I am joined this week by Megan Van Petten, Founder of the Esports Trade Association. Megan’s career centers around building successful communities, and she’s taken her expertise into the world of esports. Digressions include the principles of leadership, how to stay current and cool with tech, and what it’s like to be an innovator.

This week's incredible guest is Ashley Crowder, Founder and CEO of VNTANA. VNTANA democratizes the use of 3D models to create AR/VR experiences using patented technology to standardize shape files of all kinds, opening up the world of 3D to many different industries. From partnerships with luxury fashion brands to collaborations with Meta (Facebook), VNTANA is doing it all. Ashley tells me about her journey into 3D modeling, her love of STEM, and the time she cold emailed Mark Cuban for investment.

Episode Resources:

https://techcrunch.com/2021/11/04/mark-cuban-and-former-oculus-ceo-back-3d-e-commerce-startup-vntana/ 

https://www.reuters.com/technology/3d-ads-come-facebook-instagram-step-toward-metaverse-2022-03-24/ 

https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/women-still-struggle-to-access-vc-funds-what-needs-to-change

Wonderful friend and role model Angela Dalton, CEO & Founder of Signum Growth Capital, joins me for today's episode! We dive into Metaverse chat, with topics like Zoom leapfrogging us into metaverse-like experiences by allowing multiple sensory points, how economies are being shifted from offline worlds, and NFTs as a window into engagement/programmable royalties for artists. Angela describes her incredibly successful career, and the women supporting women support network she heads. As for actionable development, we talk about being in an environment where you are believed is critical, thanking the positive role models, bringing other women up and starting support groups for each other.

This week's episode features Phien Le, Head Graphic Designer at FlyQuest, an esports organization with not only a successful League of Legends team but a dedication to being a voice for environmentally friendly practices in the esports industry. We talk about design as a way of storytelling and how design can bring the vision and values of an organization to life. We also talk about Phien's recently released designs for the #GoGreen initiative at FlyQuest, and how she celebrated Earth Day.

Episode Resources:

https://flyquest.gg/

Neda Whitney, Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing for the Americas at Christie's, joins me to talk Metaverse, NFTs, and just all things luxury. Neda has an astounding background in brand storytelling, and has pivoted within her career many times to many industries. We engage in a broad discussion, from how AR/VR has helped the art world with virtual auctions (you can try out pieces in your house using AR!), to NFT sales (Neda worked on the famous Beeple NFT sale), to how NFTs can be used for practical and impractical things. Join us on this journey into art, luxury, NFTs, and the future.

Episode Resources:

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/04/14/inside-christies-digital-transformation-and-pioneering-use-nfts

https://www.straitstimes.com/life/mystery-singapore-buyer-of-93m-digital-work-at-christies-auction-revealed

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-christies-is-pitching-its-expansion-from-picassos-to-nfts-11637700438

Who doesn't love a good influencer? This week, Marketing and Business Development Consultant Becky Taylor joins me to talk influencer marketing strategy, why small networks are important for brands, and why word of mouth marketing works. We also discuss the building of the Metaverse, and how it means creating a full society, from economies to languages to city planning. Come for the influencer talk, stay for the Metaverse lessons.

Gina Lee, Chief Marketing Officer at Gen.G, joins me this week! Gina's career in marketing and partnerships stretches from art to fashion to gaming, and with such a creative slate of projects, Gina has a unique perspective on how to work with brands. We talk about the importance of consumer-lead advertising, how to balance partnerships, and the extensive charity initiaves at Gen.G, from the Broadcast Her Initiative to Aid for Ukraine and the Do Good Fund. We also discuss how DEI principles are incorporated at Gen.G, which is a multinational company.

Episode Resources:

https://geng.gg/

It's time to talk about the real world! Joining me this week is Paige Rabatin, Associate at Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP and COO of CLESports. Paige not only represents clients in esports through her law firm, but works on real estate development projects to build esports facilities. With different projects in Ohio and Florida, Paige stays busy! We talk about how to build the right spaces with community support, the longevity of real estate projects in esports, Cedar Point rollercoasters and Texas Roadhouse, and esports betting laws.

Episode Resources:

https://kjk.com/esports-media-entertainment/

https://kjk.com/2021/09/15/kjks-scott-norcross-paige-rabatin-present-at-unveiling-of-miami-sports-complex-destination-sport-miami/?utm_content=179957675&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-341605

https://www.13abc.com/2021/07/29/cedar-point-looking-into-28-million-esports-arena/?utm_content=174889534&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-341605

https://kjk.com/2021/12/09/ohio-sports-betting-bill-passes-awaits-dewines-approval/?utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=194252070&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9VIKDIaydG54PdGDBYe5Nzz4jRLftzllVXLYJkuML57feQZVIt19C9sieNH6sVbgtGYuZpllX4ZIEVspZY8bS6Wzd8Vg&utm_content=194239481&utm_source=hs_email

Special episode alert! Joining me this week are my first male guests, Max and Jack Wink. Max and Jack are Web3 game developers who are building a special mechanism to root out toxicity in gaming by rewarding positive behavior and establishing role models. Max and Jack give me a primer of what Web3 means and how it should be a "boring transition" into Web3 experiences, we then discuss the game they're building, and we round out with how the game development process can change to better serve everyone.

Joining me for this episode is Cary Tilds, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at Frameplay. Cary and I discuss the future of advertising, how to make it a better experience for consumers, and why it's incredibly important to make it feel natural to not disturb the gaming experience. Cary explains to me that the combination of these factors is what forms intrinsic advertising, a way to tell stories that feels good for both the consumer and the brand or company. We also dive into how advertising and storytelling is going to change with the development of Metaverse experiences.