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Ritual Motion is proud to announce the 2021 Esports College Fair to be hosted here on March 27th and 28th, 2021. This virtual event was created with the goal of connecting colleges and universities that feature on-campus esports teams and clubs with prospective student player-athletes.
The two-day event, free for attendees, will feature speakers, workshops, and collegiate esports program exhibitors. The program will be hosted utilizing a video and networking platform offering meetups, small breakout sessions, and one-on-one connection opportunities.
Programming includes keynote speakers, roundtable discussions with esports coaches, admissions seminars, and workshops on March 27th. March 28th will allow for students to directly connect with exhibitors and learn more about academics and specific esports programs available.
NCAA & NFL Champion and Head Coach – Lakeland University Esports Program
Ahman Green is a former professional football player who played 12 seasons in the NFL, including for the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Houston Texans. During his NFL career, Ahman was the 2003 NFC Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler, and is currently the Packers’ all-time leading rusher. Green was also inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2014.
He’s also an accomplished and life-long global influencer in the Esports and gaming world. Currently, he is the Head Coach of Lakeland University’s Esports program, hosts a podcast entitled, Ahman Green’s Gamers Lounge, on iHeartRadio, and is the Business Development Director for ESTV.
Ahman’s passion for Esports doesn’t just stop there. He’s hosted various Esports tournaments as well like the FOX Esports’ Madden Invitational, the NFLPA/ESTV’s 2020 Esports Celebrity Challenge, the Xbox X Launch Party, and an E3/Forza Tournament for Microsoft. He also established the Ahman Green Foundation, which is devoted to enhancing the quality of life of children and families impacted by hardship or illness.
We’re proud to have Ahman as one of our keynote speakers during the college fair discussing the convergence of Esports, education, and career.
Professor, Speaker & Career Coach
www.drdennisrebelo.com
Dr. Dennis Rebelo is a professor, speaker, and career coach. He is the creator of the Peak Storytelling model, his research-based method for crafting the narrative of who you are and what drives you and why, utilized by former professional athletes turned nonprofit leaders as well as entrepreneurs, CEOs, guidance professionals, and advisers throughout the world.
Dr. Rebelo, former president of Alex and Ani University and co-founder of the Sports Mind Institute, recently received the 2020 Thomas J. Carroll Award for Teaching Excellence at Roger Williams University. He currently resides in Rhode Island.
In his new book, Story Like You Mean It, Dr. Rebelo helps you learn to communicate with ease and connect with others by constructing a self-narrative with intention and purpose.
Gaming Partnerships Team, Facebook
www.facebook.com
Vinayak works at Facebook on the Gaming Partnerships team, where he helps developers integrate with the Facebook platform and ship products for the gaming community. He helped launch Tournament’s on Facebook and began working with various college esports teams & clubs to understand what they needed to successfully organize a tournament. Vinayak grew up playing competitive games such as Quake, Starcraft, Warcraft 3 & today is an avid RPG fan! Gaming is a passion of his and he’s excited for the opportunity to come speak with you all at the college fair!
Founder, Esports College & Career Pathways
Katherine is the founder of Esports College & Career Pathways, where the mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment for gamers to improve.
She has over 15 years of experience in STEM education and started her Esports career as a team manager for high school League of Legends teams. She then went on to be the VP of operations with Esport Management, a global online platform dedicated to helping gamers improve their game.
Her most recent work includes projects with Collegiate Combine where gamers have the opportunity to be recruited by a college or university for a substantial scholarship. She’s also done consulting for high school and collegiate Esports as well as helped launch the Esports Playground in Orange County, CA.
She will be hosting a workshop with experts in the industry to discuss how college students can begin to chart a career path in the gaming industry.
Content Director at
beastcoast
www.andrewcaviston.com
Cav is the Content Director at beastcoast where he oversees all major content projects revolving around beastcoast’s Esports teams. This includes everything from the launching of multiple YouTube channels to running sponsored tournaments and streams for games like Dota 2, Smash Bros., and competitive Pokemon. Currently, he leads a team of 10 people spanning from Peru, the U.S., and Europe. Prior to joining beastcoast, Cav was part of Penn State University’s esports coaching staff.
