Asi Burak

Asi Burak is a video game creator, tech executive, and social entrepreneur, known for his work in developing video games aimed at promoting social change, including PeaceMaker, and for his role as Chairman of Games for Change (G4C).
==Early Life and Education==
Asi Burak holds a Master of Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He also studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, where his final project, Israel 2023, imagined a dystopian future for Israel and Judea.
Burak has also taught in the MFA Design for Social Innovation program at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
==Career==
===ImpactGames===
In 2005, Burak co-founded ImpactGames, a company dedicated to using video games as tools for education and social engagement. The company's flagship project, PeaceMaker, simulates the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by allowing players to assume the roles of either an Israeli prime minister or a Palestinian Authority president. The game gained recognition for its educational and innovative approach to addressing social and political issues through gaming and won the "Best Transformation Game" award at the 2007 Games for Change Festival.
In 2008, Burak launched Play the News, a platform allowing users to engage with current events through interactive mini-games, which won the inaugural Knight News Game Award in 2009.
===Games for Change===
Burak previously served as the Executive Director, then as the Chairman of Games for Change (G4C)
, a nonprofit organization that promotes the creation and use of video games for social impact. Under his leadership, G4C partnered with institutions such as NASA and The World Bank in efforts to use video games to invoke social change.
===Tilting Point===
Since 2017, Burak has been the Chief Business Officer at Tilting Point, where he oversees strategic partnerships and business development. During his tenure, Burak played a key role in securing a $40 million user acquisition funding agreement with South Korean developer Joycity for their game Gunship Battle: Total Warfare.
==Authorship==
Burak co-authored the book Power Play: How Video Games Can Save the World with Laura Parker. The book explores the potential of video games to drive social and political change.
==Recognition and Awards==
Burak has been recognized for his work in the gaming industry. His projects and viewpoints have been featured in media outlets, and he has been a speaker at global events such as TED Talks, Harvard Kennedy School, and the Clinton Global Initiative. He has also been publically recognized for his contributions and received the following awards:
* First Place - Games and Public Diplomacy Contest (2006) – Awarded by the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy for PeaceMaker, a cross-cultural political simulation promoting peaceful resolution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
* Digital 25: Leaders in Emerging Entertainment (2011) – Awarded by the Producers Guild of America and Variety.
* Carnegie Mellon "Tartans on the Rise" Award (2017) – Recognized by Carnegie Mellon University for Burak's impact on the gaming and tech industries.
* Gary's Book Club at CES (2018) – Featured at Gary's Book Club for Power Play: How Video Games Can Save the World.
==Personal Life==
In 1998, while studying at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Burak completed a final project imagining Israel in 2023, 25 years in the future. In 2023, the project gained renewed attention, after it resurfaced on social media platforms. A discussion around his predictions was featured on Israeli primetime television and discussed on other news outlets due to the accurate nature of his predictions.
Category:Video game developers
Category:Technology business executives
Category:Social entrepreneurs
Category:Carnegie Mellon University alumni