https://simplecast.com Gaming, esports, board games, sports entertainment and experiential events are saturating today’s lifestyle. Hosted by Chris Hana, founder and CEO of The Esports Observer, Conquering Geek Culture examines how digital entertainment and popular culture impact the sports industry and beyond. Hear from the leaders who spearheaded geek culture and the ones driving it now to prepare for today, and tomorrow. 2021 The Esports Observer en Tue, 1 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:00:12 +0000 https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/acf74165-b027-47af-a8b9-f0f6571b2d15/a60d3a6f-b7b5-4a73-a422-01396ba47e45/3000x3000/geekculture-icon-3000x3000.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com episodic Gaming, esports, board games, sports entertainment and experiential events are saturating today’s lifestyle. Hosted by Chris Hana, founder and CEO of The Esports Observer, Conquering Geek Culture examines how digital entertainment and popular culture impact the sports industry and beyond. Hear from the leaders who spearheaded geek culture and the ones driving it now to prepare for today, and tomorrow. Leaders to Go false https://feeds.simplecast.com/k_niQ3nB teo, the esports observer, esports observer, leaders, esports, news, technology Leaders to Go sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com 8648cb81-b934-46bf-b8af-a01a9a7804ee Tue, 1 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/women-and-diversity-in-sports-and-esports-HwGuvyNH Women and Diversity in Sports and Esports Chris Hana 00:45:38 Marisa Reich is the Chair of She Sports Switzerland and ex Head of Events & Culture at Infront. Marisa joins Chris Hana to talk about her career, from being an athlete agent to working for the Berlin Marathon and working for Red Bull to her most recent positions. Both discuss the need for diversity and inclusion and talk about why women are needed in the sports and esports industry, current challenges, and how to build an inclusive culture. Marisa Reich is the Chair of She Sports Switzerland and ex Head of Events & Culture at Infront. Marisa joins Chris Hana to talk about her career, from being an athlete agent to working for the Berlin Marathon and working for Red Bull to her most recent positions. Both discuss the need for diversity and inclusion and talk about why women are needed in the sports and esports industry, current challenges, and how to build an inclusive culture. she sports switzerland, marisa reich, business, esports false full 12 9a313e2b-c0e7-4c18-8821-9b233c3ae5ac Tue, 17 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Nicole Pike, Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/the-importance-of-research-and-data-in-esports-w0Cbrs_y The Importance of Research and Data in Esports Nicole Pike, Chris Hana 00:43:12 Nicole Pike spent 13 years at Nielsen building and moving its games and esports divisions forward. Nicole recently joined YouGov as their sector head for esports and gaming. In this weeks episode, Nicole talks about her career, the importance of data and research in a young industry like esports, and about her future plans. Both also talk about how brands can authentically work with the industry and what people should know before engaging with the space. Nicole Pike spent 13 years at Nielsen building and moving its games and esports divisions forward. Nicole recently joined YouGov as their sector head for esports and gaming. In this weeks episode, Nicole talks about her career, the importance of data and research in a young industry like esports, and about her future plans. Both also talk about how brands can authentically work with the industry and what people should know before engaging with the space. data, business, esports, research false full 11 4eb042aa-bf5b-4502-860b-03b54f0e41ed Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Chris Hana, Johnathan Wendel) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/how-johnathan-wendel-turned-fatal1ty-into-a-successful-gaming-brand-pkLq6n_z How Johnathan Wendel Turned Fatal1ty into a Successful Gaming Brand Chris Hana, Johnathan Wendel 00:47:17 Johnathan Wendel, better known by his nickname Fatal1ty, started his professional gaming career in the 90s. Johnathan walks Chris through his time as a player, the impact it has on his life, and how he was able to become an entrepreneur by turning his name into a successful brand. Today, Johnathan is also co-founder of Ready Up, a California-based startup that wants to make esports and gaming accessible for everyone. Johnathan Wendel, better known by his nickname Fatal1ty, started his professional gaming career in the 90s. Johnathan walks Chris through his time as a player, the impact it has on his life, and how he was able to become an entrepreneur by turning his name into a successful brand. Today, Johnathan is also co-founder of Ready Up, a California-based startup that wants to make esports and gaming accessible for everyone. esports, fatal1ty false full 10 c8a73435-b01b-4c98-aa69-8ddb1803d4a2 Tue, 13 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Ralf Reichert, Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/building-esl-and-why-open-ecosystems-are-important-for-esports-p8Nay7Ea Building ESL and Why Open Ecosystems are Important for Esports Ralf Reichert, Chris Hana 00:39:22 Ralf Reichert is Co-Founder of the Electronic Sports League (ES), the world’s largest independent esports company with offices around the globe. ESL creates esports leagues, tournaments, and runs production studios. In