About
What is the Arc Angel Iniative?
We are a nonprofit organization based in Rochester, NY that raises money through custom arcade cabinets.
Our Purpose
Why we exist: Creating sustainable funding for local charities through interactive entertainment.
Origin Story
The history of Arc Angel, our founding values, and our commitment to the RIT community.
How It Works
Play to Give
Our donation-to-play concept turns every high score into a contribution for a good cause. Players make a small donation to play and 100% of that money goes to charitable causes.
The Cabinets
We use a unique cabinet placement model, bringing custom arcade experiences to local venues. Our cabinets and games are proudly made in the USA!
Transparency
Donations we collect go directly to the charity of your choosing. All with the press of a button!
What's Next?
We're working on expanding our outreach, new game developments, and upcoming hardware iterations.
Meet the Team
Founders
P. Joseph Johnson
P. Joseph Johnson is a founder, executive leader, and strategic innovator focused on redefining how people interpret, engage with, and act on complex data through creative, interactive systems. His work operates at the intersection of technology, storytelling, and human behavior, transforming traditionally static information into immersive and intuitive experiences. Mr. Johnson holds a Master of Science in Building Leadership and Office Administration, complementing his background in technology, analytics, and organizational leadership. Earlier in his career, he worked with technology-driven firms including Entropy, where he served as Chief Data Market Analyst and Lead Information Consultant, supporting data-driven decision making, market interpretation, and strategic insight. An active capital markets strategist and disciplined investor, Mr. Johnson applies a long-term, systems-based approach to equity markets, risk management, and macroeconomic analysis. His investment philosophy integrates data analytics, behavioral trends, and real-world signals to identify opportunities beyond traditional models. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rebel Pixel Interactive, Inc., where he develops interactive platforms and game-based systems that make complex financial and analytical concepts accessible, engaging, and culturally relevant. Mr. Johnson is also the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Board Member of Arc Angel Initiative Corp., a mission-driven organization that deploys retro-inspired arcade experiences in public spaces to support charitable causes. Arc Angel combines nostalgia, technology, and philanthropy to turn entertainment into a vehicle for social impact and community engagement. Additionally, he is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Belisar Strategy, a firm focused on innovation strategy, organizational design, and creative problem solving for emerging ventures and mission-aligned organizations. Outside of his professional work, Mr. Johnson enjoys travel and global culture. He met his wife while studying abroad in London, an experience that continues to shape his worldview and creative perspective.
Owen Beck
Owen Beck is a recent Rochester Institute of Technology graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development. With a strong passion for game design, pixel art, and quality assurance, he is constantly developing new games and refining his craft through hands-on projects and game jams. Outside of development, Owen enjoys biking, hiking, reading, and playing video games, drawing inspiration from both nature, movies, and other interactive media. During his time at RIT, he became a founding member of Arc Angel Interactive Corp., where he played a key role in bridging the gap between student creativity and tangible results. With a deep understanding of student workflows and the fast-paced nature of game jams, Owen oversees the pipeline that transforms jam prototypes into fully realized arcade experiences, ensuring each project is polished, playable, and brought to completion. He is particularly interested in fast-paced gameplay systems, high detail pixel art graphics, and creating satisfying player feedback through both mechanics and visual effects.
Randy Saffer
Randy Saffer is an entrepreneur and builder focused on creating ideas that translate into real, tangible outcomes. He is known for his hands-on approach to developing projects, bringing structure to early-stage concepts, and turning vision into something functional, scalable, and impactful. His work is rooted in execution and practicality. Rather than operating at a purely conceptual level, Mr. Saffer concentrates on how ideas actually take shape—how they are built, refined, and sustained over time. He has a strong interest in systems, efficiency, and designing experiences that people don’t just observe, but actively engage with. As a leader within Arc Angel Initiative Corp., he plays a central role in moving initiatives from concept to reality. His contributions focus on operations, implementation, and ensuring that ideas are not only creative, but effective. Arc Angel’s model—blending interactive entertainment with community-driven purpose—reflects his belief that engagement should be both meaningful and accessible. Beyond Arc Angel, Mr. Saffer is involved in developing new ventures and exploring opportunities that reward disciplined thinking and long-term vision. He is particularly drawn to projects where there is room to build something from the ground up and improve upon traditional approaches. Outside of his work, he enjoys building, problem-solving, and spending time with family. His mindset is rooted in continuous improvement and a preference for action over theory.
David Schwartz
David I. Schwartz, Ph.D., has worked in the academic field of game design and development since 2001, when he founded the Game Design Initiative at Cornell University. In 2007, Schwartz moved to the Rochester Institute of Technology as a game design and development faculty member who formed the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM) in 2011. After receiving tenure in 2011, he became IGM's Director in 2015. His current research focuses on cybersecurity gamification, critical infrastructure, geogames, digital twins, and physically-based animation.
Advisors
Idan Beck
Idan Beck is the CEO and Founder of Zerg AI - an autonomous-engineering platform that builds and operates AI software for the mission critical systems. Across more than a decade as a founder and technologist, he has shipped products spanning gaming, AI infrastructure, and enterprise software, with a recurring focus on the systems that quietly run the world. Idan is advising the Arc Angel Initiative on the operational and technical scaffolding that turns arcade play into community impact. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife and three children.
Benjamin Kalb
Benjamin Kalb, Founder and Studio Lead at Blanket Fort Games in Ithaca, New York, has been making eclectic indie games since 2010. Ben also has experience in games education and arcade redemption games. Ben will be helping to ensure that the games the Arc Angel Initiative distributes fit their mission and their goals, both in entertainment and charitable giving.
Rev. Sam Kinsman
Rev. Sam Kinsman has journeyed far from his childhood in rural California. From a childhood spent preaching and singing, through his time pursuing crunchy theatre in NYC, to his time at Union Theological Seminary: the Spirit molds and guides him to serve as Christ would. His work as an actor, a campus chaplain, a professional geek, and an artist will all eventually add up to something.
Student Co-ops
Nate Karwejna
Hi, I'm Nate Karwejna, a website designer and game developer from Reading, PA. With Arc Angel, I hope to help people through the power of gaming. I created and launched this website and am now focused on making games!
Dante Nguyen-Northcott
Hello, I’m Dante Nguyen-Northcott. I’m a game developer from New York City and am currently studying at Rochester Institute of Technology. I’m excited to create some fun and unique games here at Arc Angel!
Get Involved
For Venues
Host a cabinet and become a hub for charity gaming. Extend the time people enjoy your venue.
For Businesses
Sponsorship opportunities to support our mission and hardware build. Host a unique attraction for customers while showing your goodwill to others.
Student Co-ops
- Web Development
- Cabinet Build & Logistics
- Design a Game for a cabinet
Volunteer
Join the team and help us extend our outreach.