speakers

Kaitlin Teniente currently serves as the Director of Esports at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX. Hired in spring 2020, Teniente was the first female head coach of a varsity esports program in Texas. Previous roles held at Wizards of the Coast, Collegiate Starleague, and Super League Gaming.

Kaleb Howard is the Director of Esports at Clark Atlanta University and the Co-Founder of Maroon Tiger Gaming at Morehouse College. He is also the Co-Owner of a consulting firm specializing in gaming and esports strategy. A graduate of Morehouse College with a degree in Business Management, Kaleb has collaborated with leading organizations such as Riot Games, NRG Esports, and Ghost Gaming. His work centers on community development, strategic innovation, and promoting accessibility within the gaming and esports industry.

Katie Bartolo, MD is a board-certified sports medicine physician who is the director and co-founder of the Esports Center for Performance Health. She is an international speaker on Esports Medicine and has given numerous talks on this topic to a variety of audiences, from young gamers in the community and collegiate esports players to other health professionals, including athletic trainers, medical students, and other physicians. Also board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Dr. Bartolo maintains an appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of PM&R at the University of North Carolina Medical School in Chapel Hill, NC where she also serves as the physician advisor to the UNC-Chapel Hill Esports teams.

Well-rounded public relations professional adept at developing and managing strategic programs from concept to execution. Experience working across a broad range of industries including tech, automotive, food and beverage, hospitality and CPG.

Over 20 years of hospitality experience; 15+ years corporate education, training and organizational development (Oakwood Worldwide, Irvine Company, Four Seasons, Hilton, Starwood/Westin hotels) at mid- to senior management level; 10 years public education / classroom teaching; CA teaching credential (career technical (hospitality / tourism / sales & marketing) and adult education); fluent French and Spanish and accomplished Japanese. Specialties: Esports (club) + education (curricula) creation and installation and support for middle school through college level + online / remote / incarcerated / home-schooled students; Enterprise-level process improvement, lean and operational change strategies; sales process creation / reinvention; Duty of Care initiative (start-up/blue sky through execution / implementation / roll-out); hotel operations management; Forbes 5-Star/AAA 5-Diamond hospitality SOP creation and implementation (divisional culture to front-line execution); hotel start-up / opening experience (USA and international); extensive organizational development, acculturation, training curriculum development, instructional design and deployment (multiple, diverse disciplines and applications); peer, supervisory and management coaching and counseling and leadership development; licensed Miller Heiman instructor (Blue Sheet SSO / Pipeline / methodology); licensed MAGIC facilitator (Communico, Ltd.)

Accredited public relations practitioner recognized as a PRSA Reputation Champion. Serial entrepreneur. Managing Partner of the Athena Alliance CLT stream team.

Krystal McCalla's story is one of triumph and resilience. Born into a life of uncertainty, she was adopted at a young age and given a chance for a brighter future. Growing up, Krystal faced numerous challenges, from navigating her identity as an adoptee to overcoming societal biases and stereotypes. However, she refused to let these obstacles define her. From an early age, Krystal discovered solace and empowerment through gaming. Immersed in virtual worlds, she found a sense of control and an outlet for her creativity and imagination. Gaming became more than just a hobby for Krystal; it became a source of inspiration and a catalyst for personal growth. Recognizing the transformative power of video games, Krystal set out to share her passion and make a positive impact on others. With a strong desire to support and uplift little girls, she became involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and providing educational opportunities for young girls. Krystal volunteered at local community centers, organizing gaming workshops where she not only taught gaming skills but also fostered an inclusive and empowering environment for the girls.

Kyleigh Sigears serves as the Head eSports Coach and Director at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, home to one of the few all-women’s collegiate varsity eSports programs in the nation. A former student-athlete and captain of Cottey’s eSports team, Sigears brings three years of competitive experience to her leadership role. After transitioning from player to coach and director, Sigears is focused on growing Cottey’s program while creating opportunities for greater diversity and inclusion within the eSports industry. She is passionate about using eSports as a platform not only for competition, but also for developing essential life skills such as leadership, communication, teamwork, and confidence. Through her work at Cottey, Sigears hopes to empower the next generation of women in eSports and demonstrate that competitive gaming can be both a pathway to professional opportunities and a meaningful environment for personal growth.

