Katya Dolgova, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Redhill Games, Founder of an HR consulting company It Starts With You.
▫️From Law to Games
With a background in Law and HR, having lived and worked in three countries, I came to the gaming industry to combine different worlds, and fell in love with the free spirit of game developers and the playful attitude of gaming leaders. When I joined my first gaming company, my 15-year-old son said I had "finally got a real job." Despite 15 years of leadership roles in international companies before that, he considered gaming my first real job. Well — it was definitely life-changing.
▫️Building Redhill Games
Eight years ago, three friends and I founded Redhill Games to build a first-person AAA shooter. In 2022 we pivoted to co-development, and after weathering the industry downturn, Redhill is now based in Cyprus, restarting its journey with co-dev and small concept projects. My role evolved from back-office operations to business development and client relationships. Nowadays I’m rebuilding the studio in Cyprus solo.
To be able to have a comprehensive view on players’ expectations, habits, and preferences, your team needs to be diverse — different nationalities, genders, and ages — each perspective adding value to the whole. I’m a Women in Games and Women in Tech Ambassador supporting young girls in their dreams of joining gaming or tech, and I mentor first-time female founders through the Nordic Advocates Community program.
▫️Cyprus Gaming Ecosystem
Cyprus now has a thriving gaming scene. Redhill Games Cyprus is a member of both key industry organizations — Cyprus Game Makers Association (CYGMA) and TechIsland — and hopefully will be adding significant value to the positive development of the Cyprus gaming industry.
▫️If your career were a game genre, what would it be and why?
If my career were a game genre, it would be Strategy + Survival + City Builder with Roguelite elements.
I build from scratch — companies, teams, cultures, partnerships — focused on the bigger picture over quick wins. Each challenge became a chance to adapt, and every new chapter starts with more experience than the last. It's never been about winning. It's about creating conditions where great teams do their best work together.
Found something in the story that resonates? Connect with Katya:
@ekaterinathecat | Linkedin
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