{{Short description|Indian-American non-profit director}}{{Infobox person | name = Ajit A. George | occupation = Chief Operating Officer, Shanti Bhavan Children's Project; games writer | website = {{URL|https://ajitageorge.com/}} }} '''Ajit George''' is an Indian-American tabletop role-playing game writer and nonprofit executive.
George is known in the gaming industry for his role as co-lead designer/author (with F. Wesley Schneider) of the Dungeons & Dragons adventure anthology ''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' (2022)<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Hall |first=Charlie |date=2022-03-22 |title=Dungeons & Dragons' next anthology is written entirely by Black and brown authors |url=https://www.polygon.com/22989321/dnd-journeys-through-the-radiant-citadel-release-date-price |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |date=March 22, 2022 |title=The Next D&D Adventure Book is a Vibrant, Personal Multicultural Anthology |url=https://gizmodo.com/dungeons-and-dragons-journeys-through-the-radiant-citad-1848682772 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |website=Gizmodo |language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-22 |title=Dungeons & Dragons Announces Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel Anthology |url=https://www.cbr.com/dnd-journeys-through-the-radiant-citadel/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=CBR |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lopez |first=Rachel |date=2022-07-23 |title=Rivers, swamps, Bengal: Why does a new D&D adventure feels so familiar? |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art-culture/rivers-swamps-bengal-why-does-a-new-d-d-adventure-feel-so-familiar-101658492029759.html |access-date=2022-07-25 |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> which was nominated for the 2023 Nebula Award for Best Game Writing,<ref name="2023 Nebula Nomination" /> the 2023 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming,<ref name="2023 DJA Nom">{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=The 2023 Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming |url=https://www.dianajonesaward.org/the-2023-award/ |access-date=2023-06-21 |website=The Diana Jones Award |language=en-US}}</ref> and 2023 ENNIE Awards for Best Adventure and Best Product.<ref name="2023 ENNIE Nominations">{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=2023 Nominations |url=https://ennie-awards.com/2023-nominees/ |access-date=2023-07-11 |website=ENNIE Awards |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, George was awarded the Diana Jones Award, an annual award for "Excellence in Gaming."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2023-06-21 |title=Root creator Cole Wehrle, indigenous RPG Coyote & Crow among finalists for 2023 Diana Jones Award |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/diana-jones-award/news/diana-jones-award-finalists-2023 |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dohm-Sanchez |first=Jeffrey |date=2022-08-04 |title='D&D' Author Ajit George Wins the Diana Jones Award |url=https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/51816/d-d-author-ajit-george-wins-the-diana-jones-award |access-date=2022-08-04 |work=ICv2}}</ref>
George is the Chief Operating Officer of Shanti Bhavan Children's Project based in Bangalore, India. The school, which was the focus of the 2017 Netflix documentary series ''Daughters of Destiny: The Journey of Shanti Bhavan'', provides free education to socially disadvantaged children from the age of four until they graduate from college.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-02-02 |title=In lieu of accepting inheritance, man launches school for impoverished Indian children |url=https://www.knkx.org/other-news/2019-02-02/in-lieu-of-accepting-inheritance-man-launches-school-for-impoverished-indian-children |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=NPR: KNKX Public Radio |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">[https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/arts/television/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-tv-review.html "Review: ‘Daughters of Destiny’ on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles in India"], by Mike Hale, ''The New York Times'', July 28, 2017. [Consulted 2 August 2018].</ref><ref name=":22">{{Cite web |last=Marotta |first=Jenna |date=2017-07-27 |title=In a New Netflix Series, Educating the "Untouchables" and Breaking the Cycle of Unimaginable Poverty |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-vanessa-roth |access-date=2024-09-25 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Early years == George, the oldest son of Mariam and Abraham M. George, grew up in New Jersey, United States.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Voelker |first=Jessica |date=October 18, 2017 |title=Ajit George, The Good Son |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2017/10/ajit-george-the-good-son |access-date=June 15, 2022 |website=Seattle Met}}</ref> The family was well-off and George attended good schools.<ref name=voelker>{{cite magazine | last = Voelker| first = Jessica| title = Ajit George, the Good Son| magazine = Seattle Met| date = November 2017| url = https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2017/10/ajit-george-the-good-son| access-date =2024-09-25 }}</ref> George felt isolated at school, and used role-playing games to help him, saying, "as a brown kid growing up in a deeply white set of schools and communities, I felt alienated constantly and really, really had a hard time with it. It was very, very painful for me growing up. And role playing games were one of the few refuges along with books that I could find that gave me my own space and my own voice and to experiment."<ref name=interview>{{cite web| url = https://speculativeliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ajit_George_and_SB_Divya_transcript_Los_Angeles_2019.pdf| title = SFL Portolan Project: Interview with Ajit George and S.B. Divya| last = Mohanraj| first = Mary Anne| date = 2019| website = Speculative Literature| access-date = 2024-09-25}}</ref>