I’m Laila Harrison — creative technologist and AI strategist who helps makers, artists, and founders turn uncertainty into clarity. I speak at AI events, lead workshops, and guide people through what actually works when it comes to using AI in creative and business projects.

Laura Rubik Meneses Adams was born and raised in Mexico. She is a videogame producer specialized in advergaming and videogames with a cause and has developed projects for esports in Mexico and USA. Previously she was digital product coordinator, UX/UI and EdTech Strategist in educational projects for the US Embassy in Mexico in the area of sports diplomacy and in collaboration with NASEF (Network of Academic and Scholastic Esport Federation), for the Technology Cluster of Mexico City, public and private institutions, As a producer he has participated in the creation of games for UNO, Maps fornite, Canon, and other private companies and governmental institutions. Previously his professional background was developed in New Media Interactive Art, presenting his work in Germany, Italy, Lithuania and Mexico. She is currently President of the IGDA Mexico (International Game Developers Association, Mexico Chapter) where her most recent achievement was co-organizing the start of the 1st Mexican sale of video games in STEAM, Achieving public streaming pitch for video games where profiles such as students, consolidated studios and international publisher participated together. And entrepreneur of an NGO "cradorSTREAM" that through video games facilitates professionalization processes, reducing the technological and economic gap for certain vulnerable populations in her country. For which she has been selected for the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs AWE of the Department of State in USA.

Levoski Brown has over 10 years in semi-professional and professional development for esports business, marketing, and educational programming. He serves as the current Chief Executive Officer for Detonate Media LLC, an Atlanta-based professional gaming collective as well as the Esports Head Coach for Morris Brown College, spearheading the diversification of gaming opportunities for underrepresented individuals both in professional, collegiate, and scholastic programs.

Lori serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Outlaws Entertainment (formerly Beasley Esports—owned by the Beasley Media Group). In this role, she is responsible for creating, implementing, and managing the strategic direction of the Outlaws Entertainment properties which included the Houston Outlaws Overwatch League, Team AXLE—a North American Rocket League Championship Series, and a cadre of Content Creators. Given the recent dissolution of the Overwatch League, Lori is re-engineering the Outlaws into a Gen Z-oriented content division, focusing on the creation and distribution of video gaming and pop-culturally relevant entertainment by leveraging highly charismatic talent and competitive gamers. Lori possesses more than 25 years of experience leading iconic media properties like Seventeen Magazine, Mademoiselle, Elle, House & Garden and The Hollywood Reporter—having transformed them into highly profitable multi-channel brands—with a track record for delivering substantial audience growth, record-setting revenues, state-of-the-art content assets, experiential offerings, product licensing and strategic partnerships with many of the nation’s top advertisers. Many of these brands targeted younger consumers which aligns with the world of esports and video gaming, newer media platforms and channels that dominate the space and the under-35 demographic. The Outlaws Entertainment Group is proud to make Houston its home and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. With the high-profile sports-tech scene in Houston, the Outlaws are committed to partnering with the Harris County Houston Sports Authority, the Mayor’s Office, sports-tech start-ups, colleges, and high-schools within the city in an effort to help facilitate and fund next-gen companies within this burgeoning digital gaming space.

An expert in transforming consumer insights into visionary brand-building, positioning and innovation working across technology, e-sports, and retail. A graduate from Seton Hall University with a BS in Chemistry, Malcolm believes in the intimate understanding of qualitative research as well as the sheer power and reach of quantitative measurement. Malcolm is the Chief Technology Officer for Futures First Gaming, a STEM accredited educational technology and esports entertainment company, Where “Futures First Begins with Gaming,”. Futures First Gaming currently has a pathway partnership with Wilmington University where high school students can earn college credits or certifications through the Futures First Gaming Pathway Program. Futures First Gaming also has a workforce development program where participants learn 21st career development skills in Game Development, Coding, Entrepreneurship and Event/Production Management. In 2012, Malcolm Co Founded Loc Nation, a support and celebration of the natural hair movement with a focus on locs. That movement has collectively amassed over 500,000 followers on social media via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Tik Tok. LocNation Also has a hair salon in New Castle, Delaware. Malcolm is also the director of Digital Media for Influencers Lab Media which is a full service marketing company. Through Influencers Lab Media, Malcolm helped to create a podcast called "Whats The Science, with the Lab Coat Boys" and a marketplace called Spending Black Matters, where the black Dollar continues to circulate.

