Gmoffi Corner - Game Maker Spotlight - Milla Pennanen

Milla Pennanen - Founder and Executive Director

Milla Pennanen currently works as the Executive Director of both Game Makers of Finland and Tietoala ry. These two roles complement one another, allowing her long-standing passion for workers’ rights, community-building and the development of the game industry to fully flourish. Milla officially started at Tietoala in August 2025, after moving there from the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland (Insinööriliitto), where she was responsible for member recruitment, events, and a wide range of other member and partnership activities. 

Before her work in labour organizations, Milla spent time in the IT sector and engaged with the game industry from many angles: through union work, student initiatives, community projects and, of course, through her own background as a player. She holds a degree in Media Studies (medianomi) and has worked as a journalist in several different media outlets throughout her career. 

Milla has a long history in the labour movement, and the desire to help others has always been at the core of her work. Her own challenging experiences in working life, combined with the difficult situation within the game industry in the 2010s, led her together with a few others to establish Game Makers of Finland, the world’s first trade union for game industry professionals, in 2017. “I hope it has made a meaningful impact on both the Finnish and the global game industry, and helped create a culture where workers’ voices are heard more strongly,” she says. 

Building the game industry together 

Gaming has always been a dear hobby for Milla, and over time her path as a player has evolved toward contributing behind the scenes of the industry. Through persistence, passion and a strong sense of community, she has aimed to make a difference in the lives of many, especially young people. One of her proudest achievements is the youth-focused Crwd12 project, which taught young people to pursue their dreams and start their own businesses, for example through crowdfunding. Milla describes following young people’s career journeys from students all the way to becoming studio owners as some of the most rewarding moments of her work. 

Within the game industry, Milla wants to focus above all on community, well-being and building a sustainable working life. She has a strong belief in the goodness of people, the power of collaboration, and the idea that the industry can only be developed together openly and by supporting one another. 

“My goal, both professionally and personally, is to develop and support projects that improve well-being in the game industry, expand career opportunities for young people, and strengthen the industry’s collective voice.” 

In her free time, she loves pub quizzes, stand-up comedy, console gaming and cycling. She also goes to the gym, “and hopes to start liking that too,” she adds with a laugh. One of her biggest personal hopes is that her knee rehabilitation will progress enough for her to one day return to the beloved football field.