E2E Live

Special guests: Sayo Owolabi and Kwesi Hayford Sayo is the Founder/CEO for Lagos Esports Forum as well as the Chief Innovations Officer for Ingenium Communications. Kwesi is the President of Ghana Esports Association as well as the Founder of Kiddie eSports & Ruutz eSports. Esports is a truly global phenomenon! It reaches people of all demographics and backgrounds—gaming has potential to impact anyone across the world. Few other industries can match the reach of esports! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Ivan Curtiss, General Manager and Head Coach for the NetsGC Ivan is known as the “The Godfather” of the #NBA2K scene. He has done SO MUCH for 2K and growing its awareness/competition! Ivan is all about the gaming culture/lifestyle and hosts his own podcast OG2CENTS Podcast. Being a professional, COMPETITIVE gamer is the pinnacle of esports life. There are very few people that can claim they are among the best in their esports title—it takes a life of extreme dedication and practice to attain this goal. Ivan and I are going to discuss how to reach the top in NBA2K, or any game competed at a top level. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Keisha Howard, Founder of SUGAR GAMERS and The BlazeBreakers, LLC Keisha is a CHAMPION at using esports and gaming to raise awareness for underrepresented groups of people. She is also an expert with digital media, knowing the ins and outs of how to engage people and your desired audiences. Engagement is so critical in the esports industry. The entire ecosystem thrives on easily consumable content and direct fan-to-organization communication. Knowing how to reach your target audience and how to engage with them effectively are factors that directly influence your success in the gaming world. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: James O'Hagan, Director of Digital and Virtual Learning for Racine Unified School District and Founder of The Academy of Esports Our topic this week is “Virtual Esports Education” Mr. O'Hagan has made HUGE impacts on the education side of gaming. He has helped develop two esports teams in two school districts and also founded The Academy of Esports. Through his podcast, James connects esports with educational opportunities—much like Esposure! Education is the new frontier for esports and gaming. Now is the time to build the foundation for future pioneers in the space—a foundation in schooling. With everything happening in the world, virtual education is now normal for most students…so why not add esports to their curriculum? Education + Esports = Opportunity! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: John Davidson, Founder and CEO of Davidson Learning Company John has had a storied career so far, working with companies like GameStop and Production Resource Group. He serves as Chairman of the Esports Trade Association and advises for Stadia Ventures, Dallas Influencers in Sports & Entertainment (DISE), The Uptown Agency, and University of North Texas Sport Entertainment Management MBA. He also recently started the Davidson Learning Company. John does a VERY CRITICAL job in the gaming ecosystem by helping outside brands engage with the community. He understands the nuances of this very diverse industry and helps brands connect with the numerous sub-cultures that exist within esports. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Rebecca Longawa, Founder and President of Happy Warrior Happy Warrior is a consultancy firm that helps brands navigate sports, esports, sponsorships, and more! Rebecca is a master networker and uses Happy Warrior to help athletes with personal branding and post-career advice. Many consider the industry of esports to be the ‘wild west' when it comes to promoting brands. Marketing within the competitive gaming world takes a unique and engaging approach that shows innovation to consumers. Especially now, in a COMPLETELY virtual society, esports marketing is dependent a brand's creativity! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Sean Do, Senior Videographer at Complexity Gaming Sean is a very accomplished videographer in the esports industry. He currently works for the very prestigious organization Complexity Gaming, where he helped work on their award-nominated CS:GO documentary—“Through the Smoke” The art of videography and editing is super critical component of esports and its culture. Content is ultimately created and published using these skills and it is a heavily sought talent. Videography helps tell the incredible stories of gamers and organizations as we all continue to blaze the trail that is esports. Our videographers here at Esposure create such unique and high-quality content…they tell our story! I am so excited to talk with Sean and here about his numerous projects as well as his advice for those aspiring to learn videography and editing content. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Danielle Johnson, Executive Director at Texas Scholastic Esports Federation Danielle is a Design & Technology teacher at Barbara Bush Middle School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD near Dallas, Texas. She is passionate about racial and educational equity. Danielle wants to help schools design esports programs that focus on equity, inclusion, and citizenship. We will be talking about how youth can prepare for a career in esports and how these same opportunities can be reached by underprivileged students. Gaming can be a powerful outlet for kids and students to explore their creativity, competitiveness, and character. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: NikeHoodii, GEA2Kleague season 1 MVP and Champion Hoodii is yet another amateur player turned pro in our Esposure ecosystem. He completely lit up the first season of Esposure's NBA2K league with the Pegas Squad. He was the first draft in our pool and went on to take home 1st with the combine week 4 MVP award. He showed off his true skills and definitely made me believe that he would go far as a 2K player Hoodii is now a draftee for the 4th NBA2KLeague season and we are excited to see where he will end up! He will join the successful list of players we have developed in Espossure's Pathway2Pro, and I am very excited to sit down and talk about his quick surge in the 2K community. We will go over his start with competing in 2K and gaming in general, as well as what he is looking forward to the most if he gets drafted as a pro player. