A native of San Francisco, Derek Dabkoski is an award-winning filmmaker whose films have screened at festivals around the world, including the San Francisco and Vancouver International Film Festivals. He completed his undergraduate degree from NYU despite a debilitating physical attack that left him permanently paralyzed on his right side. He achieved his MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in film and television production, where he pursued his dream of directing. With a passion for telling stories about the underserved disabled community of which he is a part, his previous feature documentary, Derek Changes His Mind, followed his participation in a years-long study of the effects of stem cell therapy to treat his traumatic brain injury. Derek hopes No Handicap will serve as a vehicle to elevate the profiles of exceptional gamers and further the development of assistive technologies in and outside the gaming arena.