Discovery Bay Games Management Team

Craig Olson

Chief Executive Officer

Craig Olson joined the company in December, 2005. Mr. Olson began his business career in the investment banking industry, initially at Drexel Burnham Lambert, where he became among the youngest shareholders of the then highly profitable private company. He later joined Bateman Eichler Hill Richards, where, as with at Drexel, he held the title of First Vice President. Determined to become an entrepreneur, he left to co-found NFL Exclusive, The Official Magazine of NFL Season Ticket Holders, and later, College Exclusive. Both publications boasted circulation of well in excess of 400,000. College Exclusive eventually became part of Rivals.com, a company Mr. Olson co-founded in 1999 and for which he served as Vice President, Content and Licensing. Mr. Olson has assisted with the founding of numerous other technology and Internet related concerns. He holds a BA from University of Washington and a Masters in History from Harvard University

Richard Schmidtke

Chief Financial Officer

Rich Schmidtke joined Discovery Bay Games in April 2006 and serves as a contract CFO, while remaining the managing partner in Schmidtke & Associates, LLP. His main role is the oversight of all financial operations, as well as cash flow, operations, and revenue projections. Rich has been practicing public accounting for over 25 years, and his client list includes corporate entities of all kinds as well as wealthy individuals. He holds a BA from University of Washington.

Veronica Sanchez

National Director of Sales

Veronica Sanchez joined Discovery Bay Games in April 2008. Veronica was previously with Front Porch Classics and Sababa Group Inc., where she built their customer base from 31 to 3,100 within the first two years. Veronica was instrumental with the development of their award winning products and also managed key accounts such as Macy’s, Fred Meyer, Nordstrom, Barnes & Noble, Norm Thompson, Urban Outfitters and Tommy Bahama. She also managed a large network of outside sales reps and initiated the internal sales and service team. Previous to Front Porch, Veronica worked with APCO Worldwide, one of Seattle’s leading Public Affairs/Strategic Communication firms, where she managed accounts such as The Washington DC Business Roundtable, Patty Murray’s Broadband Communication Summit, as well as five WTO events, three of which boasted over 5,000 attendees.

Natalie Dent

Director of PR

Natalie Dent joined the company in September 2007. She has more than 12 years of PR and marketing experience, as well as several years of experience in the gaming industry. Natalie began her career at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel in Seattle as a Public Relations and Sales Coordinator. She later joined Richmond Public Relations, where she managed a variety of public relations and marketing campaigns for clients in a variety of industries, including technology. In 2005, Natalie joined Screenlife, makers of Scene It? The DVD Game, one of the most successful game brands in history. She held the titles of Sales Manager and later, Project Manager, before returning to Richmond Public Relations as a Senior Account Manager. Natalie is an avid athlete, and also volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She holds a BA from the University of Puget Sound, where she was named Marketing Student of the Year.

Pam Dionne

Product Development

Pam Dionne co-founded the company together with her husband Ron, Rich Schmidtke, and Craig Olson. Pam invented the company’s initial product, Baffle Gab, which was launched nationally with Borders Books in November 2006. She also developed LOL, launched in 2009, and has been instrumental or has assisted with the development of many other products, including BeRhymed and Heart 2 Heart, award winners all. Pam is an accomplished artist, poet, writer, adventurer, and world traveler.