== Career ==
=== Shanti Bhavan Children's Project === When George was 22, his father Abraham decided to return to India to create a residential school for children of the Dalit caste, India's poorest caste.<ref name=voelker />
In 2007, George became the Director of Operations for Shanti Bhavan Children's Project. He was brought onto the team to help Shanti Bhavan deal with its financial crisis. George changed the financial structure of the organization, taking it from being funded privately to a 501(c)(3) organization. It is now supported by individual donations, corporate and non-governmental organization (NGO) partnerships, and grants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The History of Shanti Bhavan {{!}} Shanti Bhavan Children's Project |url=https://www.shantibhavanchildren.org/2021/08/16/the-evolution-of-shanti-bhavan/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Thiagarajan |first=Kamala |date=2021-11-06 |title=These 4 college freshmen from India have a remarkable story to tell |language=en |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/11/06/1043971337/these-4-college-freshmen-from-india-have-a-remarkable-story-to-tell |access-date=2022-07-07}}</ref>
In January 2024, George became the Chief Operating Officer for Shanti Bhavan.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Culver |first=Jordan |date=July 20, 2022 |title='Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel': 16 writers, all people of color, shape new Dungeons & Dragons book |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2022/07/20/journeys-through-radiant-citadel-dungeons-and-dragons/10096026002/ |access-date=July 20, 2022 |website=USA Today |quote=After working on other projects, George met with D&D senior designer F. Wesley Schneider. George, also the Chief Operating Officer of the nonprofit Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project, was given the chance to work on another D&D product, he said, and during that time, he thought about what would eventually become 'Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel.'}}</ref> He oversees all domestic and international fundraising, volunteer and teacher recruitment, media relations, strategic partnerships, and the mentorship program at Shanti Bhavan Children's Project.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=George |first=Ajit |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Ajit A. George |url=https://ajitageorge.com/ |access-date=June 15, 2022}}</ref>
George is a board member of the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, a postgraduate school of journalism and media, founded in 2001 and based in Bangalore, India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shanti Bhavan Children's Project: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Through Education |url=https://asiasociety.org/new-york/events/shanti-bhavan-childrens-project-breaking-cycle-poverty-through-education |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Asia Society |language=en}}</ref>
=== Writing and game design === George returned to the world of role-playing games, and found that little had changed in the field since his childhood, with almost no creative representation by people of color.<ref name=interview /> After working as a contributing writer on ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft'' (2021),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dungeons and Dragons |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft |url=https://dnd.wizards.com/products/van-richtens-guide-ravenloft |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223161619/https://dnd.wizards.com/products/van-richtens-guide-ravenloft |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 23, 2021 |access-date=June 15, 2022 |website=Dungeons and Dragons}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=George |first=Ajit |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Ajit George: The Beautiful Challenge of Bringing India to D&D's Ravenloft |url=https://terribleminds.com/ramble/2021/11/18/ajit-george-the-beautiful-challenge-of-bringing-india-to-dds-ravenloft/ |access-date=June 15, 2022 |work=Terribleminds}}</ref> George approached several publishing companies about increasing creative diversity. George and F. Wesley Schneider became co-lead designers and writers for ''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' (2022),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dungeons and Dragons |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel |url=https://dnd.wizards.com/products/journeys-through-radiant-citadel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322134840/https://dnd.wizards.com/products/journeys-through-radiant-citadel |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 22, 2022 |access-date=June 15, 2022 |website=Dungeons and Dragons}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> the first official "anthology of D&D adventures to be written entirely by Black and brown authors" published by Wizards of the Coast, including an adventure by Mimi Mondal.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Higgins |first=David M. |date=September 24, 2022 |title=A Fierce, Fragile Utopia: A Conversation with Ajit A. George. |work=Los Angeles Review of Books |url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a-fierce-fragile-utopia-a-conversation-with-ajit-a-george/ |access-date=September 26, 2022}}</ref> The committee of the Diana Jones Award in 2022 highlighted that George "has been the first writer of Indian origin to write Indian-inspired material for a number of games, including Dungeons & Dragon's ''Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft''".<ref name="2022 DJA Nom">{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=The 2022 Award |url=https://www.dianajonesaward.org/the-2022-award/ |access-date=2022-07-19 |website=The Diana Jones Award |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' was nominated for the 2023 Nebula Award for Best Game Writing,<ref name="2023 Nebula Nomination">{{Cite web |last=Farrell |first=Rebecca Gomez |date=March 7, 2023 |title=SFWA Names the 58th Nebula Award Finalists |url=https://nebulas.sfwa.org/58th-nebula-awards-finalists/ |access-date=March 8, 2023 |website=Nebula Award |language=en-US |type=Press release}}</ref> the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming,<ref name="2023 DJA Nom"/> and ENNIE Awards for Best Adventure and Best Product.<ref name="2023 ENNIE Nominations"/>
