About Our Expert Panelists
George J. Chanos
Author/Speaker at GeorgeJChanos.com; Former Attorney General of Nevada
George J. Chanos served as Nevada’s 31st Attorney General. He’s the Chairman of Capriotti’s, and Wing Zone, two of the fastest-growing franchises in the country. He's also a strategic business consultant, an author, and a speaker.
Mr. Chanos has been advising leaders in business and government for over 30 years. He also successfully argued (9/0), the case of Whorton v. Bockting, 549 U.S. 406 (2007), before the United Supreme Court.
His most recent book, Millennial Samurai: A Mindset for the 21st Century, takes a look at the technological revolution, and how it will likely impact our lives over the next thirty years.
Mr. Chanos has been called a futurist and a visionary. He believes that the world is at a “tipping point”, poised to either evolve into a “second enlightenment” or fall into “dystopian division.” He believes that the choices we make, over the next ten (10) years, will profoundly influence our collective future over the next 100 years.
He speaks about what he sees as our greatest opportunities and challenges; highlights the issues that he believes should inspire and concern all of us; and explains how change, disruption, and even adversity can create extraordinary opportunities.
Christian Bishop, Director of Twitch Properties
As the previous Chief Revenue Officer for Method, Christian directly managed a roster of 100 content creators and drove 10M in revenue to the organization. Method created some of the largest and most iconic esports programs on Twitch. In 2018 Christian Bishop was an integral part of the multi-genre, multi-game tournament series (WSOE) World Showdown of Esports serving as the leagues commissioner. In partnership with the Aria we launched a world class esports studio at the center of the Las Vegas strip. Today, Bishop is now responsible for the sales and monetization of Twitch 1st and 3rd party properties serving as Amazon's Director of Twitch Properties. Senior leadership supporting the worlds largest brands and agencies. Twitch broadcasts to 140 million unique monthly visitors with over 10 million active streamers. Christian Bishop also served as the Director of Gaming at Thunder Gaming, the largest esports gaming and production center in the West Coast with a total property size of 150,000 square feet. Over the course of his career, Bishop has served as an Enterprise Media Director with Level 3 Communications, AT&T and Time Warner Inc. In addition, he served as a Director of Content for BidChat, a cutting edge two-way live broadcasting platform for social influencers. Bishop also serves on several boards and participates in community organizations such as the Western Regional Diversity Council, where he works to advance and sustain an inclusive environment for gaming enthusiasts. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from California State University, Northridge. Masters of Business, University of Las Vegas 2022.
Robert Heller
CEO, Spectrum Gaming Capital
Mr. Heller has over 35 years experience in investment banking and resort development. Heller has initiated and completed over $50 billion in debt and equity financing and raised the acquisition financing for Baha Mar Resorts as the company’s founding President and CEO.
Heller joined SGC from UBS Investment Bank where he was responsible for coordinating the bank’s gaming franchise globally. Previously, he was president of Heller Gaming & Leisure, a boutique investment banking and advisory firm specializing in casinos, hotels and resort development and finance, and restructurings, operating since 2003. Prior to that, Heller spent 23 years in investment banking, having established and managed teams specializing in gaming, lodging and leisure as a Managing Director of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, and at Salomon Brothers.
Notable past transactions include the merger of Penn National and Hollywood Casino Corp., the sale of Caesars World Resorts, Construction financing for the Borgata, the initial public offering of Vail Resorts, development financings for Mohegan Sun and Isle of Capri, the sales of Breckenridge and Steamboat Ski resorts, the first commercial paper offering for Foxwoods, and the first public project financing for a riverboat casino (Hollywood Casino Aurora, IL). In his boutique, Heller performed restructuring advisory work for institutional investor clients including Harbinger Capital and the Committee of Independent Lenders to Station Casinos.
Heller was founding President and CFO of Bahamar Resorts, Ltd., owner of the Cable Beach Resort in Nassau, Bahamas, a 2,000 room, three-hotel, golf resort complex with the Caribbean’s second largest casino. Heller coordinated the Baha Mar project at its onset including land assemblage, hotel acquisitions, operations, strategy (including gaming, hospitality, recreation and timeshare), pre-development, arranged joint ventures, and raised almost $500 million in initial financings.
