Exploding Kittens Inc. sales manager becomes Kickstarter's new head of games

Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has hired Maggie Clayton as its new head of games. Clayton will replace Jon Ritter-Roderick as he transitions within the company to lead the Kickstarter Performance team.

In her new role, Clayton will oversee a team "dedicated to engaging with and advocating for games creators," working to foster relationships with new and returning creators while providing guidance to help bring their projects to fruition.

Prior to joining Kickstarter, Clayton served as senior manager of North American sales at Exploding Kittens, Inc., itself a record-breaking Kickstarter creator. She also spent time working with large and small-scale publishers and has designed games herself.

Kickstarter Games has a wide field

Kickstarter Games encompasses video games, tabletop and card games, and everything in between. Clayton hopes to help creators in that category realize their ambitions.

"I am thrilled to join a platform that has consistently been at the forefront of bringing innovative projects to life. Kickstarter's commitment to the Games community is evident, and there’s an exciting new momentum around our efforts to provide creators with the tools they need to succeed," said Clayton in a press release.

"I look forward to building upon that foundation to continue meeting the evolving needs of creators and helping them achieve success."

Kickstarter Games attracts tens of millions of dollars in pledges each year, and saw a 17 percent increase in the number of successfully funded projects across 2023.