During the Ritual Motion College Fair, Cav will be speaking on a panel about the connection between collegiate Esports and in-demand job skills.
Coach, Johnson & Wales Esports
For more than a decade Aaron Colaiacomo has been playing video games at the professional level. Also known as “TheParadoxMuse”, Aaron began as a semi-professional Super Smash Bros Brawl player finishing with a couple of top 16 finishes. Aaron transitioned to writing articles and guides for Smogon, the largest consortium of competitive Pokemon information available. He has continued to develop his knowledge of gamer, attending competitions across the northeast for Pokemon and Super Smash Bros, while completing his degree in history, biology, and political science at Providence College.
In 2014, Colaiacomo began coaching and serving as an analyst with various organizations for “League of Legends”, the most popular game on the internet. He has been an analyst for teams in the OCE Challenger League, EU Challenger League, TCL, and North America Amateur scenes. Colaiacomo has also worked with PC and CCRI, coaching, managing, and guiding these institutions for the inclusion of Esports on their campus.
President & CEO, Eastern College Athletic Conference
Dan Coonan has served as CEO of the ECAC since 1997. Prior to that he spent 11 years as Director of Athletics at Santa Clara University.. He has also served as Executive Associate Athletics Director at Cal and Assistant Commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference. He has practiced law, ran a Congressional campaign, taught law as an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, and served as Chairman of the Board of the largest homeless shelter network in the Bay Area. He is also an author – his novel of Presidential Spirits was released by Goose River Press in April.
Executive Director of the Varsity Esports Foundation
Bubba Gaeddert is the Executive Director of the Varsity Esports Foundation, a non-profit which strives to increase literacy around the positive impact Esports has on mental health, community, STEM, and digital citizenship.
Before moving into Esports, he worked in the non-profit and traditional sports industry for 20 years with the YMCA, NCAA, NAIA, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Ever since his dad worked at Radio Shack, he’s been a gamer. Now he works to educate businesses, organizations, and schools about being proactive around the Varsity Esports Foundation’s initiatives.
During the college fair, Bubba will be speaking about the importance of college Esports on campus and in recruitment and retention.
Co-founder and Head Coach of Providence College Esports
A co-founder of the club, Zach started his esports career as a player at Providence College. Since graduating, he has worked as the coordinator and coach of the Varsity program while finishing a master’s degree in Higher Education and Sports Administration. He represents PC as a member of the Big East Esports Board and has led the team to two ECAC conference championships.
Managing Director, Hitmarker
Richard has served as Hitmarker’s Managing Director since November 2017. His leadership has enabled Hitmarker to grow to become the largest job platform dedicated to esports and the video game industry.
Richard will be joining a workshop to discuss how high school and college students can begin to chart a career path in the gaming industry.
Entertainment & Esports Attorney, Manager, Esports Gaming & Talent at Ford Models
Justin is an Entertainment & Esports Attorney and current Esports & gaming manager at Ford Models.
For the last decade, he has worked with professional athletes, musicians, producers, DJs, record labels, fashion designers, as well as professional gamers, streamers, coaches, on-air talent, and esports organizations. He assists these creative individuals with their contract, copyright, trademark, immigration, tax, and related business, marketing, and legal issues.
He is a frequent contributor to many industry publications and has been featured on a variety of entertainment, music, and Esports publications and podcasts, including Business Insider, The Esports Observer, Esports Insider, Tunecore, and Sport Techie.
Previously, he worked with various esports talent agencies as well as in an official capacity on behalf of several esports teams and brands. Currently, he’s an Adjunct Professor of Esports at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a member of the industry board for the International Journal of Esports and has authored “The Essential Guide to the Business & Law of Esports & Professional Video Gaming.”
Justin will be talking about the connection between collegiate Esports and in-demand job skills during the college fair.
Learn2Esport, North American Scholastic Esports Federation
Dr. Kennedy is the Chief Evangelist at Learn2Esports and board member for the Worldwide Scholastic Esports Federation (WWSEF), the parent organization for NASEF.
