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Around this time last year, we first launched our Careers in Esports podcast, not knowing if it will take off or where it might go. We just knew that we had an opportunity to interview esports industry experts, and had tons of burning questions sent in to us by students looking to enter the esports industry.
One year and ten episodes later, we have had the incredible opportunity to interview a diverse array of professionals within the esports and gaming industries. From pro players and game developers at AAA studios, to physical therapists and brand managers, each guest provided unique insights into various career paths in gaming. These conversations revealed the not-so-surprising relationship between gaming and education, highlighting how a passion for technology can lead into thriving, high-satisfaction careers in Esports and STEM.
Episode 1 - Meet a Pro Player!
Guest: Jake Lyon
Experience: Ex-Pro-Player, Desk Analyst, Professional Commentator
Organizations: Overwatch League, Houston Outlaws
Bio: Jake is an experienced Overwatch player and analyst with a wealth of experience in the world of esports. As a former pro player for the Houston Outlaws and a current analyst for the Overwatch League, Jake's journey in the world of competitive gaming has left an indelible mark. As an analyst, Jake provides insightful commentary, enriching the viewer experience and deepening their understanding of high-level play. Jake is an example of someone who has turned their passion for gaming into high-paying career opportunities and shares his experience and advice for students looking to do the same.
Question for Jake: Why should schools today support their students' love for gaming?
“There are a number of colleges that are giving scholarships for gaming. You can get a college scholarship to play Overwatch,” said Jake Lyon. “[Educators] can put their students on a better track to getting into better colleges and/or getting scholarships.”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 2 - Meet a Game Developer!
Guest: Andrew Sabri
Experience: Studio Engineering Director, Former Game Director
Organizations: Frost Giant Studios, Electronic Arts (EA)
Bio: Andrew Sabri is an Engineering Leader in the world of game design that excels at managing technical leaders, engineering managers, and engineers. He received his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Math from Virginia Tech in 2006. From 2006 to 2021, he worked at Electronic Arts (EA) in various roles and contributed to over a dozen AAA titles since Madden NFL 07. He currently works with Frost Giant Studios where he is the Studio Engineering Director. Andrew has experience managing and leading multiple teams simultaneously across almost all domains.
Question for Andrew: What advice would you give to somebody exploring game development as a career?
“There is no prescribed path, but […] there are a few common ways that it happens.” Said Andrew Sabri. “The most common is […] get a traditional computer science degree from a University and showcase that you contribute to other gaming related projects, to your own personal projects […] that’s what shows that you have that passion and you understand what it takes to build a game from start to finish or collaborate with others, and that’s what's going to make you stand out.“
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 3 - Meet a Physical Therapist!
Guest: Dr. Matt Hwu
Experience: Physical Therapist
Organizations: 1HP
Bio: Dr. Matt Hwu works at the intersection of esports and the healthcare industry.Recognized for his pioneering role as an Esports Physical Therapist, he is the CEO and founder of 1HP, a program designed to provide accessible care for gamers and desk workers. His career is marked by a unique blend of expertise in orthopedic physical therapy and a lifelong passion for gaming.
Question for Matt: Why connect gaming to health and wellness?
“[Gaming] can lend itself to unhealthy habits and you have to be intentional about how you approach interacting with competitive gaming or gaming in general” said Dr. Matt Hwu. “Our mission [is] to be able to [...] teach gamers that [...] you can adopt these [healthy] habits so you never really have to deal with [physical] issues as you get older”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 4 - Meet an Esports Director!
Guests: Jay Deshong & Sky Kauweloa
Experience:
Jay Deshong
Esports Director, President of Mississippi State Esports Club, Esports Event Admin, Former Coca-Cola Esports Ambassador
Sky Kauweloa
Esports Director, Author of the first major dissertation in the field of collegiate esports, Integrated the Overwatch League with university programs
Organizations: Grand Canyon University, University of Hawaii, Women of UH Esports, UH Manoa
Jason Deshong Bio:
Jason Deshong is a prominent figure in the esports community, known for his influential roles ranging from the President of Mississippi State Esports Club and anesports event admin to his role as a Coca-Cola Esports Ambassador. His journey in esports began with the founding of his first organization during the "Call of Duty: Ghosts" era, eventually leading to pivotal roles with Dallas Fuel/Team Envy and MainlineGG. Deshong's dedication to the field is rooted in his personal history – growing up and finding solace in baseball before transitioning to esports. His accomplishments, such as orchestrating the first ever nationwide Madden tournament and creating the Kid Collective for VALORANT community tournaments, demonstrate his commitment to fostering esports communities and his passion for the industry.
