Designing Games for Everyone

Before she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30, Hollis Lehv was a kid who loved to build video games. By 10, she was using educational programming tools to design point-and-click games. 

“That’s what I would do for fun,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to do that as a career.”

A lifelong fan of the American Museum of Natural History, Lehv planned to study biology when she arrived at Columbia University. That changed when she took an introductory course in computer science and joined Columbia’s game development club. Surrounded by peers and industry speakers, she began to see gaming not just as a hobby, but as a viable career.

Turning passion into purpose through inclusive game design

As her path turned toward computer science, Lehv became a campus leader, helping steer the game design club, mentoring fellow students, and expanding the club’s reach. She also worked as a teaching assistant for courses across computer science.

In the classroom and the lab, Lehv was discovering how computer science could be applied to broader questions of access and inclusion. As an undergraduate researcher, she worked in Columbia’s Computer Graphics and Interfaces Lab on, a project aimed at enabling people with motor difficulties to use virtual reality for therapy without being in the same room as their doctor.

As a master’s student, Lehv worked in the Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL), led by Associate Professor Brian Smith, focused on making games accessible to blind and visually impaired players. Lehv participated on the NavStick project, which empowers players to independently navigate role-playing games and was eventually published. 

“The idea is that it allows folks with visual impairments or low vision to be able to take agency over their experience,” she said. For Lehv, that concept of agency is central, not just to accessibility, but to game design itself. 

“The coolest thing about making games is bringing a new experience to someone,” she said. “If someone’s never been able to do something before, and you’ve allowed them to, you’ve unlocked that for them—that’s going to be really exciting.”

Building inclusive games and communities

That philosophy has shaped her professional path. After graduating, Lehv joined 343 Industries, where she worked on Halo Infinite, contributing to multiplayer AI systems that help players of all skill levels engage with the game. Today, as a gameplay engineer at Riot Games, she continues to build tools that support both players and designers.

Alongside her technical work, Lehv has remained committed to mentorship and advocacy, particularly for women in gaming.

“To be able to find the other women in the field and have a sense of camaraderie and fellowship is the kind of thing that will keep you going,” she said.

Recognition on Forbes 30 Under 30 has also strengthened her sense of purpose.

“I want to use it to motivate me to continue to be a good example for other people who want to get into the industry and continue to advocate for other people and to advocate for inclusivity and accessibility.”

Looking ahead, Lehv remains focused on impact—both in the games she helps create and the people she hopes to inspire. 

“The goal is at least that other people will see me as an example and be like, ‘Oh, well, she did it, so maybe I can do it too.’”