Before joining the world of Esports Dr. Kennedy was a public school administrator and CTO for public and private schools in CT and NY. He founded the first state-sanctioned high school Esports league in 2016 for a school in CT. Later, he founded the New England Scholastic Esports Federation (NESEF), a NASEF affiliate, and was the former Director of Education at PlayVS.
He also wants everyone to know that he plays way, way, too much Overwatch (he’s a support main).
During the Ritual Motion College Fair, he will be talking about the importance of Esports on campus at all levels of education.
Director of University Partnerships, Nerd Street Gamers
Christian Kunkel is the Director of University Partnerships at Nerd Street Gamers. In this role, he helps Universities develop their esports strategy and increase opportunities for students to develop the skills and expertise necessary to enter the industry.
Director of Brand and Community at PlayVS
Alinn Louv is the Director of Brand and Community at PlayVS. With BA’s in both Sociology and Communication and Media studies from UCLA, Alinn previously worked with Quarterly, an influencer driven subscription box service before joining the PlayVS team. With more than 8 years in marketing, she currently leads the creative and community teams to ensure that the PlayVS brand and player experiences are kept top of mind. Alinn has also launched several programs during her time at PlayVS, such as Super Coach, the coach ambassador program, PlayVS Academy, a series of foundational coaching courses for its users and Game Changers, a program to promote more girls in gaming.
Esports Digital Content Coordinator, Learfield IMG College
Sheridan is a recent graduate from Florida State University, where she studied Editing, Writing, and Media, and discovered her passion for collegiate esports.
After serving as the Social Media Manager for Florida State Esports for 2 years, she went on to develop digital content for Level Next at Learfield IMG College in January 2021. She’s also a co-founder of Power Up Stories, which aims to share stories of power, positivity, profession, and passion within the gaming and Esports industries.
She will be joining the fair as part of a panel of collegiate esports athletes to discuss the importance of esports on college campuses.
Co-Founder and CEO of XP Leage
Jay is the co-founder and CEO of XP League, North America’s premier coach-led competitive youth esports league. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Jay is father to a set of g/g/b triplets and a younger son who rounds out the bunch.
Jay has a history of successful business leadership and entrepreneurship.
In 2015, Jay successfully sold his seven-year-old start-up which he grew to be listed on the Inc 500 list in both 2014 and 2015. His most recent role as Regional Vice President with a publicly traded consolidator had him oversee the acquisition of multiple companies and run a team of over 350 employees.
In 2010, Jay received his MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and was awarded the Triangle Business Top Entrepreneur Award in 2013.
Jay is an avid wakesurfer and skateboarder, an awful golfer, and a dedicated husband to a wife with whom he has traveled the world. In any spare time you can find him playing COD and snuggling his kids, all who game competitively.
Author & Columnist at Ritual Motion
Monica is a Ritual Motion Columnist and content marketing manager/operations lead at Looking for Group, an online directory of all existing collegiate Esports programs.
As an independent contractor, Monica has been helping build the foundation of collegiate Esports alongside other pioneers by completing short-term projects in various areas of the industry. Most recently, she developed a social media marketing strategy for lfgroup.gg.
Here at Ritual Motion, she contributes written community pieces surrounding health and wellness in gaming. Monica also consults with colleges and universities that are pursuing Esports program development. “Anywhere I can lend my skills, I try to!”
Monica will be talking about how to build your portfolio and leverage your gaming passion and skill set to support your college and career goals.
Grand View University Esports & Executive Director of NAECAD
Jay is the Vice President for Student Affairs and Executive Director of the esports program at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. He helped launch the varsity esports program at Grand View in fall 2016. Jay is also the Executive Director of the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD). The NAECAD’s mission is to serve, legitimize, and advance competitive esports at all levels with NAECAD members at the epicenter of leadership, advocacy, and professional development. Jay has spent the last thirty years in education. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from Westmar College, a Master of Science in Education from Drake University, and his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Drake University. Jay also attended the Harvard Institute for Educational Management (IEM), Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Institute for Graduate Education in Cambridge, MA. Jay spent ten years as a high school teacher, guidance counselor, and coach, eight years as a high school principal, and the last fifteen years as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Grand View University.
