gamehuntersupdatetipsandtricshub: Stack Up PAX West 2026 Interview – CEO/Founder Stephen Machuga Talks Impact!

A military charity supporting US and allied active duty and veterans, Stack Up has made (and continues to make!) an impact through the power of gaming and geek culture.

We spoke with CEO and Founder Stephen Machuga at PAX West 2026 on Stack Up’s life-changing mission – learn more with our interview…

Stack Up PAX West 2026 Interview – CEO/Founder Stephen Machuga Talks Impact!

Helping over 71,000 people since its 2015 inception, Stack Up is aware of the pressure active duty military personnel face – even after their service is over.

Carrying a very noble mission, Stack Up breaks down the stigmas associated with these issues through the power of gaming.

Stack Up boosts morale through its successful Supply Crates program. Deployed to units and veterans in need, each is filled with the latest games, gear, and consoles.

Building camaraderie, combating PTSD, and fighting veteran suicide, Stephen mentioned one instance of an Xbox sent to a family looking to play Minecraft:

“A lot of veterans interact with their family through gaming bring everybody together, and one of their kids had severe Tourette syndrome.

Six months later, we got a letter back from him and his family saying this was a real game-changer. We realized there might be something here that we’re not taking into account; the recreational therapy aspect of it.” – Stephen Machuga

I played a really cool puzzler game called Desolus. It's Portal meets Myst! A really clever and meditative puzzle game at #paxwest. It's in the Incubator section. Check it out! pic.twitter.com/dJ5whuZpBE
— Roberto| 🇵🇷 🇺🇲🇺🇦 (@jehuty88) September 4, 2026

Stack Up also features a fantastic team supporting them on their mission, including Roberto Nieves that is a member of the Stack Up newsbeat:

“Roberto is a man on a mission! I call him our combat multiplier.

He has been with us since day one, and even before day one! He’s a mercenary.” – Stephen Machuga

While the gaming industry is in a period of change, Stack Up is always willing to try new things.

Looking into different avenues like Dungeons & Dragons, role-playing games, and even Magic the Gathering, Stephen always stays true to Stack Up’s mission and their values:

“We’re trying to find places doing charity work, inserting ourselves in a way that is meaningful and makes sense for what we’re trying to do.

There are plenty of charities and conventions out there we could fit ourselves, but don’t make sense with what our mission is.” – Stephen Machuga

Transforming over 71,000 lives (and counting!), Stephen Machuga and Stack Up have tapped into the incredible power of gaming to make an impact to Veterans in need.

Learn more about Stack Up via its official website, and learn more about fundraising with Stack Up via its respective website.

For the past two weeks, Stack Up's Supply Crates program has been the focus of videos from influencers. We've now received more than 6,000 requests and climbing, the estimate is 8,000 by the end of today, and it could be over 10,000 by the end of the week.

We only have funding… pic.twitter.com/Bl4DBTybpQ
— Stack Up (@StackUpDotOrg) September 10, 2026