The Team Behind the Mission
Veterans, gamers, and advocates
Martha Laughman
Co-Founder
As a military spouse and caretaker to a special operations wounded warrior, Martha has dedicated her career to supporting the military community. She holds a Masters in I-O psychology and competed PhD course work in organizational psychometrics. In the past decade she has had a key role in the development of 8 Veterans workforce programs, including national-level skill bridge and apprenticeships in cybersecurity.
Since the loss of her boys’ father, Martha has redirected her effort to help the children left behind. Gold Star Gamers came out of a need she saw in her youngest son and her efforts to honor the relationship he had with his dad. Martha lives in Redmond, Washington with her two boys and goldendoodle. When not working on Gold Star Gamers, Martha is consulting with organizations on workforce programs, veteran recruitment, DEI and partnership building. As a family, the trio enjoys the quincentennial PNW lifestyle of hiking, camping, skiing, and local food.
Tom McAndrew
Co-Founder
Video games have always held a special place in shaping Tom’s life. As a kid, he grew up in the gaming world, less than a mile from Nintendo of America’s corporate headquarters. He loved his Nintendo, enjoying the imagination, competition, and creativity that games brought. He found gaming a way to connect with other friends and challenge himself.
After graduating from the Naval Academy and deployment to the Middle East on ships, Tom found that gaming helped him cope with the stresses and challenges of being away from home. The world of gaming and technology came together when Tom was part of creating unmanned and artificial intelligence systems in the Middle East. Tom’s dedication to the military community, plus his own personal journey, inspired him to start Gold Star Gamers while deployed on a long-term rescue mission with the Reserves last year.
While he was on deployment, like many other dads, Tom found it difficult to connect with his kids on the other side of the world. But their faces lit up when he started interchanging his phone calls with online gaming and interacting with his kids in a virtual world. Gaming became a way to connect with his kids in a special, unique way that couldn’t otherwise be established. Gaming is now a key part of bonding and sharing life with his family. It’s why Tom is pleased to bring his experience and talents to supporting the mission of Gold Star Gamers, healing military kids through gaming.