Heller is a graduate of the City University of New York and began his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse & Company. He is a frequent speaker at global industry events and has made presentations at gaming, sports and Esports industry conferences throughout North and South America and in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Heller is a former board member of London Exchange listed Dolphin Capital Investors and of the American Gaming Association; and has lectured at the NYU Real Estate Institute and at the Cornell Hotel School.
John English
Chairman International Gaming Standards Association
Mr. English specializes in global business development for the regulated gaming industry, with emphasis on technology, content, distribution, public relations, and contract negotiation. Mr. English’s work history contains an extensive background in gaming, including lottery, AWP, slots, table games, sweepstakes, systems, and race and sports betting both digital and live. Mr. English has been involved in many successful industry developments. One of Mr. English’s endeavors was previously an equity partner with American Wagering Incorporated, the first company to receive Nevada Gaming Control Board approval for mobile sports betting within Nevada. Mr. English created the first betting app in the U.S. to be distributed from the Apple App Store. Additionally, he created the first kiosk sports betting device (SBX) to gain regulatory approval and to be mass released. Furthermore, Mr. English created Million Dollar Ticket which was licensed by the State of Nevada for a bonus game played in restricted gaming locations. Mr. English has developed worldwide relationships, spending a great deal of his career in jurisdictions such as Asia, Canada, U.K., South America, and Mexico. Mr. English was instrumental in the acquisition of American Wagering by William Hill, the world’s largest bookmaker, who received Nevada Gaming Commission approval. Mr. English joined Betfair and TVG, a London listed company in late 2013 to oversee the development of Asia and the Americas. More recently, he was the Founder and the President of WEBE Worldwide, a global operator, developer, and distributor of sports betting, social, casino, and lottery products for the regulated gaming industry. With offices in U.S. and China, WEBE specialized in operating land based, mobile, and online sportsbooks as well as developing new and innovative gaming content and convenience betting platforms. As President, John’s duties were to lead the company’s growth, innovations, and maintenance while WEBE sought to revolutionize industry standards.
Saverio R. Scheri III
Mr. Scheri is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Agua Caliente Casinos in Southern California with day-to-day responsibility overseeing three casino resort operations and recently led the design and development of the third casino. He also oversees over $750 million in various development projects. Since accepting the COO role in 2017, he has been responsible for strategic planning and vision, operational efficiencies, and expanding the Agua Caliente Casinos brand. He has achieved Forbes Four Stars for the hotel and steakhouse, and five stars for the spa – making the Rancho Mirage Resort one of the very few Forbes triple winners in the country.
A key factor in his success has been his ability to motivate and connect with employees, resulting in peak performance from all team members. His focus on operational excellence, communication, and guest service has been cultivated from his time with industry leaders and top gaming companies from around the world. His signature accomplishments include using design, technology, training, and amenities to create award-winning and memorable guest experiences that provide a distinct competitive advantage.
Prior to his work at Agua Caliente Casinos, he was President of Valley Forge Casino Resort with complete responsibility for the design, development, opening and operations of the casino resort. Prior to his time at Valley Forge, he was President of Morongo Casino Resort & Spa near Palm Springs, CA.
In 2001, Mr. Scheri founded WhiteSand Gaming, a company that has provided management consulting to over seventy-five notable gaming clients on six continents. This experience spanned every aspect of casino resort operations, providing him with an intimate knowledge of each operating area resulting in a deep understanding of casino resort operations and an ability to quickly recognize opportunities.
Prior to joining WhiteSand, he was Director of the Gaming Consulting Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers, providing consulting in such areas as feasibility studies, organizational and market demand studies, financial projections, technology solutions, marketing strategy, operations improvement and acquisitions. Prior to joining PwC, Mr. Scheri was the National Director of the Gaming Practice with KPMG Peat Marwick. In addition, Mr. Scheri has held executive positions at various casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Amir Mirzaee
Amir Mirzaee, 37, is the COO of Bayes Esports.
Amir has over 15 years of experience in technology startups, many of those years he has spent at Google and Waze. At Bayes Esports, Amir can combine his two passions, tech and gaming. His goal is to professionalize esports in order to change the image that society has of esports in the long term. "People need to understand that esports is not just about video games, it is also about sports and an industry."