Malcolm C. Williams is a multidisciplinary creator, director, and technologist shaping the future of digital storytelling through gaming, esports, and immersive technology. As the founder of TechnOrganic, Malcolm designs culturally grounded experiences that blend education, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. He is a Meta Horizon Worlds Partner, building immersive metaverse environments for himself and for forward-thinking brands and organizations. In addition to his work as a game developer and esports strategist, Malcolm is an AI artist, composer, and logistics architect—combining creativity and systems thinking to bring bold ideas to life across platforms. His work empowers communities, inspires youth, and bridges global innovation with local impact.

Manuel is a renowned futurist, artist, and advocate at Unity, where he pioneers advancements in mixed realities and AI. He also teaches XR Design at the prestigious McGill University in Montreal. Born in Guadeloupe, Manuel is celebrated for his multidisciplinary approach to technology and art, and his advocacy for ethics, diversity, and inclusion. As the cofounder of The Haptics Club podcast and the first French/Caribbean artist to collaborate with OpenAI, Manuel has been featured in Fast Company and The Guardian for his work with Dall-E. His exhibition in Montreal, Caribéanofuturisme, introduced ChatGPT to over 900 attendees and led to his collaboration with Meta at the Oculus Gallery in New York. A trailblazer in the tech industry, Manuel continues to inspire, innovate, and educate on the global stage.

For over two decades, Marcel 'Cello' Torres has been in the trenches of competitive gaming. Long before eSports became a billion-dollar phenomenon, he was hosting packed events in New York City, building The Best in New York City Official Tournaments (BIN) back in 1999. From the N64 era onward, while growing up in the shadow of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, he hosted tournaments for Smash, Mario Kart, and Street Fighter helping to build communities and shaping the grassroots foundation of the competitive gaming scene we know and love today. After stepping away for a time, he returned in 2019 to find a totally new landscape and rebuilt from the ground up. New venues, new tech, a global pandemic, and the shift to online brackets didn’t slow him down. Instead, he evolved, running international events and proving that great tournaments are possible anywhere when you understand the fundamentals. Now living in a new state and still pushing the craft forward, Cello distills 20+ years of real experience into a clear, practical guide for new and aspiring Tournament Organizers via his book "How to Run an eSports (Video game) Tournament". Whether you want to host a local bracket, start a community, or turn your passion into a long-term venture, he offers essential knowledge, mistakes to avoid, and battle-tested systems that actually work. If you’ve ever dreamed of building something meaningful in gaming, Cello is offering you a head start.

Entrepreneur focused on gaming, media and Web3. Thinking about what's next. -Founder & CEO M80 -Co-Founder & COO at XSET one of the fastest growing esports and gaming brands in North America -Founder & CEO of Framerate an esports and gaming content network acquired by Super League Gaming in 2019 -Founder & CEO of Roostr, the first performance marketing network for Youtube Influencers and Mobile Game Publishers acquired by Chartboost in 2016 -Founder & CEO at Gameblyr, a mobile game publisher focused on supporting and working with independent game developers worldwide -Practiced law from 2000-2009 in the areas of IP, Real Estate and emerging businesses

Selected as Georgia Entertainment's 200 Most Influential of Georgia's Creative Industries Art/Animation director at Black Women Animate studios (bwastudios.com) Other positions: Operations Director, (former executive director x2 terms 6 years) ASIFA-South 501c3 international animation society Managing Director/Producer at Slothique LLC (Co-Owner)

Born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, Mark departed the frozen north after graduating high school and made his way to Santa Barbara. There, he turned a bachelor’s degree in history into a gig as a compositor and original member of the Crafty Apes team, eventually becoming Crafty Apes’ VFX supervisor on such films and TV shows as Deadpool 2, A Wrinkle in Time, and the recent AMC hit Lodge 49. Starting in a one-room office with four people and watching the company grow has been the highlight of working at Crafty Apes for Mark. Now Mark leads Marsborne is a sovereign, precision-forged esports collective established by lifelong disciples of the digital realm. We are not merely players — we are heralds of Mars, the forgotten god of war, summoned once more to etch his name into the fractured code of modern battle. Our mission is sacred: to raise a new legion, to conquer with discipline and fury, and to awaken the ancient fire buried beneath layers of apathy and algorithm. In every match, we do not simply compete — we fulfill destiny.