Senior Higher Education Strategist for Dell Technologies
Danielle Rourke is a Dell Technologies Senior Higher Education Strategist and brings extensive leadership and technology skills, having worked in a variety of disciplines and industries. Prior to joining Dell Technologies, Danielle served as an Associate Director of Information Technology for the University of Colorado Boulder, where she championed new and innovative methods of utilizing technology to make education more accessible to under-served student populations. A technologist and analyst at heart, Danielle’s true passion is helping broker technological solutions to help students, staff, and faculty across the globe engage more fully in the power of education. Danielle has been a gamer since she was old enough to hold a controller and believes that esports unlocks a host of opportunities (technical, community, and career pathway) for students!
Esports Sales & Partnerships
Nick Valencia started his esports journey by learning how to carry a sales quota at Series B-D tech companies. He then took those talents to Beastcoast, an esports organization competing in titles like Rainbow 6, VALORANT, and DOTA 2, where he is responsible for all aspects of revenue strategy and generation. He has worked with professional NFL athletes, gamers, and various brands including: Four Loko, Betway, AORUS, and a few others.
Esports Professional , OXG Esports (MTG Arena)
A regular contributor to Ritual Motion, Allison “Skybilz” Waters was born in Western New York and attended Penn State (BA-English) and St. Bonaventure (MA-English). She began streaming and speedrunning in September 2013 on Twitch.tv/Skybilz and has been Hosting for Games Done Quick since Jan 2015. In 2019, Allison competed in the MTG Arena Mythic Invitational in Boston, MA, and almost obtained a top 16 finish. Also, she competed in Mythic Championship VII in Long Beach, CA later that year. She currently plays for OXG Esports (MTG Arena) and is a showrunner for Games Done Quick.
Co-Founder and Executive Director of Coalition of Parents in Esports (COPE)
Shae Williams aka Shaemmon is the cofounder of the 501c3 nonprofit Coalition of Parents in Esports with a mission to provide better information, resources, and support to gamers and their families. Upon entering esports like many parents through the passions of a child, she recognized the amazing opportunities this brave new industry afforded to her son’s personal, educational, and career development and wanted other parents to see the positive opportunities for growth.
COPE (https://cope.gg) provides support and resources through their partnerships across skills development, child safety, wellness, education, and career needs. The team also has a mission to support youth through scholarships to be used for career development, travel to events, and education.
Shae is a former software executive with IBM and mom to pro gamer and content creator Vanish Duster as well as Brooke, an accomplished figure skater, and dancer and soon to be 3rd generation Baylor coed. Duster is 16 and undecided on college and career, but he knows it will be in esports.
Co-founder & Vice President, Esports at UCF (University of Central Florida)
Annabel is a co-founder and the Vice President of Esports at UCF in Orlando, FL.
As a student leader, she focuses on advocating for other students and sharing professional resources to help them gain confidence and learn new skills. She’s also a co-founder of Power Up Stories and a Radio-TV major hoping to work in the industry when she graduates.
She will be joining the fair as part of a panel of collegiate Esports athletes to discuss the importance of Esports on college campuses.
Chief Marketing Officer,
Ritual Motion
Liz Murphy is the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Ritual Motion and responsible for marketing, sales, content and brand strategy. She brings 22 years of experience in the media industry having held positions on both the editorial and business sides. She was previously the CMO for Bonnier Corporation where she led all marketing operations, sales development, public relations, agency services, research and brand licensing units. During her time there, Bonnier published more than 35 brands including Popular Science, Parenting, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Saveur. Prior to her years at Bonnier, Liz held senior leadership roles at Time Inc., Times Mirror, and The Tribune Company. She also served as adjunct professor of Marketing at the NYU Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.
VP of Content,
Ritual Motion
Crystal is the VP of Content at Ritual Motion. Before joining the team, she worked with various organizations in esports, including theScore, Esports Insider, Benzinga, The Loadout, Supernyx, and OpTic Gaming. She’s also a Women in Games Ambassador.
Previously she worked in pediatric trauma as a surgical technologist. She hopes to use her mixture of experience both in and out of the industry to promote healthy decisions in gaming and create opportunities for other women trying to find a way into esports.
She will be co-hosting the Ritual Motion Esports College Fair!
