Esports and Women Empowerment. Full Sail ๐ฎ UCF ๐ ๐ Buccaneers ๐ Orlando City โฝ๏ธ Whiskey ๐ฅ ๐ always reminiscing about the 90s. (tweets are my own)
Hey everyone,
I'm going to get straight to the point: I won't be hosting the Esports Awards moving forward, and I will be resigning from the panel effective immediately. I'm extremely disappointed in the higher-ups at ESA for the direction they're taking their business, but it's
To my friends in the esports industry, a ๐งต:
I am calling for us to take back our industry. For too long we have been sold as a quick audience grab, passed around to the highest bidder, and then passed around again to whoever buys the highest bidder.
Hard to find the words to express how much this award means to me.
I spent so much time in this space afraid to speak up because I knew I didnโt fit.
To be recognized by my peers is not just rewarding but itโs also comforting, I fit. We all fit.
Thank you.
๐งก
Today I was presented with the โWoman of Inspirationโ award at the Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon, hosted by the Orlando Sports Commission. I am still in a shocked state of overwhelmed that Iโd even be considered for something like that. Iโm out of words. What a day ๐ช
Last night I had the honor to be selected as
@OrlandoMagic
โs Diversity Game Changer, which celebrates leadership in the realm of social justice and equality. I surreal, humbling experience. Definitely still in shock. Love my city ๐
Did you know that over 70
@fullsail
students have come together from all different degree programs to put on the
@nacestarleague
grand finals?? Itโs a full student production! Weโre so excited to have everyone!
This is what growth looks like.!2 years ago we started โWomen of
@NACEsports
โ, a place where we can support each other as we navigated the male-dominated world of esports. The top pic is from one year ago, the bottom from today! Together, we feel heard & supported in our industry
Project Management is a critical role. A project manager is not a catch all for the work you donโt want to do. A project manager is not a replacement for an administrative assistant or team mom.
Respect your project managers or watch your projects tank without them.
โ๏ธ
So unbelievably honored to learn that I am a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award! Thank you for all of the continued support. Not even sure what to say right now except wowza.
If you run an Esports org /event / operation that is in any way revenue generating, budget to pay people. Casters, Observers, TOs, photographers, etc should all be paid positions. Stop taking advantage of the youth when you NEED them to be successful.
Beyond excited to bring NACE grand finals home to our house. The talent in collegiate is absolutely insane and we are committed to showcasing them all on the platform they deserve - with lights and lasers and mega broadcast! Canโt wait to see everyone!
โก๏ธ We're ecstatic to announce that the
@nacestarleague
Spring 2024 Grand Finals will be hosted at
@FullSailArmada
! ๐
Get ready for an epic showdown of top-tier talent in the world of collegiate esports on April 27-28.
Press Release:
I left my last job after receiving feedback in my annual review that I โact like a child who has just discovered water for the first timeโ when I hear a good idea, that my energy is unprofessional and if I canโt tone down my excitement I will never find professional success. ๐
โA big part of being happy is being excited. Be excited for everythingโmaking a cup of tea, seeing a friend, the next episode of your favorite show, buying something youโve been saving up for, sunsets, traveling, falling in love. Live a life you are excited about.โ ~Unknown
12 hours ago I woke up to a timeline filled with the C word, the R word, the N word and others in tweets from leaders in this industry. So I said something. Since then, I have been attacked on multiple platforms and received threats to my body,job, my life & the life of my son.
Man, what a bummer. Woke up to a collegiate esports twitter storm of racism and mysogony. Why donโt people realize that you can disagree with someone without spewing slurs on the internet for STUDENTS to see.
Ooooh YES. Lets celebrate!
For me:
Honored as Orlando Magicโs Diversity Game Changer for work in social justice & equality
Won Woman of Inspiration Award from the Greater Orlando Sports Commission
Won ANOTHER Fantasy Football Championship
Perfected my Leftover Nachos recipe
Women are shamed for speaking out
Shamed for not speaking out
Judged for staying in abusive situations
Judged for leaving abusive situations
โShe asked for itโ
No she didnโt
Your judgement & reactions are perpetuating unsafe spaces. Stop judging people on Twitter.
Stop judging
Lived in South Florida when Andrew hit. 42 years here and went through Hugo and Charlie and Irma and all of their friends. Was vacationing in New Orleans when Katrina hit. As a hurricane veteran, I can tell you that panic fuels chaos. Just prepare. Good luck everyone!
NACE Grand Finals time! Load in is underway, set up starts tomorrow, just wrapped our final volunteers meeting, I'm officially EXCITED! Can't wait to show everyone what we've been working on and help showcase the insane talent in collegiate esports.
Hereโs the thing.
It wasnโt easy to take time off.
I am drowning in work.
I didnโt have the money to leave town.
But my kid needed time away. I needed time away. If I wait until the perfect time, Iโll never take a break. So even though we never left town, it was perfect.
