Welcome to Episode Four of Y6 of The Academy of Esports podcast!

I’m your host, James O’Hagan. Thank you for joining me as I welcome a giant of the medical device field who is now using decades of experience— and his own personal journey— to build bold, collaborative mental health roadmaps within responsible, therapeutic video game environments in his new venture with Mike Wilson.

It’s an honor to speak with Ryan Douglas, co-founder & co-chairman of DeepWellDTx.

Ryan takes us on a journey that goes far beyond the “one and done” attitude of many developers. His is a manifesto rooted in science, fed by sincerity and best practices, and allowed an ever-evolving timeline that strives not to be the first across a short-term finish line but rather the best at serving the long-term individual needs of human beings of all ages.

It’s quite a ride.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a conversation that will likely redefine the way you look at video games and mental health.

Connect with Ryan Douglas:

Connect with DeepWellDTx:

Connect with James O’Hagan, Founder & Host of The Academy of Esports:

The Academy of Esports

Episode References:

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Welcome to Episode Three of Y6 of The Academy of Esports podcast!

I’m your host, James O’Hagan. Thank you for joining me as I welcome a friend, a mentor, and a global legend in esports and education— Mark “Garvey” Candella, former founder & director of Twitch Student and current Chief Business & Strategy Officer of AcadArena.

Garvey joined me from his home base in the Philippines to share a journey that has taken him from a challenging start on the streets of Brooklyn to becoming one of the most well-known and respected figures in esports education and community-building. 

Just one example of a chapter along the way: his work ethic as a young UPS driver led him to a spot at power lunches over the famous red sauce of Forlinis in Manhattan– delivering financial prowess through osmosis as a side order– and established him as a founding innovator of day trading. 

Without question, this is and will remain one of my favorite podcast conversations of all-time. No summary could do justice to the wisdom shared, how much I learned about someone I thought I already knew, and how grateful I am to Garvey for his openness. 

Sit back, relax, and listen to a story that will captivate you, educate you, and inspire you. 

Connect with Garvey:

Connect with James O’Hagan, Founder & Host of The Academy of Esports:

The Academy of Esports

Episode References:

The Academy of Esports podcast is powered by LeagueSpot. https://leaguespot.gg/

Welcome to Episode Two of YEAR SIX of The Academy of Esports podcast!

I’m your host, James O’Hagan. Thank you for joining me as I welcome a good friend from across the sea, Stuart Dempsey, the Founder and CEO of GamerFest Dublin, Ireland’s largest esports event.

In the aftermath of Brexit, Ireland was elevated to the role of premier English-speaking nation in the European Union. The impact of this on esports opportunities is massive. To speak to this– and offer two decades of marketing and branding experience to our audience– is a longtime friend of The Academy of Esports, Stuart Dempsey.

Since establishing GamerFest in 2017, Stuart’s event has gone from strength to strength with 5,000 visitors expected for GamerFest Summer at the end of May and up to 10,000 visitors in the next 18 months. That isn’t surprising when you consider what he brought to the table– a 20-year career in B2B and B2C marketing, a Master’s Degree in Marketing Practices from Galway University, and a dance card of successful relationships with some of Ireland’s biggest companies (recently expanded to include the Irish postal system!).

Join us for this fascinating conversation. We’re confident that you’ll walk away with a fresh take on Irish esports, a load of great advice about esports partnerships, and a strong desire to buy a ticket to GamerFest Dublin!

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Connect with Stuart Dempsey 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartdempsey/

GamerFest Dublin: https://gamerfest.ie/

GamerFest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GamerFestIE

Connect with James O’Hagan, Founder & Host of The Academy of Esports

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesohagan 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jimohagan 

Contact: https://hihello.me/p/b1241eeb-bf95-476b-a258-6d80ef2a79fe 

The Academy of Esports

Site: https://taoesports.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taoesports

Twitter: https://twitter.com/taoesports

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063689103336

Subscribe to Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAcademyofEsports

Subscribe to Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/taoesports/episodes

The Academy of Esports podcast is powered by LeagueSpot: https://leaguespot.gg/

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Welcome to PART TWO of Episode One of YEAR SIX of The Academy of Esports podcast!

I’m your host, James O'Hagan. Thank you for joining me as I welcome back my friend, Amir Satvat, the global head of startup operations at Amazon Web Services.

Before stepping into their current role, Amir experience included chapters as a principal publishing producer and key positions in business development and strategy at Amazon Games. They also served as COO for AWS' Inside Sales and Demand Generation Businesses, while spending over a decade in tech and healthcare sectors, working on strategy, operations, and business development. Amir's academic achievements include an MBA and a Master's in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MPA in Public Policy from New York University. Their professional journey is a perfect example of one of Amir’s career advice tenets: think laterally within a company to gain skills you need for your dream job.