Sky Kauweloa Bio:
Sky Kauweloa, an esteemed academic in the realm of collegiate esports, authored the first major dissertation in the field of collegiate esports and played a pivotal role in integrating the Overwatch League with university programs, supervising over 40 interns. His eclectic background, marked by a passion for gaming, surfing, and skateboarding, fueled his innovative research that led to the formation of the University of Hawaii Esports. Under his leadership at UH Manoa, his team focuses on nurturing diverse and indigenous communities, exemplified by the establishment of the Women of UH Esports. Kauweloa's academic pursuit in esports, sparked in 2014, was significantly shaped by the pioneering esports model at Robert Morris University.
Question for Jay: Why should K-12 schools support their students' love for gaming?
“Take your idea of traditional sports, football- all the things that your kids can gain from football” said Jason Deshong. “[Like] learning how to be on a team, learning how to care about goals [...], learning how to behave, how to communicate with other people effectively, [...] and replace football with [esports], because those kids can and will [...] gain those same skills from esports as they do and would from traditional sports.”
Question for Sky: Why should K-12 schools support their students' love for gaming?
“What we know about the broader videogames industry overall, is you can literally name any background, any major, and you will probably find it in a publisher’s portfolio,” said Sky Kauweloa. “You have folks coming from marine biology, economics, literature, in addition to the STEM fields [...] You can take both of those interests and present [them] to an Activision Blizzard, to a Valve, to a Riot Games.”
Watch the full episode on our website
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Episode 5 - Meet a Game Production Engineer!
Guest: Jordan Runyan
Experience: Senior Production Engineer, Electrical Engineer
Organizations: Bungie, University of Utah, Blizzard Entertainment
Bio: Jordan Runyan, Senior Production Engineer at Bungie, began his gaming journey with the Super Nintendo, which fueled his passion for video games and led him to transition from electrical engineering to game development through the University of Utah’s Entertainment Arts and Engineering program. His career has taken him from Blizzard Entertainment, where he worked on World of Warcraft, to Bungie, where he now excels as a problem-solver and "force multiplier," ensuring team productivity through effective communication and technical support.
Question for Jordan: How did you transition from a traditional programming job to working at a game studio career?
“Really networking is a huge component of getting in the door.” said Jordan Runyan. “I made several personal and professional friends through networking during school, as well as through playing games. People say it's not what you know, it's who you know - it's both. You can't just get through on knowing people but it definitely helps get you [...] that first interview and then they can see you also have the qualifications.”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 6 - Meet a Video Game Designer!
Guest: Matt Makuch
Experience: Senior Technical Designer, Game Developer
Organizations: Sony Bend Studio
Bio: Matt Makuch, Senior Technical Designer at Sony Bend Studio, turned his lifelong passion for gaming into a successful career in game development. From his early days of playing Tetris on his Game Boy to bonding over Xbox Live with his brothers, gaming shaped his interests and ambitions. At Sony Bend Studio, he leverages his technical skills and creative vision, Matt ensures that the games not only look visually stunning but also provide engaging and seamless gameplay experiences for players.
Question for Matt: Why should K-12 schools support students' love for gaming?
“Gaming is here to stay.” said Matt Makuch “[...] Games are in more places than people realize and have a lot of benefits, [...] I definitely attribute a lot of my critical thinking and problem solving to my love for gaming and all the time I spent thinking of solutions for puzzles and games that I’ve played.”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 7 - Meet a Product Marketing Manager!
Guest: Robert Oles
Experience: Product Marketing Manager
Organizations: Kabam, Carleton University, Electronic Arts (EA)
Bio: Robert Oles, a Product Marketing Manager at Kabam, has built a successful career in the gaming and esports industry using his strengths. A graduate of Carleton University, where he founded Carleton Esports and served as a Tespa coordinator, Robert has worked with major organizations like EA before joining Kabam. At Kabam, he leads marketing efforts for games like Shop Titans and King Arthur: Legends Rise, overseeing cross-functional go-to-market strategies, campaign management, and brand development. His expertise spans from managing campaign plans to ensuring brand consistency and business success.