Maybe itโs end of the year burn out, but I am just tired of pushing, tired of feeling invisible at meetings where I am the subject matter expert, tired of fighting to be heard, tired of being talked over, tired of being a woman in this male dominated workforce. Just tired.
There are so many brilliant, innovative, dedicated, fascinating people working in the collegiate esports industry.
Grateful for the opportunity to learn from them, and beyond appreciative of the patience and grace that theyโve given me.
Love you lots, esports peeps ๐
Esports has brought some of the most beautiful people into my life. It really is such a diverse space that challenges us to grow and evolve in so many ways. We are defining an industry in real time. Thatโs still so surreal to me. And something we shouldnโt take for granted.
Today I calmly (privately) stood up for myself to request a partial refund for services I never received. I was met with gaslighting, attacks and had my job idly threatened. In the last week, Iโve watched this same CEO buddy up on Twitter to men in my field. Thereโs a problem.
I will always be completely transparent in communication. I wanted to share my experience with the
@ScholarsAwards
and the progress that has been made. A thread. oh wait, i'm supposed to use this ๐งต
There are some INCREDIBLE finalists for the Scholarโs Awards, and I love seeing people who work so hard get recognized for what they do. Itโs also hard to see so many folks bummed at the lack of representation. Letโs celebrate, then letโs commit to getting this right. Together โค๏ธ
Our industry is in such a pivotal time, I have been impressed and inspired by the focus that VOICE has had on forward progress. Honored to serve alongside some amazing people!
Incredibly humbled to receive the Wise Women of Inspiration award from the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. Shocked to be mentioned alongside these unbelievable women, feeling all of the feelings right now.
GO Sports is proud to announce five award winners that will be honored during the 2023 Celebrating Women in Sports luncheon presented by
@JewettOrtho
. The 5th annual luncheon will be hosted at
@AdditionFiArena
on Weds, Sept. 13 at Noon.
Press Release:
4 years ago we were putting the finishing touches on converting The Fortress into a Tavern for the Hearthstone Collegiate Grand Finals! Crazy to think about how far weโve come since this event. It will always be one of my favorites.
Hereโs the thing - youโre supposed to want the world to be a safe and equitable place despite who YOU are. I want protection for our transgender community, I want safety and equity for black Americans. Iโm not trans or black.
1 week, hundreds of panels & presentations, a career networking event, an icon awards presentation, a tech expo, a creative experience midway, a massive gaming event, an esports networking event, live action D&D, an induction ceremony and multiple dinner celebrations. We did it!
This program, most importantly the leadership and culture, is everything I strive to be. St Clair is my biggest source of inspiration, motivation and camaraderie in the space. Love this whole crew. Well deserved doesnโt begin to cover it.
What a great weekend. Leaving inspired, focused and just proud to be a part of this industry. Big congrats to
@Lynzor_
@kyberts_
@iyencs
@Nikolai_RL
and all of the countless volunteers who made
#HUE24
such a success. Love these people so much โค๏ธ
What a week! gaming tournament, over 100 panels & presentations, awards ceremony, multiple VIP events, a killer induction ceremony, huge student block parties & a ton of fun. My 14th time producing HOF week and still loving it! 7 days till our next event ๐ดItโs a Full Sail thing
The bearded baldies of collegiate esports, featuring some of my favorite people.
Best day with the best people that Iโve met through an unexpected career pivot 10 years ago. Life has a funny way of turning out freaking awesome.
I must reiterate: you donโt get to have โbeliefsโ on another persons gender or race, thatโs called hate. This is flat out discrimination, and to shrug it off as โentitled to my opinionโ is ignorant and intolerant. We MUST
#dobetter
.
I am building out channels in my Discord for the Ladies' scrims on Saturday. I love and value all people, and as a Christian, I believe God created people in His image as male and female. (Genesis 5:1-2) Therefore, I will not be allowing trans players to participate.
Esports is the ultimate unifier if we continue to focus on the inclusivity of what the industry can and should continue to be. Excited to have more industry focused dialog this week so we can continue forward progress for all of our students.
This is an official
@jacobisnachos
appreciation post! Whether itโs spending any spare minute he has helping grads find their start in the industry or setting up lan tournaments for girl gamers on the beach or just managing the vibe, heโs always ALWAYS focused on lifting others.๐
Man, what a bummer. Woke up to a collegiate esports twitter storm of racism and mysogony. Why donโt people realize that you can disagree with someone without spewing slurs on the internet for STUDENTS to see.
The power of Cath, Mia and Sway is beyond inspirational. These women are not only unbelievably driven and crazy talented, they all lead with such mindful inclusivity that is truly impacting the industry. So proud to know them, and so grateful for their leadership ๐
We formed Women of
@NACEsports
one year ago this week. It was awesome knowing that whatever you walked into that day, you knew that this small (but mighty) group of women from all over the country had your back. Had an amazing year with these women, ready to keep moving forward!
