FAVORITE GAMES
Things, Wits ‘N Wagers and Trivial Pursuit
Joe Barron
creator
In order to survive the long winters in Northern Michigan, Joe enthusiastically took up board games in his childhood. After seeing the movie, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Joe fell in love with the game of chess and still occasionally puts Lauren’s medial chess skills to shame. He enjoys his family’s annual Thanksgiving weekend game night and is passionate about finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
WORK EXPERIENCE
10+ years in Finance and Corporate Development roles. Joe was also the mastermind behind the questions for his Aunt’s annual “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” holiday party for many years.
EDUCATION
B.S. in Finance from Michigan State University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
FAVORITE GAMES
Contract Rummy, Uno, and Monopoly
Lauren Barron
Creator
Lauren’s family always played cards or board games after their weekly Sunday night dinners, and this is where her love for friendly competition blossomed. As she grew, so did the complexity of the games. What started out as a short round of Pizza Party at age 5 turned into serious games of Contract Rummy as an adult. Lauren has joined Joe in helping fund Alzheimer’s research while bringing engaging and community-driven games to families far and wide.
Work Experience
10+ years in Investment and Corporate Banking. In addition, Lauren coaches and mentors a large organization of entrepreneurial professionals.
Education
B.S. in Finance and B.S. in Accountancy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business.
FAVORITE GAMES
Tug of War and “The Chase Game”
Gipper
Chief security officer
Despite an intense napping schedule, Gipper manages to run a tight security detail at Gray Matters Games. Her responsibilities include barking at all who come close to the premises and “protecting” Joe or Lauren by hogging the office chair... while they sit in it. She is a frequent gamer but gets easily distracted by treats, squirrels and leaves.
Work Experience
Professional Cuddler and Food Taster
Education
Graduated as Valedictorian in her Advanced Puppy Skills class from Wiggles ‘N Wags Dog Academy