship is optional.
Time, expertise, and community connections are welcome; no financial contribution is required.
Demos, expertise & resources
Play a part in what comes next.
Host the showcase, share a demo, or guide creators as an advisor or mentor. For the game jam, contribute tools, credits, or prizes. Showcasing is free; sponsorships and donations are welcome and entirely optional.
Support path 01
Host
Showcase · October 8
Help cover venue costs, food, and beverages for a welcoming community showcase.
Contribute
- Venue space or rental costs
- Food + beverages
- Wi-Fi + A/V equipment
Your opportunity
Visibility, impact, and new connections.
Support path 02
Share
Demo · October 8
Bring a learning game, creative tool, or platform for people to try at the showcase.
Contribute
- A playable demo
- A look behind the build
- Why it exists + why customers love it
Your opportunity
Direct feedback and new connections. Free to showcase.
Support path 03
Guide
Advise + mentor · Both events
Share expertise on game design, learning, and AI, including emerging trends, opportunities, and risks.
Contribute
- Panel expertise + advice
- Game jam mentoring
- Judging + thoughtful feedback
Your opportunity
Shape better learning games. No financial contribution required.
Support path 04
Equip
Game jam · Dates TBD
Give game jam teams access to AI, creative, and game development tools.
Contribute
- AI + cloud credits
- Game development credits + tools
- Software licenses + technical support
Your opportunity
Adoption, visibility, and builder feedback.
Support path 05
Award
Game jam · Dates TBD
Fund game jam prizes and help standout teams continue building.
Contribute
- Prize money
- In-kind prizes
- Resources for winning teams
Your opportunity
Help promising ideas keep growing.
What your support can do
Meaningful impact
Expand access to learning games.
Product adoption
Put your tools to work on real learning challenges.
Brand visibility
Reach an engaged audience.
New connections
Meet talent, potential partners, and customers.
Across games, learning, tools & community
Help us connect
the dots.
Potential partners & supporters
We’d welcome introductions to creators, tool builders, investors, and education and community organizations. They could showcase, contribute funding or resources, offer space, or connect us with advisors, mentors, judges, and playtesters.
This is an outreach wish list. Participation and support are not confirmed. Financial contributions are optional.
EdTech / Games
- Age of Learning
- Prodigy
- Legends of Learning
- Teach Your Monster
- Dragonbox
- Dojo / Dojo Islands
- Kahoot
- MSFT / Minecraft Education
- Roblox Education
- Cool Math Games
- Modlab
- MIT Scheller Education Arcade
- Duolingo
AI / Vibe-coding companies
- Cursor
- OpenAI
- Anthropic
- Meshy
- Tripo AI
- Lovable
- Replit
- Vercel / v0
- Bolt.new
- Hugging Face
- ElevenLabs
- World Labs (Marble)
Cloud, hosting & backend
- Supabase
- Firebase
- PlayFab
- Convex
- Cloudflare
- AWS
- MongoDB
Game-dev platforms
- Unity
- Unreal
- Blender
- Godot
- GitHub
- Scratch
- Discord
- Twitch
- Itch
- Valve / Steam
- Netflix
- YouTube
Studios
- Filament
- FableVision Studios
- Schell Games
- Field Day
- Endless Studios
Investors and accelerators
- Owl
- Reach
- GSV
- Bitkraft
- Pearson
- Supercell AI Innovation Lab
- a16z Speedrun
- Konvoy
- Play Ventures
- Learn Capital
- Kapor Capital
Education & community organizations
Schools, educator networks, and family advocates could offer space, connect us with advisors, mentors, and judges, and bring educators and learners into playtesting and future pilots.
Know someone here—or an organization, advisor, or mentor who could help? We’d love an introduction
Meet the organizers
Max Giang Cofounder + CEO
Turn any curriculum into games.
max@manogames.comBobby Borges Cofounder + CEO
Unlock learning with game-native, evidence-based learning experiences.
bobby@otherwiselabs.co