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Josh Otero, Co-Founder & CEO of NutriGMR Josh has been a sports technology entrepreneur since 2013 and is entering the esports and gaming nutrition market. He founded NutriGMR, a functional nutrition and performance company focused on esport athletes and gamers. We will discuss the importance of maintaining mental and physical health for pro-players and gamers. There is a common stigma attached to the image of a gamer—how is that presumption being changed into something more positive? How does proper nutrition effect a gamer's life and performance? Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special Guest: Ryan Johnson, Founder & CEO of Cxmmunity Our topic this week is “How to secure a job in esports” Ryan has really taken initiative to close the gap with minority involvement within gaming. Cxmmunity is a non-profit that strives to help youth in underserved areas reach their full potential in the STEM and esports industries. We will discuss all the possible avenues into the professional esports world and how one can find opportunities for getting the job they desire. It seems that almost everyone wants to find their place in this booming ecosystem, but what is the best way to setup your career? Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Mike “Moog” has been with the University of Oklahoma Esports Club since its inception in 2016 and has since developed it into a thriving program within collegiate esports. We will be diving into the importance of collegiate gaming—why it's needed, where it is now, and where it is going. Mike and I believe that education and esports can go hand-in-hand with a proper foundation. He has worked incredibly hard to elevate the University of Oklahoma esports program into what it is today, and I can't wait to explore how that same success can be implemented into other schools nationwide. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Like myself, Matthew knows the struggles and obstacles that come with building a company from the ground up. He recognized the need for something vital within the fast-growing esports industry: a way to network and build your brand specifically for esports and competitive gaming. As a result, he founded eFuse in 2018 as a professional social networking app and has done amazing work since then to make eFuse a MAJOR success within the business and gaming sectors. I cannot wait to speak with Matthew as we compare/share our views and strategies for finding success in esports! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: Christopher Turner, Esports Coach at Southern University Lab School This week we are talking about if the ‘grassroots approach' works in the esports industry. Competitive gaming started at the bottom and has now grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Where do we go from here? How should we continue to market and foster the growth of this ecosystem to ensure longevity? Christopher understands the importance of educating our youth on the possibilities within esports. He manages all aspects within his esports program so that his students find success in and out of game. It will be awesome to compare notes on how each of us use grassroots methods for building the gaming scene! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Special guest: ‘Lord Beezus' Brent Aasgaard, Professional NBA2K player for the Utah Jazz Beezus has worked with me for a long time and I am super excited for our talk. He was one of the many amateur players we developed in our ecosystem that made it to the big leagues. He was first drafted in 2019 under the Indiana Pacers 2K team and has now found his home with the Utah Jazz. This week we are talking about the life of a professional gamer. Being a pro is WAY more difficult than people think—these players put their all into their careers and make tough sacrifices along the way to achieve their ultimate dreams. Beezus is proof that our Pathway2Pro works and I can't wait to catch up! Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Wim is an absolute LEGEND in the esports industry and I am super excited to have him on! He has helped foster our entire competitive ecosystem with WorldGaming, which is one of the most popular tournament hosting sites/communities. He has been building the gaming scene since the 90's and I cannot wait to see what I have to learn from him! We will be discussing the growth of esports, a truly explosive market that is already valued at over $1 billion. We have already seen huge growth at Esposure, but Wim has seen it all with his lustrous career. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Bubba currently is the Executive Director of the Varsity Esports Foundation. This non-profit strives to increase literacy around the Esports industry's positive impact on healthy lifestyles, mental health, community, STEM, and digital citizenship. This week, we will be discussing how to build a high school esports program! We will also be breaking down the pathway from high school esports all the way to professional esports. Be sure to tune in every Tuesday at 9am CST on my LinkedIn page! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

We will have a very special guest who is now our newest Partner: Katherine Amoukhteh - Founder of Esports College & Career Pathways Through our partnership, we will be allotted the opportunity to provide scholarships to our students that go through our educational program to use toward their college education. She will be sharing how she works tirelessly to find innovative ways to connect students to pathways in Esports, post-high school!