I Have a Lab, Now What?

Josh got his start in esports in 2016 at the University of Jamestown (ND) as its first Program Director and Head Coach. After 3 years of coaching, Josh joined the team at Bytespeed to help lead the Gravity Gaming brand initiative forward. He serves mainly as a resource for new schools looking for guidance on how to start and run their own programs; offering first-hand experience learned while at UJ. Josh is also an Advisory Board member of the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD) and extremely active in helping the development of professional training for high school and college coaches.

Melanie Risley is a passionate educator, event coordinator, and people connector. Beginning with a career in education, she now works in the burgeoning esports industry at the leading scholastic esports provider PlayVS. An educator first, Melanie is responsible for setting the bar for esports coach training and development. She develops and manages a curriculum including webinar sessions, PlayVS Academy, and is always keen on educating everyone around her for the better. Currently, she is the Community Marketing Associate at PlayVS where she’s working on a multitude of projects including Coach Chats, Youth Influencers, and PlayVS Game Changers, an initiative to inspire and empower more marginalized gamers.