Core Team
Meet the Core Team
Open World’s year-round staff is constantly striving to deliver the best experiences for students attending our workshops.
Open World Team
Christopher Comair
Chief Operating Officer, DigiPen Institute of Technology – Redmond
He/Him
Christopher earned a BS in Computer Science in Real-Time Interactive Simulation from DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2009. Since then, he has served as a faculty member in DigiPen’s Department of Computer Science, led the school’s Research & Development efforts, and acted as Director of Business Operations. With Open World, Christopher is excited to continue DigiPen’s proud tradition of inspiring and educating the next generation of innovators in interactive media, the arts, and sciences.
Emily Kirby
Vice President, Open World
She/Her
Emily graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in English and MA in Linguistics. After working at the university’s English Language Institute, she joined DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2017, serving most recently as the college’s Director of Admissions. As a former summer camp counselor herself, she believes that a successful youth program should provide space to explore, learn, and grow, while also giving kids a safe and caring environment to have fun. In her spare time, Emily enjoys traveling and spending time with her family, reading, cross stitching, and playing video games.
Danny Samuels
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
He/Him
Danny earned his BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design and MFA in Digital Art from DigiPen Institute of Technology. As a sculptor, painter, and digital 3D artist, he has contributed to everything from Golden Globe-winning animated film The Missing Link, to Disney World theme park assets, to Emmy-nominated TV shows such as Robot Chicken. More recently, his interests have turned toward gaming, serving as an Art Director for board game publisher Privateer Press and Creative Director for tabletop game producer Trans Atlantis Games. Danny’s educational philosophy is that fun is everything, and he believes that there is always a way to make something engaging and exciting. Danny loves to play music with friends, sing karaoke, explore new places, and hug other people’s dogs.
Brittan Wilkey
Assistant Director of Marketing
She/Her
Brittan hails from Florida, where she attended the University of Central Florida and obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English. Later she enrolled at Wake Forest University to complete her Master of Arts in English with a focus on poetry. She has ten years’ experience as a writer and editor. In 2017, she joined her first marketing team and spent the next few years on design and content-marketing teams at Seattle-area software companies. A former tutor for middle and high school English students, Brittan is passionate about the value of an applied arts education. Apart from reading and writing, in her free time Brittan likes weightlifting, learning languages, and collecting pink things.
Emily “EmJ” Collins
Operations Manager
She/Her
Emily earned her BA in Art Studio from Western Washington University with a Minor in Film Studies. She has been a program coordinator and teacher for DigiPen Academy since 2021, helping to keep everyday operations and events running smoothly and safely. She’s worked in the art department for more than 15 short films, many of which have gone on to win awards and screen in festivals around the country. At Open World, she hopes to create a safe and fun environment that students can look forward to coming back to each day. In her spare time, Emily enjoys going to the movies, traveling, learning new languages, playing piano/guitar/ukulele, and growing her vinyl album collection.
David Robson
Curriculum Developer
He/Him
David has a BA in Game Design from the DigiPen Institute of Technology. As curriculum developer, he also brings a wide range of academic experience to Open World in fields such as electronics, robotics, art, psychology, computer science, engineering, and more. David’s design projects have included everything from fully realized game levels and AI development, to the development of physical arcade spaces and capacitive-touch-controlled air hockey installations. He believes that flexibility and the training of high-quality instructors are key to a successful youth program. David enjoys reading, learning languages, playing games, cooking, exploring other cultures, and working on indie projects.
Chris Onorati
Curriculum Developer
Chris received his BA in Game Design from DigiPen Institute of Technology, where he now splits his time between being the campus’s Lab Manager and Publications Manager and serving in production, design, and programming positions with various indie game studios. He has designed interactive experiences that include the Steam Greenlight Portal 2 mod Portal Stories: Mel, Valve Licensed games Operation: Black Mesa and Guard Duty, and AR and arcade games for community events in the city of Redmond, Washington. Chris believes the best way to learn something is to get your hands dirty and to practice and grow skills with hands-on experience. His hobbies include prop collecting, trivia, and interior decorating.