this episode, Ralf shares the ups and downs of his almost 20 years with ESL, why open ecosystem are important for the esports industry, and why ESL focuses on building a place where “everybody can be somebody.” Ralf Reichert is Co-Founder of the Electronic Sports League (ES), the world’s largest independent esports company with offices around the globe. ESL creates esports leagues, tournaments, and runs production studios. In this episode, Ralf shares the ups and downs of his almost 20 years with ESL, why open ecosystem are important for the esports industry, and why ESL focuses on building a place where “everybody can be somebody.” electronic sports league, business, esports false full 9 93c6ff55-c75f-4f25-ac80-30f2593ce814 Tue, 29 Sep 2020 10:00:11 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/upper-deck-and-moving-trading-cards-to-the-digital-space-8ex_BQmo Upper Deck and Moving Trading Cards to the Digital Space Chris Hana 00:30:01 Jason Masherah is President at Upper Deck and has been with the company for over 14 years. In this episode of Conquering Geek Culture, Jason walks Chris through the Upper Deck verticals Sports Cards, Entertainment and Upper Deck Authenticated Memorabilia & Collectibles and discusses “Upper Deck e-Pack," which moves the traditional trading card experiences into the digital world. Jason Masherah is President at Upper Deck and has been with the company for over 14 years. In this episode of Conquering Geek Culture, Jason walks Chris through the Upper Deck verticals Sports Cards, Entertainment and Upper Deck Authenticated Memorabilia & Collectibles and discusses “Upper Deck e-Pack," which moves the traditional trading card experiences into the digital world. jason masherah, upper deck false full 8 f9af0f32-d1b5-4947-8d3c-d36d8d30aaf2 Tue, 15 Sep 2020 10:00:11 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/why-gary-vaynerchuk-is-bullish-on-esports-H1ZLIb3c Why Gary Vaynerchuk is Bullish on Esports Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Hana 00:25:02 Gary Vaynerchuk is Chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia, and 5x New York Times Best-Selling Author. He began working at his family wine store, where he grew the business from $3M to $65M in just five years. In an interview with Chris Hana, Gary explains how he uses his skills to identify trends and why he is bullish on esports. Among other things, both dive into Gary’s investment in the Minnesota Røkkr Call of Duty League team and Gary’s experience with Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who is currently represented by the newly created VaynerGaming agency arm. Gary Vaynerchuk is Chairman of VaynerX, CEO of VaynerMedia, and 5x New York Times Best-Selling Author. He began working at his family wine store, where he grew the business from $3M to $65M in just five years. In an interview with Chris Hana, Gary explains how he uses his skills to identify trends and why he is bullish on esports. Among other things, both dive into Gary’s investment in the Minnesota Røkkr Call of Duty League team and Gary’s experience with Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, who is currently represented by the newly created VaynerGaming agency arm. vaynersports, vaynerx, esports, vaynergaming, gary vaynerchuk false full 7 b06bcf2c-4eb8-4a2e-a9c2-895984eda9a9 Wed, 2 Sep 2020 10:00:19 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/why-overactive-media-believes-in-franchised-esports-leagues-Pxv9ad1C Why OverActive Media Believes in Franchised Esports Leagues Chris Hana 00:40:38 Chris Overholt is the CEO of OverActive Media (OAM), an esports and entertainment organization that heavily invests in franchised esports teams. With his deep roots in traditional sports, Chris explains why he joined the esports industry, why he believes in the franchise league model and why esports leagues will eventually outperform traditional sports. Furthermore, Chris provides insights on how OAM helps its talent grow professionally and how he thinks about video games in the Olympics. Chris Overholt is the CEO of OverActive Media (OAM), an esports and entertainment organization that heavily invests in franchised esports teams. With his deep roots in traditional sports, Chris explains why he joined the esports industry, why he believes in the franchise league model and why esports leagues will eventually outperform traditional sports. Furthermore, Chris provides insights on how OAM helps its talent grow professionally and how he thinks about video games in the Olympics. overactive media, esports, chris overholt false full 6 0f1d2ade-efa3-44c3-94db-a7fe7080f5a1 Tue, 11 Aug 2020 13:25:10 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Leaders to Go) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/innovation-and-monetization-in-sports-and-esports-OhDaRItM Innovation and Monetization in Sports and Esports Leaders to Go 00:34:51 Tim Hayden is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Stadia Ventures, the global Sports Innovation Hub for entrepreneurs, industry partners and investors. Chris Hana and Tim discuss Stadia’s investment philosophy, why Stadia also invests in esports, technological trends, why traditional sports is ahead of esports when it comes to monetization, and what both industries can learn from each other. They also chat about how Stadia built a big network of supporters across both industries and how they bring both worlds together. Tim Hayden is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Stadia Ventures, the global Sports Innovation Hub for entrepreneurs, industry