As a dedicated gamer, Amir has played over 2,200 titles, cherishing series like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Monkey Island, and The Witcher. Their love for gaming began with Asteroids on the Atari 2600. Their passion for the industry doesn’t end there– Amir runs a thriving LinkedIn community of over 33,000 video game followers (and growing daily!), with many working in games.

Amir also loves opera, having created his first at age 14. With that in mind, we invited a surprise guest– Josh Shaw, Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Pacific Opera Project– whose blend of video game characters and operas is selling out stages wherever it goes.

Named as one of Musical America’s Top 30 Innovators in Classical Music, Josh Shaw is the Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Pacific Opera Project (POP), which has been described as "L.A.'s most exciting new opera company." Over the past twelve seasons, Mr. Shaw has directed over 50 productions at POP, including The Rake’s Progress, Ariadne auf Naxos, La Calisto, Tosca: A Moving Production; and La Boheme: AKA “The Hipsters”. A frequent librettist for English updates, his Star Trek-inspired Abduction from the Seraglio and Nintendo-inspired Magic Flute (AKA #SuperFlute) have gained national attention and have been produced at multiple companies, shattering attendance records.

Enjoy, consider hitting “Subscribe,” and please make time to play in some way this week!

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Subscribe/Connect to Amir:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirsatvat/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/amirsatvat

Amir’s Games Jobs Workbook:

Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ORvB63Kq5pvXb8QDbEzGnJa_lFMiZmK2_vjglKgOKcw/edit?usp=sharing

Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6icqqopmsp39ool/221119%20-%20Games%20Jobs.xlsx?dl=0

Connect to Pacific Opera Project:

https://www.pacificoperaproject.com/

POP Curriculum: https://www.pacificoperaproject.com/education

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pacoperaproj/ 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/pacificoperaproject/ & https://www.facebook.com/joshshawtenor

Josh Shaw: https://joshshaw.org

Watch Part One: https://lnkd.in/gjP-Dr9j

Listen to Part One: https://lnkd.in/gzfyD7-n

The Academy of Esports podcast is powered by LeagueSpot. https://leaguespot.gg/

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ // ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ // ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.

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"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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Hello and welcome to the first episode of the sixth year of The Academy of Esports podcast!

I’m your host, James O’Hagan, the Vice-President of Education and Innovation at LeagueSpot, and an educator for over two decades. Thank you for joining us for Part One of what is surely going to be one of my favorite conversations in this podcast’s history, as the subject is a dear friend and source of constant joy to all who know them. 

Amir Satvat is the global head of startup operations at Amazon Web Services. Prior to this, they served as principal publishing producer and, prior to that, both business development and strategy lead at Amazon Games. Going back even further, they served as COO for AWS’ Inside Sales and Demand Generation Businesses and spent over a decade in the tech and healthcare sectors in a variety of roles across strategy, operations, and business development. Amir earned their MBA and Master’s in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and his MPA in Public Policy from New York University.

While amassing such an impressive list of accomplishments, Amir always had one goal in mind since childhood: work in gaming. We challenge you to find a more dedicated lifelong gamer! Amir has played over 2,200 titles in their life and their favorite video games series include Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Monkey Island, and The Witcher. (The first game they ever played was Asteroids on the Atari 2600!)

It took 15 years in the professional world to achieve their dream role at age 37. Today, the advice they learned– as well as the respect they have earned– make Amir one of the most influential voices in the space. Today, in addition to their “day job,” Amir operates one of the most important video games LinkedIn communities on earth with nearly 32,000 followers, more than half of whom work in the games industry.

It is a responsibility they take seriously. When the slew of job cuts hit gaming, Amir bundled a lifetime of professional experiences and connections into one extraordinary project: 

The Games Jobs Workbook. It is a resource that has now been viewed over 500,000 times since March, connected dozens upon dozens of job seekers with new careers, and launched a virtual mentorship program that is unprecedented in this space.

Google Docs: lnkd.in/etkUuecj

Dropbox: lnkd.in/eGJasnNR

I cannot urge you strongly enough to follow Amir’s LinkedIn page for non-stop wisdom like this:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mailbag-your-ama-questions-from-march-2023-amir-satvat/?trackingId=thAEPQqnKOWZk3XIF60%2Bzg%3D%3D

In this first installment, we dive into career advice, actionable plans for job seekers in gaming, and the importance of self-care in the midst of an industry that keeps moving 24/7. 

The content has such value for those of you in and beyond the gaming industry– but more than that, Amir’s is the face, the voice, the words you didn’t even realize you needed when you woke up this morning. You’re witnessing pure sincerity and kindness in action.