Iโm about to close another chapter of life (Iโll turn 44 on Monday) and after a few Old Fashioneds, Iโm reflecting on this year and it has been the first year I can remember where I lived truly and authentically as me. Without regrets or remorse. As myself.
One of the most beautiful parts of the collegiate esports space is the diversity in representation. Coaches, leaders, players are coming from all genders, all races - it's an incredible community full of marginalize voices. Let's raise them up and hear those voices.
๐ฎNominations are OPEN๐ฎ the*gameHERs Awards 2022 have officially kicked off & this year they are presented by
@streamlabs
! Go nominate amazing people you know for all they do to inspire the gaming industry.
Nominations are OPEN.
#TGHAwards22
#Streamlabs
Today starts mental health awareness month. Acknowledging that EVERYTHING from therapy to medicine to diet & wellness to healthy coping mechanisms to self reflection and beyond are all acceptable tools to managing mental health. Support each other, never judge.
this is an officially official
@alyssaduran00
appreciation post.
Such a strong, FIERCE leader with a student first mindset and a phenomenal, refreshing voice that's so needed in this space.
I think we all know by now that I tend to lean a little more 'sunshine and rainbows' then 'hot takes and subtweets' so I've been struggling with how to articulate this season of our industry.
If you didnโt already realize that
@damnitbennett
is the actual best, check him out - talking casting, streaming and observing tips and tricks with these incredible 6th grade esports production kiddos from the
@SSEsportsLeague
๐ฅฐ
Towards the end of 2021 my doctor told me I really needed to lose 15 lbs. obviously I love candy and french fries so I took this news terribly. Changed a few things around and stayed focus & a year later - I lost 41 lbs. took a year, never really noticed anything but I did it!
Iโm sure it comes as no surprise how excited I am for this!! Looking forward to learning about and CELEBRATING new voices, unsung heroes, and innovative leaders. This industry is OURS, and I am forever grateful to
@WBBChris
for championing this the right way.
For the Community, By the Community ๐
This is your exclusive first look at the Scholastic Esports Awards: a celebration honoring the achievements of the scholastic esports community powered by
@esports_foundry
and
@voicecollegiate
.
Learn more:
Back in Orlando after a whirlwind few days. Had some of the most incredible, thought provoking conversations that have my mind GOING! Loved celebrating, seeing old friends & meeting new ones! So proud to be a tiny part of this incredible industry. I LOVE YOU, COLLEGIATE ESPORTS!!
Leaving my entire comfort zone behind tonight and starting to feel really intimidated. But, nothing great ever came easy, right? If we want to grow, we have to G R O W. Doesnโt make it any less scary, but Iโll see you on the other side!
Congratulations to this year's 2023 Best in Social Responsibility Finalists!
Lainie Fox Ackerman, Orlando Health
Steve Hogan, Florida Citrus Sports
Sari Kitelyn, Full Sail University
Chris McFarlane, UCF Athletics
Jordan Serio, Orlando Magic
Danny Trosset, Sports 4 The Kids
Carrying around my snacks in style today, thanks to this killer
@Cuse_Esports
tote bag from the man, the myth, the legend himself. Thanks
@travisyang
!!! Day 2, letโs go!
We are flooded with โconsultantsโ and โexpertsโ who have never worked in our space in any capacity. They take our industry, put it in a PowerPoint presentation and sell it around the country without ever truly understanding it.
2022 is the year I finally found my voice. I am so thankful for such an incredible support system, both professionally and personally, that has helped me get here. What a great way to close out a big growth year. Ready to push forward and make some changes in 2023! โ๏ธ out, Vegas!
Is there anything he canโt do? Itโs
@damnitbennett
hosting a discussion on Careers in the Gaming Industry and Strategies for Achieving Success with the folks from EA! Packed house!
The year of finally being back together in person! I made this video featuring some of my favorite people that I got to hang with this year. Are you in it? If not, letโs hang out more in 2023!
Such a beautiful night celebrating the most beautiful person. Loved having everyone together to laugh and cry - alumni who knew her well, current players who never met her but feel her inspiration. We love you, Karadactyl. We are Armada.
How freaking cool is this! Love seeing collegiate leaders making such an impact industry wide, and crazy humbled to be a finalist for tonightโs awards!
Good luck (and congrats) to all of the Collegiate Finalists in
@thegamehers
Awards!
We will be rooting everyone on tonight! ๐
Tune into
@thegamehers
Awards tonight:
I am so over the hot take. Having a hot take isnโt hard, anyone can have an extreme opinion.
Informed, researched, well thought out takes that can really exhibit the details and importance of the topic or situation at hand - Iโll take more of those, please.
Last week I was honored to be presented with
@OBJUpdate
โs โWomen Who Mean Businessโ award. The incredibly humbling experience had me surrounded by mentors, colleagues, friends and family, reiterating that support means everything. Proud and determined to keep going.