Our Story

As all great stories, the origin of ours is in modest beginnings, irresistible passion for gaming in general, and boundless work. We have been involved with tabletop gaming for decades, as gamers, game designers and local gaming event organizers. Taking lessons and opportunities that arose from our continuous dedication to self-improvement, we developed knowledge and networks, gained priceless experience, and combined all of those into the genesis of our Licensing & Tabletop Gaming Consulting Agency M.O.B. Vanguard. We have proudly collaborated with and served industry titans and promising nascent publishers alike, providing our entire range of services with great outcomes and kept them coming back to us for their latest and most prized endeavors.

Our Team

At M.O.B. Vanguard we are extremely happy that we get to work every day in a field we love, swearing by two statements that we shall hold as our dearest principles in perpetuity:
Great deeds and aspirations will be actualized only by a team you are proud and happy to work alongside each and every day. Any project benefits immensely from the wealth of perspectives offered by a diverse, inclusive, accomplished yet insatiably driven team.
Founders and co-owners Michael Raftopoulos (he/him) and Marilena Doukakis (she/her) are at the helm of all M.O.B. Vanguard endeavors providing leadership, experience, hard work and inspiration to the rest of permanent or freelancing members of our team.

Michael has negotiated hundreds of licensing agreements, advised elite tabletop gaming crowdfunding campaigns, built from scratch an astounding network of industry professionals (publishers, retailers, manufacturers, etc.) ranging from colossal to up-and-coming firms, thus gaining insight into every factor determining success for your gaming project.

Marilena has been the stalwart force in turning Meeple On Board (M.O.B. Vanguard’s sister-company) from an unknown newcomer into one of Greece’s leading tabletop gaming retailers, the lead communicator for both companies sealing important deals for each of them. An industry insider like very few others, she will be your ever-present ally in your introduction into the professional side of this wonderful hobby of ours, whether it be via crowdfunding or retail channels.

Petros Papoulias

Licensing Agent
Petros is a tabletop gaming licensing agent and has been an integral part of the M.O.B. Vanguard family since 2020. His main areas of expertise consist of all matters pertaining to preparing and negotiating licensing agreements, building strong relationships with both licensors and licensees, while his partnerships with numerous manufacturing outlets guarantee our clients the lowest production costs their games will face in the market today. He has advised and coached numerous Kickstarter projects and creators over the past five years. Furthermore he is a music mentor, consultant and creator for various unique projects.

Socrates Ganavias

Cultural Advisor
Born in Greece with a love for history and a curiosity to experience the cultures he studied up close. During his studies at University of Patras he discovered his passion for Mediterranean cultures and the way they were influenced over huge historical moments, making him an excellent judge of what is deeply set in a cultures mindset and the way a situation can be presented so that it will be more easily accepted and understood from a certain group of people.

Paco García-Reed Jaen

Licensing Agent
Paco is a devotee of roleplaying games since and fell in love with cosmic horror. He created GMS Magazine in 2010 to cover both roleplaying and board games. He has also written and published his own work with Campo de Mitos and From Within, part of his Cthulhu Hispanica series, as well as contributed as writer, cartographer and sensitivity consultant for various projects, including the Hellboy RPG. He has worked in the creative industries since 1998 going from 3d animation production to graphic and web design and currently Art Director and Instructional Designer with a focus on gamification and storytelling. 

Kévin Tortissier

Licensing Agent
Originally from France, he has been living in Japan for 10 years now. His passion for board games has been with him for a very long time and it was this that led him to work with us. Enthralled by the culture which welcomed him with open arms and possessing invaluable experience in our industry, he is uniquely situated, thanks to his vast experience, to serve as an agent and a liaison between M.O.B. Vanguard and Japanese clients and partners.

Pete Sidiropoulos

Junior Licensing Agent
A tabletop gaming enthusiast who learned the craft of brokering licensing deals in our very own system. His expertise lies in discovering useful information for our dealings wherever it may be hidden, and possessing encyclopedic knowledge of our industry and its products. Also, a native English speaker and professional translator, his strong communication skills are very useful in maneuvering even the toughest negotiations.

Francesco Biglia

Licensing Agent
Lucky Leprechaun from Italy, he opened his game store years ago and now he wanders the world in search of good games to play, great friends to hug and beautiful places to rest his eyes.
Chocolate bringer, positive thinking advocate and dwarven base builder hobbyist

Dina Ramse

Licensing Agent
Once a farmer girl from Norway, who abandoned the mountains for the Finnish lakes, she is now a liaison between M.O.B. Vanguard and Nordic clients and partners. She Loves morning meetings and late night emails.
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