Joakim Eklund

Gaming involves using game mechanics and aesthetics to facilitate learning, promote products and services, change mindsets and facilitate innovation. In 2020 Gartner Group predicts that 80% of the Global 2000 organisations will use gaming to manage innovation activities.

In 1995 gaming pioneer Joakim Eklund graduated from the University of Gothenburg majoring in journalism and drama. Landing a scriptwriting job at a gaming company his first digital game application was published a year later. It was a learning game for kids teaching them about fire fighters and was soon followed by a game about police officers.

As these kids’ games were highly rated by the Swedish game press Joakim wondered if games could be used to teach adults too. Despite set-backs along the way he continued to design games. As the world woke up to the non-entertainment possibilities gaming offered he was involved in creating more than a hundred gaming apps for multinational organisations.

In 2008 Joakim started the multi award-winning game studio ‘Hello There’ together with 5 other Swedish gaming pioneers. ‘Hello There’ successfully uses gaming to charge brands with emotions, offer players creative learning and empower people in organisations, globally.

Joakim is a sought after speaker and lecturer on subjects such as gaming, story branding, digital storytelling, and content marketing.