Join us next week for Part Two with Amir when– in an Academy of Esports first– we add OPERA to the mix!

Enjoy, consider hitting “Subscribe,” and please make time to play in some way this week!

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Subscribe/Connect to Amir:

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirsatvat/⁠

⁠https://youtube.com/c/amirsatvat⁠

Amir’s Games Jobs Workbook:

Google Docs: ⁠lnkd.in/etkUuecj⁠

Dropbox: ⁠lnkd.in/eGJasnNR⁠

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (⁠LinkedIn⁠ // ⁠Twitter⁠) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (⁠Website⁠ // ⁠Twitter⁠) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to ⁠[email protected]⁠.

The Academy of Esports podcast welcomes Melissa Burns, a leader in scholastic esports in Canada, in honor of International Women's Day. Melissa is the founder and chair of Esport Canada, one of the largest Canadian esports organizations committed to excellence in gaming and supporting the growth of the Canadian esports ecosystem by connecting and amplifying diverse gaming communities. The organization values holistic development and authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of their work, which has allowed them to build a federation focused on social impact.

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Melissa Burns // LinkedIn // Twitter

Esports Canada // Website // LinkedIn // Twitter

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (LinkedIn // Twitter) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (Website // Twitter) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to [email protected].

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Music provided Royalty Free

"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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Leah Koons is a 10+ year gaming event and marketing veteran who has navigated and developed business relationships for endemic and non-endemic brands to the gaming industry. In our conversation, Leah invites the listener to learn how to be a successful and lasting presence in the game industry. For Leah, a bachelor's degree in psychology was the start. But it was an early decision to focus on the business of games that has led her path of success that includes working with the likes of Team Liquid, Alienware, and Riot. And now, Leah has just launched her own marketing, consulting and event business called EQME.

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Leah Koons // LinkedIn // Twitter

EQME (launching soon!)

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Powered by LeagueSpot

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (LinkedIn // Twitter) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (Website // Twitter) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to [email protected].

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Music provided Royalty Free

"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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Dylan Liu is not one to not have an opinion on the state of collegiate esports. That is one of the things that makes him such a compelling guest for a conversation! Since 2011, Dylan has been involved in collegiate esports while founding the team at his alma mater, Texas A&M, and now serving as the CEO of his company, Uconnect. Uconnect provides a platform to help collegiate programs and clubs to connect with potential sponsorship opportunities. This wide-ranging conversation pulls no punches and looks critically at the current state of collegiate esports, and the overall business of esports. Even at an hour, there was still quite a bit to talk about. 

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Dylan Liu // LinkedIn // Twitter

Uconnect

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Powered by LeagueSpot

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (LinkedIn // Twitter) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (Website // Twitter) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to [email protected].

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Music provided Royalty Free

"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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James Fudge has nearly 25 years of experience as an editor and journalist covering the video games industry, having worked for such companies as Avault, IDG Games' Games.Net, Computer Games Magazine, GameSpy, IGN, GamePro, GameShark, GamePolitics, GameCulture, Crispy Gamer, and more.

Over the last three years he worked behind the scenes at The Esports Observer, where he served as senior editor for two years helping to shape the quality of the writing, steer editorial policies, and generally train writers on best practices for content creation and journalism.

In this episode, James and James (James Squared) discuss the importance of journalism in gaming, and especially in the business thereof. 

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James Fudge // LinkedIn // Twitter

The Esports Advocate

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Sponsor // LeagueSpot

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (LinkedIn // Twitter) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (Website // Twitter) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to [email protected].

--

Music provided Royalty Free

"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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As Head of Education at British Esports, Kalam focusses on delivering growth and development of esports in education across the UK and beyond. 

The recipient of the prestigious Pearson National Teaching Award for his outstanding commitment to digital innovation, Kalam, an experienced teacher, educator and educational leader previously served as Esports Programme Lead at Barnsley College, where he co-wrote the Esports BTEC (Business and Technical Education Council) in association with Pearson and British Esports. In this episode, we dive into the BTECs and their impact in on students in the UK. 

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Kalam Neale // Twitter // LinkedIn

British Esports Federation

BTECs and Beyond Overview

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Sponsor // LeagueSpot

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Esports is organized competitive video games allowing schools to redefine their athletic culture, diversify opportunities for student participation, promote physical and mental health, increase collegiate scholarship pathways, and play games!  We cannot forget the importance of play! James O'Hagan (LinkedIn // Twitter) is the Founder and Host of The Academy of Esports podcast. The Academy of Esports (Website // Twitter) You may email any questions or topic suggestions to [email protected].

--

Music provided Royalty Free

"8 Bit Adventure!" Querky Fun Game Music by HeatleyBros

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Spotify

License

Twitter

Facebook