News
Jeff Brokaw of the Charlotte Phoenix, Dylan Sinnott of Strange Gaming, and John Brock of Envy Gaming join Richard D. Suarez of Stay Plugged In to host a panel on “Exploring esports in the mainstream, understanding the esports ecosystem” moderated by CLT Esports co-owner C J Collins. The discussion will take place at the Carolina Games Summit on Saturday, February 1st 1pm at The Maxwell Center in Goldsboro, NC. The panel will also be streamed live at www.twitch.tv/cgs
Jeff Brokaw is the founder of Tabbris, Charlotte's premier innovative co-working center, the Co-founder of FaaSTrak, one of the south's fastest growing fin-tech companies, the owner of professional esports organization The Charlotte Phoenix and managing partner of venture capital firm Unrivaled Enterprises.
He has assisted in raising numerous funding rounds for startups as well as building companies from the ground level. He is currently a board member at several rapid-growth startups as well as an advisor, consultant and more for technology and esports companies across the globe.
He has appeared in TechCrunch, Business Insider, CBS Money, Yahoo Finance, The Boston Globe, International Business Times, San Francisco Times and more.
“Colleges and schools are integrating esports into their student organizations, athletic departments, and curriculums,” says Michael Everett Creative Director of Carolina Games Summit. “Our goal with our 2020 speaker lineup is to give faculty and staff the necessary information they need to understand the esports ecosystem and integrate it properly into their organizations.”
Rick Suarez comes from a strong sports background. He played baseball collegiately and has coached for years in the North Carolina area. He started as a financial analyst in Southern California. In 2004 he opened United American Steel, a metal recycling facility located here in North Carolina. He grew that company into a multi-million dollar entity that now has facilities throughout the Southeast and Midwest. His company was featured on Piers Morgan Live. More recently he has opened Stay Plugged In to help provide much-needed infrastructure to gamers at the high school and collegiate levels. When not at work, he can be found coaching on the baseball field or watching his kids play baseball, basketball, soccer, and esports.
Johnna Koonce, the Executive Producer for the Carolina Games Summit, states “The experience Jeff Brokaw, Dylan Sinnott, John Brock, and Richard Suarez bring to the table is truly amazing, we look forward to hearing their views on the current state of mainstream esports.”
Tickets are available to the public and may be purchased online or at the door. Visit the official web site,www.carolinagamessummit.com, for a full listing of all the speakers, exhibitors, and additional details. Contact the event organizers at info@carolinagamessummit.com for more information on attending, exhibiting or speaking at the Carolina Games Summit.
About Envy Gaming
Envy Gaming, Inc. is the owner and operator of global esports franchise Team Envy and the Dallas Fuel franchise in the Overwatch League. Founded as a professional Call of Duty team in 2007, the Dallas-based organization has grown into one of the largest and most winning esports groups in the world. Today, Envy Gaming competes, streams and produces content across multiple gaming titles including Overwatch, Call of Duty, CS:GO, Fortnite, Paladins, and PUBG. In 2019, Forbes ranked Envy Gaming among the Top 10 Most Valuable Esports franchise in the world. Additional information can be found on the official web site: www.envy.gg
About Charlotte Phoenix
The Charlotte Phoenix, the Charlotte-based professional esports organization. The Charlotte Phoenix currently compete in League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Rocket League. They are currently ranked #11 in North American Rocket League. Additional information can be found on the official web site: www.charlottephoenix.com
About Strange Gaming
Strange Gaming creates content and has developed a successful online brand with one goal in mind, creating a community of gamers. Strang gaming runs a weekly podcast, creates in-game storylines and showcases the idea of community in the esports space.
About Stay Plugged In
Working with High Schools to support and help cultivate their esports programs. Looking to help the players in a more communal setting similar to any other sport. This provides them the opportunity to be more social, build camaraderie as well as allow students/parents to become fans of the matches. In doing so we hope to work with both the parent and the student in understanding the role esports can play in helping the student find a pathway through interest-driven learning. We will also help to identify the strengths the student poses to help them understand how they fit into the collegiate world of esports. We have identified all the colleges and universities that offer team, clubs, curriculum and/or scholarships in the esports field. Our goal is to help those students that are so passionate about esports, find a place best suited for them at the next level. Part of that strategy is also helping the most advanced players understand what it takes to become a pro player, The level of exercise, nutritional habits and practice time will be explained to both players and parents to help them understand the opportunity in front of them. Additional information can be found on the official web site: www.StayPluggedIn.com
About Carolina Games Summit
Carolina Games Summit® hosts events throughout the year to give amateur esports enthusiasts access to professionally run tournaments as well as industry advice and contacts. Our goal is to provide a clear path for all individuals seeking a career in professional gaming through scholarships, educational opportunities, and professionally run tournaments. Additional information can be found on the official web site: www.CarolinaGamesSummit.com
