Sumith Prasad
Apple TV+’s biographical film ‘Tetris’ revolves around Henk Rogers, a Japan-based businessman who joins hands with Nintendo to expand the availability of the Russian titular game through the company’s new product, Game Boy. Henk thus ends up in Soviet Russia to acquire the handheld rights to the game, competing against Robert Stein and Kevin Maxwell, who arrive in the city for the same rights. In reality, Henk not only acquired the rights but also formed a friendship with Alexey Pajitnov, the creator of the game, which led them to found The Tetris Company. This company is now run by Henk’s daughter Maya.
Who is Maya Rogers?
Maya Rogers is the daughter of Henk Rogers and Akemi Rogers. After her primary education in Japan, she arrived in the United States with her family when Henk started to base his businesses in the country instead of Japan. She hence attended Pepperdine University, Los Angeles County, California, after her school education to earn a BS degree in Business Administration (1996-2000). Maya also graduated with an Executive MBA degree from the same University’s The George L. Graziadio School of Business and Management (2007-2009). Before joining her father at Tetris, she worked at American Honda Motor Company, Inc. as a logistics analyst and at Sony Computer Entertainment America as a localization producer.
During her Executive MBA term, Maya was also working as the director of business development of Tetris Online China. After completing her studies, she joined her father Henk’s company Blue Planet Software, Inc. as the director of business development, a position in which she served for four years. In 2014, Maya then became the CEO of Tetris and the parent company Blue Planet Software. “I’m of the generation that grew up with Tetris. I want to make sure that Tetris is current, that it stays fresh,” she told VentureBeat about her becoming the head of the company.
Maya Rogers is Representing Tetris Globally
Since becoming the CEO of The Tetris Company, Maya Rogers has played an integral part in the expansion and development of the game. Under the leadership of Maya, the company launched several variants of the game, including Tetris Ultimate, Tetris Effect, Tetris Effect: Connected, etc. One of the important aspects Maya has been working on at her company is to expand the game beyond the gaming world. “35th anniversary for us is about going beyond gaming and making Tetris a lifestyle. That is what we’ve been working on for the last few years. When you’re organizing stuff, or you’re walking around and see some shapes, the icons of Tetris are everywhere. They’re all around. And we want to embrace that beyond gaming,” she told GamesIndustry in 2019.
Had a blast @StanLeeComikaze Guinness World Record attempt for Tetris! @GWR @Tetris_Official #WeAllFitTogether pic.twitter.com/27wzFCMq6W
— Maya Rogers (@alohamaya) November 2, 2014
Maya is the founding partner of Blue Startups LLC, the first venture accelerator based in Hawaii. The firm offers seed funding, mentorship, access to business expertise, etc. to emerging entrepreneurs. Since 2014, the firm has invested in around 110 companies, garnering around $400 million in follow-on funding, making it one of the top 20 accelerators in the country. Maya is also an esteemed speaker, who offers insights about business and entrepreneurship to emerging entrepreneurs. She has delivered talks at several prestigious institutions such as the University of Hawaii, Cushing Academy in Boston, etc.
Maya also represents Tetris in several business and tech conferences and summits. She is a board member of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, American Red Cross Hawaiʻi Chapter, Women’s Fund of Hawaiʻi, and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi as well. As a philanthropist, she is heavily involved in the activities of the Tiffany Circle, a community of women leaders formed to advance the Red Cross mission. Maya is also a member of the U.S.-Japan Council, an organization formed to strengthen the relationship between the two nations. As far as her personal life is concerned, Maya has chosen to keep the same private.
Read More: Does Tetris’ ELORG Still Exist? Where is Nikolai Belikov Now?
