2019 Games for Change Festival: Full Schedule

2:30pm EDT

Esports in Education

Join a diverse group of individuals passionate about building the K-12 to college / pro pipeline by providing opportunities for students to get involved in esports. This panel includes organizers of educational programs, competitive student gamers, parents, coaches and educators.

Moderators

Katie Salen

Professor, UC Irvine

Katie Salen is a Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California at Irvine, a member of the Connected Learning Lab, and Chief Designer and co-founder of Connected Camps. Her work focuses on meeting kids where they are at in order to design engaging, play-based... Read More →

Speakers

J Collins

CEO, Liminal Data

J is an educator, game-based education evangelist, and LGBTQ+ advocate. They are the CEO of Liminal Data, a data driven game-based education startup, and previously led game-based education policy at the U.S. Department of Education and the Smithsonian Institution. J founded and coached... Read More →

Reeran Kim

Esports Mom

Reeran's 14yo, Yunhee, played video games since childhood. Reeran has supported her daughter’s evolving interests in games including Nintendo DS, Minecraft, Roblox, Overwatch, Apex. As Yunhee's home-schooling teacher, and biggest fan, she has helped her daughter balance her interests... Read More →

Yunhee Chi

Aspring Overwatch Pro

Yunhee Chi (aka Aniyun) is a 15yo Overwatch master flex support and aspiring pro player. She has played video games since childhood, starting with the Nintendo DS and progressing on to PC games like Minecraft, Roblox, Overwatch, Apex. Through esports she enjoys meeting people... Read More →

Chris Aviles

Teacher, Fair Haven School District

Chris Aviles is a teacher at Knollwood middle school in Fair Haven, New Jersey. There he runs the renown Fair Haven Innovates program he created in 2015. Part of the FH Innovates program includes the FH Knights, a first of its kind esports team. As coach of the FH Knights, Aviles... Read More →

Joshua Hafkin

Founder, Game Gym

Josh Hafkin is the founder of the Game Gym club esports team and training center in Potomac, MD. The Game Gym is dedicated to changing the stereotypes surrounding video games by emphasizing playing together as a team. Before the Game Gym, Josh worked for Bethesda Softworks as a brand... Read More →

Tuesday June 18, 2019 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Starr Foundation

Esports, Panel

4:15pm EDT

Esports: Competitive Play and Social Good

This session will take a deeper look at the current state, breadth, and scope of the epsorts industry. Topics will include growth of the industry, roles of various stakeholders, and projections for the future of esports.

Moderators

Maya Kushner

COO, Game Gym

Maya Kushner is an attorney, cosplayer, shoutcaster, and gamer. She enjoys sharing her knowledge with others, and has over a decade of experience teaching subjects like Calculus, Python programming, and League of Legends. In her current role as COO of Game Gym she is excited to be... Read More →

Speakers

Gerald Solomon

Executive Director, Samueli Foundation

Gerald Solomon has served as Executive Director of the Samueli Foundation since 2008, overseeing philanthropic activities focused on STEM Education, Youth, Integrative Health, and Jewish Leadership. He led the design and development of the North America Scholastic Esports Federation... Read More →

Nathan Lindberg

Sr. Director, Global Sponsorships, Twitch

Nathan is the Sr. Director, Global Sponsorships at Twitch. An esports veteran, Nathan is dedicated to educating brands about the competitive gaming phenomenon and ways to leverage Twitch to reach marketing goals. Nathan’s esports experience began in 2010 at Curse Media as VP of... Read More →

Ben Nichol

Head of Events and Business Development, NYXL

Ben Nichol is the Head of Events and Business Development for New York Excelsior (NYXL), the first professional esports team to represent New York City. Ben entered esports in 2010 as a StarCraft streamer and coach, eventually transitioning to casting and hosting professional esports... Read More →

Tuesday June 18, 2019 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Mainstage - Tishman Auditorium

Esports, Panel

2:30pm EDT

The NBA 2K League: Building an Esports Community

he NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., launched in 2018 and features 21 teams and the best 126 NBA 2K players in the world. Join NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Zach Leonsis for a fireside chat about launching the first esports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league, growing the league’s audience domestically and internationally, and driving diversity and inclusion.

Moderators

Scott Cole

Broadcaster, NBA 2K League

Play-by-Play Voice of the NBA2KLEAGUE.

Speakers

Brendan Donohue

Managing Director, NBA 2K League

As Managing Director of the NBA 2K League, Brendan Donohue is responsible for overseeing the first official esports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league. Donohue, a sports industry veteran with more than two decades of experience in team and league operations, manages... Read More →

Zachary Leonsis

Senior VP, Strategic Initiatives, Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Zachary Leonsis is senior vice president of strategic initiatives for Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), a multi-platform sports, media, entertainment, and technology company located in the heart of downtown Washington, DC. MSE is best known for its fanfacing brands which include... Read More →

Wednesday June 19, 2019 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Starr Foundation

Esports, Talk