George has also written for a variety of indie game companies including Bully Pulpit,<ref>"The Warren by Bully Pulpit Games -- Kickstarter." March 18, 2016. ''Kickstarter.'' Retrieved June 15, 2022.</ref> Thorny Games,<ref>"Dialect: A Game About Language and How It Dies by Thorny Games -- Kickstarter." ''Kickstarter.'' June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Dialect: A Game About Language and How It Dies |url=https://thornygames.com/pages/dialect |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=Thorny Games}}</ref> and Monte Cook Games.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Your Best Game Ever |url=https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/your-best-game-ever/ |access-date=June 21, 2022 |website=Monte Cook Games}}</ref>
Along with being a writer, George is a diversity consultant, speaker, and activist in the gaming community.<ref>{{Cite news |last=George |first=Ajit |date=August 13, 2014 |title=Gaming's Race Problem: GenCon and Beyond |work=Tor.com |url=https://www.tor.com/2014/08/13/gamings-race-problem-gen-con-and-beyond/ |access-date=June 15, 2022}}</ref> In 2016, George helped Gen Con expand its Industry Insider Speakers program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 14, 2022 |title=The Diana Jones Award: For Excellence in Gaming |url=https://www.dianajonesaward.org/#:~:text=THE%20WINNER%20OF%20THE%202022,paid%20trip%20to%20Gen%20Con |access-date=June 14, 2022 |website=The Diana Jones Award}}</ref> In 2019, he created a POC training and mentorship program that connects game industry experts with POC professionals new to the industry. George also organized and led the first POC networking event at Big Bad Con in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-14 |title=The 2021 Award |url=https://www.dianajonesaward.org/the-2021-award/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=The Diana Jones Award |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Award !Category !Work !Result ! class="unsortable" |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- |2021 | colspan="2"|Diana Jones Award |{{n/a}} |{{nom}} |<ref name="2021 DJA Nom">{{Cite web |date=2021-07-14 |title=The 2021 Award |url=https://www.dianajonesaward.org/the-2021-award/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=The Diana Jones Award |language=en-US}}</ref> |- |2022 | colspan="2"|Diana Jones Award |{{n/a}} |{{won}} |<ref name="2022 DJA Nom" /> |- |2023 |Nebula Award |Best Game Writing |''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' |{{nom}} |<ref name="2023 Nebula Nomination" /> |- |2023 | colspan="2"|Diana Jones Award |''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' |{{nom}} |<ref name="2023 DJA Nom" /> |- |2023 |ENNIE Awards |ENNIE Award for Best Adventure|Best Adventure |''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' |{{nom}} |<ref name="2023 ENNIE Nominations" /> |- |2023 |ENNIE Awards |ENNIE Award for Best Product|Best Product |''Journeys through the Radiant Citadel'' |{{nom}} |<ref name="2023 ENNIE Nominations" /> |}
== Media ==
* George and Shanti Bhavan Children's Project were featured in the 2017 original Netflix documentary series ''Daughters of Destiny: The Journey of Shanti Bhavan'', written, directed, and co-produced by Vanessa Roth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Watch Daughters of Destiny {{!}} Netflix Official Site |url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80092926 |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=www.netflix.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marotta |first=Jenna |date=2017-07-27 |title=In a New Netflix Series, Educating the "Untouchables" and Breaking the Cycle of Unimaginable Poverty |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-vanessa-roth |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Vogue |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hale |first=Mike |date=2017-07-28 |title=Review: 'Daughters of Destiny' on Netflix Explores Caste Struggles in India |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/arts/television/daughters-of-destiny-netflix-tv-review.html |access-date=2022-07-07 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> * George presented at TEDxUNC in 2014,<ref>{{Cite web |last=TEDxTalks |date=March 21, 2021 |title=From untouchable to unstoppable: Ajit George at TEDxUNC |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGk12Y3MRJo |access-date=June 10, 2022 |website=YouTube}}</ref> and at TEDxCollegeofWilliam&Mary in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TEDxTalks |date=May 13, 2016 |title=Dignity {{!}} Ajit George {{!}} TEDxCollegeofWilliam&Mary |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYB5qgWcbSs|access-date=June 10, 2022 |website=YouTube}}</ref> * George presented Nebula Awards' first-ever award for "Outstanding Game Writing" in 2019.<ref>{{Cite news |last=George |first=Ajit |date=June 13, 2019 |title=Writing Games to Test the Waters of My Identity |work=Tor.com |url=https://www.tor.com/2019/06/13/writing-games-to-test-the-waters-of-my-identity/ |access-date=June 22, 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Ajit}} Category:Living people Category:American people of Indian descent Category:Diana Jones Award winners Category:People from Morristown, New Jersey Category:Role-playing game designers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:American people of Malayali descent