Hello

I’m Hank Whitson: avid gamer, storyteller, and CEO of To Whit Ventures. TWV is a start-up with an eye on enriching analog gameplay experiences (attending conventions, playing tabletop role-playing games) with digital elements that hinge on human interaction rather than eliminating or obfuscating it. Our first big project is a platform called Echelon. It is a forthcoming Virtual Tabletop for original titles.

Prior to founding TWV, I was a freelance writer, sometimes games journo, and a very dedicated Patreon author. You may have read my articles on Game Rant, SVG, and Looper. During that time I also wrote the web serial Anno Amagium. The story is far from finished, but currently on indefinite hiatus as it is currently being adapted into a digitally augmented TTRPG, hosted on Echelon.

Prior to freelancing, I worked as 42 Entertainment’s Narrative Designer where I wrote fictional websites, universe bibles, scripts, slogans, and more. I have also designed puzzles, UI, games, and live events. And before 42E, I attended the Georgia Institute of Technology and came back to my native California with a Masters Degree in Digital Media. While I was at Tech, I worked as a graduate research analyst and served as the Entertainment Editor for the award-winning school paper, The Technique.

I earned my BA in English from University of California at Irvine with an elective, departmental emphasis in creative writing. While matriculating, I learned the basics of Iaido and sold books for the local Barnes & Noble. In my formative years, I wandered around Pasadena, hoping to find holes in reality. In high school, I studied ballet to woo the woman of my dreams.

Now I live with her in Duarte, where we are happily owned by three black cats. When I have free time, I play games, mix drinks, and consume fiction in every format imaginable, with a particular taste for anime. I also enjoy traveling, skiing, collecting masks, and cosplay.