Jacob has nine years of esports experience as a player, coach, manager, and analyst. He spent the past four years developing collegiate esports in the Pacific Northwest. His impressive career includes two junior college national titles for Overwatch and Smash Ultimate at Centralia College.

Jacob is currently working with U of R campus partners to designate and design the esports “arena,” which will be open to all students for casual use, participation in the esports program, and coaching sessions. The program will launch with the opening of the arena for the Fall 2023 term.

Source Credit: https://www.redlands.edu/student-life/esports/meet-the-team/jacob-beach/

Brandon Louden has experience in the technology, gaming, and safety aspects of esports. He started is career working for the Xbox Safety Team where he and his team ensured players had a healthy place to game that was free from harassment and illicit activity. His passion for competitive gaming began when he worked for the world-renowned gaming publisher, Valve, who has create industry-defining titles such as CS:GO, Dota, Half-Life, Portal, and Team Fortress, just to name a few. During this time, he was able to work with the International Championships for Dota, which is one of the top 2 Esports tournaments in the world. He currently works as a Program Manager for Microsoft, where his primary role is with the Esports competitive platform, Start.gg. that runs thousands of esports events which include Rocket League, Smash Bros., Gears of War, and Age of Empire. Brandon is a wealth of knowledge in the esports arena and advocates to equip the next generation of gamers with the skills necessary to succeed in the industry. 

A Southern California native, Melanie is a part of the dedicated account management team at Microsoft for San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Starting at Microsoft in 2016 and working at several more tech companies over the years, Melanie has seen many technology careers start with a passion for gaming. Her favorite aspect of her job is the ability to advocate for gamification and esports in the classroom, to drive student attendance and engagement. She will be hosting hands-on lab sessions for Minecraft Education:  special lesson plans in collaboration with NASA to highlight the Artemis Moon Launch, and to celebrate a San Bernardino County graduate and the first person of color to orbit the moon!

Exploring technology and Esports: The Opportunities  

Aldo Necco is an experienced Esports professional with background in tv production/ post-production and operations in the field. His love for media production met his love for gaming in the field of Esports where he gets to manage several high-profile leagues and tournaments including the Call of Duty League, Overwatch League, FIFA, PUBG, Warzone Mobile, Call of Duty Mobile League, Fortnite tournaments, Clash Royale Tournaments, Formula E, Twitch Streamer Bowls and more. He currently serves as a Post-Production Supervisor for Esports Engine. 

Charles Rouse is the Outreach & Community Development program manager for the Cybersecurity Center at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). He leads the Inland Empire Cybersecurity Initiative (IECI), a National Security Agency (NSA)-sponsored economic growth project that fosters a pipeline of cybersecurity talent from middle school to full-time employment in the Inland Empire. The IECI program has formed collaborations with Riverside and San Bernardino county K-12, community colleges, and industry partners to identify, develop, and market regional talent toward meeting the cyber-related job placement needs of our local employers.

Charles assisted in the implementation and management of the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Community College Cyber Pilot program that offered the renowned CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program extension to participating CAE community colleges across the Nation.  Charles fulfilled a vital role in shaping the training structure and career development content for the Armed Forces Veterans and bachelor’s degree-holding scholarship recipients pursuing associate degrees or certifications in cybersecurity. Charles is also the advisor of the CSUSB chartered Pan-African STEM Society, Coyote Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Club, Coyote Karate Club, and Cyber Squad outreach programs of CSUSB’s Cyber Intelligence & Security Organization (CISO). He is a U.S. Army veteran and CSUSB Business/Cybersecurity alumnus.

Chris is a Southern California native and has been an educator for over 18 years, primarily teaching CTE courses in graphic design, A/V production, computer science, journalism, and theater arts. In 2014, he organized one of Colorado’s first high school esports programs and shortly after founded Colorado's first statewide competitive esports league.

Chris now works with Generation Esports assisting teachers and administration improve student outcomes through competitive and academic scholastic esports solutions. He is an advocate for the renowned High School Esports League and the acclaimed Gaming Concepts course curriculum series, which equips students with essential CTE skills, boosts their engagement, and promotes mental wellness.

Outside of the esports space, Chris teaches Lindy Hop swing dance classes with his wife, while raising their two teenage daughters, who are also dancers and gamers.