Question for Robert: What should students focus on to pursue a career in game or esports marketing?
“My first recommendation to students that are looking to plan out their career is identify [what you enjoy doing]” said Robert Oles. “What are the things that you really enjoy about your work and you can take that and use it as criteria to help you figure out what kind of job might work best for you in gaming. [...] after that, develop transferable skills, get involved- all of those things are great steps that you can take to break into this industry and build a career."
Watch the full episode on our website
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Episode 8 - Meet a VP of Product Innovation!
Guest: Diana Hughes
Experience: Product Innovation and AI
Organizations: Age of Learning, University of Southern California
Bio: Diana Hughes, VP of Product Innovation and AI at Age of Learning, is a leading figure in educational game design and personalized learning. With an MFA in Game and Interactive Design from University of Southern California, Diana has developed cutting-edge digital experiences, including My Math Academy and My Reading Academy, which blend learning science with AI technology to enhance children's education. She holds three patents in personalized learning technologies and has worked on innovative projects including products for diverse audiences like children on the autism spectrum and blind/low-vision individuals as well as a soft skills training product for the U.S. Military.
Question for Diana: Why should schools today support their student’s love for gaming?
“Games are learning machines, so in any game you are learning a new skill,” said Diana Hughes. “[...] it's going to give you lots of opportunities to learn and practice and fail safely and learn from that failure. [...] Games can be put to that use in service of other learning [...] take all that same stuff and now teach [students] how to do fractions instead of slaying a dragon.”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 9 - Meet a Director of Esports!
Guest: James Shilkret
Experience: Director of Esports
Organizations: North America at Ubisoft
Bio: James Shilkret, Director of Esports of North America at Ubisoft, brings over 20 years of expertise in marketing, brand engagement, and esports operations to his role. A visionary leader, James is known for developing innovative marketing strategies and spearheading major esports initiatives at Ubisoft. His extensive experience in brand engagement, esports operations, and event management has shaped his career, allowing him to provide valuable insights to aspiring professionals in the esports industry.
Question for James: Why do you think schools today should support their students’ love for gaming?
“I think we underestimate what gaming brings to people's lives from problem-solving to collaboration to teamwork.” said Jame Shilkret “Just because it's in front of a screen, it's no different than what people do when they do crew or do soccer or basketball. [...] There's a lot of strategy [that] goes into it. I think understanding strategy helps everybody in the long run, whether you're playing [a game], there's gonna be strategy, [or] when you're [working on] a strategy for some proposal you’re doing for work in later stages in your life. There's definitely benefits to it that people forget about.”
Watch the full episode on our website
Episode 10 - Meet a STEM Learning Coach!
Guest: Shad Lacefield
Experience: STEM Learning Coach
Organizations: Fayette County Public Schools, STEM Bus, Do Something Extraordinary (DSE) Golf Club
Bio: Shad Lacefield, STEM Learning Coach at Fayette County Public Schools, is a dedicated advocate for hands-on, real-world STEM education. He facilitates innovative STEM activities across over 30 elementary schools using a specialized STEM Bus. His commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments is reflected in his work with the George Washington Carver STEM Academy and STEAM Academy, where he supports initiatives like coding, esports, and drones. Shad's leadership has earned him numerous accolades, including the 2023 FCPS Equity Champion and 2022 Kentucky Science Teacher of the Year, as well as creating Kentucky’s first elementary esports lounge.
Question for Shad: What is your experience with traditional sports, and do you see a connection with esports?
The goal [of DSE Golf] was not just to teach the kids golf, which was an outdoor sport, but it was also a sport that didn't discriminate” said Shad Lacefield, “[...] and that's one immediate connection that I feel like we have to esports, is that it doesn't matter what you look like, you can play and you can game and you can be really successful. [...] the other esports connection I feel is the teamwork [and] building community.”
Watch the full episode on our website
As we celebrate the important milestone of recording the first ten episodes of Careers in Esports, we'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to each of our guests for sharing their time, expertise, and insights with us and our listeners. With the help of our panelists, we are able to shine a light on the various exciting career pathways within the gaming and esports industries.
If you missed any of these amazing conversations, be sure to catch up and listen to Careers in Esports on our website, YouTube, Spotify, and other podcast streaming services.
And stay tuned—more episodes are just around the corner, with more incredible guests and insights from the world of esports!
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