To end the cycle of poverty through the digital economy
“To end the cycle of poverty for underserved and low-income people by opening doors to living-wage careers in the digital economy — through free training, recognized credentials, apprenticeship pathways, and real employment building the tools of digital trust.”
A community charity with a modern digital mission
Video Game Palooza, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Carmel / Indianapolis, Indiana, doing business as Hope Training Academy. We are a community workforce-development organization — not a school (IRS classification 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)) — with a charitable purpose of relieving poverty, advancing social welfare, and advancing education.
Founded in 2013 to use video games to educate, inspire, and give back, we've grown into hands-on tech workforce development and are now expanding into digital content authenticity and creative-tech operations. Our leadership is volunteer and uncompensated — Rick Barretto, President.
Our charitable purpose
- Relief of poverty — free training and real employment for those who need it most.
- Social welfare — building an inclusive, next-generation digital workforce.
- Advancing education — recognized credentials and apprenticeship, not debt.
Our programs
We carry out our mission through Hope Training Academy (training & apprenticeship), EverVerify (our flagship digital-trust registry), our 10-year Retro Charity Arcade, and our STEM & youth programs.
Support Our Mission Contact Us
The refreshed mission statement reflects our board-approved direction; formal exempt-purpose language is finalized by the board.