partners and investors. Chris Hana and Tim discuss Stadia’s investment philosophy, why Stadia also invests in esports, technological trends, why traditional sports is ahead of esports when it comes to monetization, and what both industries can learn from each other. They also chat about how Stadia built a big network of supporters across both industries and how they bring both worlds together. false full 5 757a689b-d4ba-4e4a-8942-c51a1a164ede Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:45:31 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Leaders to Go) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/digital-entertainment-the-future-of-sports-5x5n9B1g Digital Entertainment & The Future of Sports Leaders to Go 00:35:31 Thomas Fellger, founder and group CEO of iconmobile, joins Chris Hana to talk about digital entertainment. Thomas explains why he built an esports venue in the heart of Berlin, how he wants to innovate the racing genre with Das Race and why creating an experience should be at the core of entertainment. Also, what can traditional sports learn from gaming and how can sports leverage technology and interactive platforms like Twitch to stay ahead of the curve? Thomas Fellger, founder and group CEO of iconmobile, joins Chris Hana to talk about digital entertainment. Thomas explains why he built an esports venue in the heart of Berlin, how he wants to innovate the racing genre with Das Race and why creating an experience should be at the core of entertainment. Also, what can traditional sports learn from gaming and how can sports leverage technology and interactive platforms like Twitch to stay ahead of the curve? false full 4 39d8bd7f-11ce-4626-873f-3e0a0a9e269c Tue, 14 Jul 2020 11:00:15 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Leaders to Go) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/building-an-esports-team-vs-building-an-ecosystem-4RI3jHfJ Building an Esports Team vs Building an Ecosystem Leaders to Go 00:26:30 Chris Chaney and Chris Hana discuss entrepreneurship in esports, the initial vision behind Infinite Esports & Entertainment along with the sustainability and challenges of the esports team business. Both explore why esports is entertainment, hyper-localization, mainstream visibility, and what Chris Chaney would do differently in retrospect. Chris Chaney and Chris Hana discuss entrepreneurship in esports, the initial vision behind Infinite Esports & Entertainment along with the sustainability and challenges of the esports team business. Both explore why esports is entertainment, hyper-localization, mainstream visibility, and what Chris Chaney would do differently in retrospect. false full 3 5d7b2dde-52d0-4f4f-9c3e-8ce30f2dbfad Tue, 30 Jun 2020 11:00:36 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Leaders to Go) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/the-rise-of-esports-investing-in-the-industrys-growth-oMveTtuh The Rise of Esports & Investing in the Industry‘s Growth Leaders to Go 00:32:08 Jens Hilgers is a founding partner of BITKRAFT Esports Ventures and the co-owner of esports team G2 Esports. He joins Chris Hana to talk about his journey through the esports industry, which started before 2000. They discuss what made the esports industry grow, how Hilgers worked his way through a fast-growing and ever-changing environment, and how he looks at esports today, providing insights from his angle as an active investor. Jens Hilgers is a founding partner of BITKRAFT Esports Ventures and the co-owner of esports team G2 Esports. He joins Chris Hana to talk about his journey through the esports industry, which started before 2000. They discuss what made the esports industry grow, how Hilgers worked his way through a fast-growing and ever-changing environment, and how he looks at esports today, providing insights from his angle as an active investor. bitkraft esports ventures, chris hana, jens hilgers, esports, g2 esports false full 2 12112ffc-c45c-423d-9869-7ca3c1d7199a Tue, 16 Jun 2020 11:00:14 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Leaders to Go) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/building-riot-games-an-esports-ecosystem-with-marc-merrill-and-john-needham-2GKeEYNV Building Riot Games & an Esports Ecosystem with Marc Merrill and John Needham Leaders to Go 00:36:38 Chris Hana speaks to Marc Merrill, Co-Founder of Riot Games, to understand why Riot Games was built and how the founders Marc and Brandon convinced investors to fund their idea. The two are joined by John Needham, global head of esports at Riot Games, to explore how Riot Games was able to built the groundbreaking esports ecosystem for League of Legends we can see today. Pop-culture integrations, league structures, live events and more come up as well. Chris Hana speaks to Marc Merrill, Co-Founder of Riot Games, to understand why Riot Games was built and how the founders Marc and Brandon convinced investors to fund their idea. The two are joined by John Needham, global head of esports at Riot Games, to explore how Riot Games was able to built the groundbreaking esports ecosystem for League of Legends we can see today. Pop-culture integrations, league structures, live events and more come up as well. false full 1 431a7fb2-16a6-450d-99d3-50e49a5c3000 Fri, 5 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000 sbjitunesadmin@sportsbusinessjournal.com (Chris Hana) https://conquering-geek-culture.simplecast.com/episodes/conquering-geek-culture-trailer-WCE9UimS Trailer: Conquering Geek Culture Chris Hana 00:00:45 false trailer