Kathryn Rand
Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law & Policy
Kathryn Rand is Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy at the University of North Dakota. The Institute is the first university research center dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of Indian gaming. With Institute Co-Director Steve Light (UND College of Business & Public Administration), Rand has published and presented extensively on the law, policy, regulation, and socioeconomic impacts of gaming. Their most recent book is INDIAN GAMING LAW: CASES AND MATERIALS, 2d ed. (2019). Rand serves on the Editorial Board of the Gaming Law Review, is Vice President for Educator Members of the International Masters of Gaming Law, and is a member of the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Gaming Law Committee. She has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and Indian Country Today.
Steven Light
Co-Director, Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law & Policy
Steve Light is Professor of Political Science and Public Administration and Co-Director of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy at the University of North Dakota. The Institute is the first university research center dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of Indian gaming. With Institute Co-Director Kathryn Rand (UND School of Law), Light has published and presented extensively on the law, policy, regulation, and socioeconomic impacts of gaming. Their most recent book is INDIAN GAMING LAW: CASES AND MATERIALS, 2d ed. (2019). Light serves on the Editorial Board of the Gaming Law Review and is a member of the International Masters of Gaming Law and the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Gaming Law Committee. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Indian Country Today.
MARTIN LYCKA
Entain - SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling
Martin Lycka is SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, overseeing growth of the business across both new U.S. states and into other parts of the Americas, notably LATAM and Canada. He joined the business in April 2018, as Director of Regulatory Affairs. Martin also serves on the boards of the Entain Foundation, the Entain Foundation US, the German Online Casino Association and the Advisory Boards to the National Council on Problem Gambling as well as RG247, a responsible gaming training provider. In the past, Martin has been a board member of the European Gaming and Betting Association, JDigital and the European Sports Security Association. In total, Martin has been a senior legal, regulatory and RG advisor to listed gambling businesses for over 11 years. Previously, Martin worked amongst others with Salans Europe LLP, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Senate of the Czech Republic. He obtained law degrees from the Charles University, Prague, the College of Europe, Bruges, and the University of Law, London, qualifying as UK solicitor. Martin is a regular conference speaker and has (co-)authored more than 80 academic articles and three books on gambling law and other legal matters. He is the 2019 Global Regulatory Awards Head of Regulatory Affairs of the Year as well as a member of the 2020/2021 Emerging Gambling Leaders 40 Under 40 Class (a Judge’s Choice).
Jeffrey Schoonover
Managing Partner of CloudTree Ventures and heads Peninsula Lifestyle Capital, PLLC
Mr. Schoonover is a Managing Partner of CloudTree Ventures and heads Peninsula Lifestyle Capital, PLLC that is a decade old consulting firm trusted by Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. Its insightful personalized approach to providing business, financial and investment services has forged enduring relationships across a wide spectrum of enterprise. Mr. Schoonover’s companies hold direct investments as preferred limited partner or shareholder in entertainment and sports sectors in Hollywood.com formerly MovieTicket.com, professional sports in esports teams; Misfits Gaming Group; Misfits Gaming United States & Germany Europe LCS League of Legends, Florida Mayhem Overwatch League, Florida Mutineers Call of Duty World League & Heat Check NBA2K Gaming. In addition, he holds a long-standing advisory role with Nederlander Worldwide whom are a dominant operator in Broadway around the world and has ownership stakes in NY Yankees since 1974. Currently the company is producing Broadway shows for Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos and Hard Rock International and other major casino operators. Peninsula Lifestyle Capital, PLLC 2012-2016 also was the named Senior Advisor to the President and Vice Chairman and Board of Directors of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc., Seminole Tribe which owns Hard Rock and Hard Rock and Hard Rock International Board.
Becky Harris
Academic Fellow, UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation
Becky Harris served as the Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board until January 27, 2019. She is the first woman to serve the State of Nevada in this capacity. Becky has a passion for helping Nevadans and is a strong advocate for Nevada's families. She has worked tirelessly to improve our children's education and find ways to ensure needed dollars reach the classroom. Having raised two children who attended public school in Las Vegas, Becky is keenly aware of the difficulties facing public schools in Clark County. Becky also assisted Nevadans who are financially distressed and passed legislation to help struggling families during the 2015 and 2017 Legislative Sessions. A certified mediator, Becky has worked with the Nevada Foreclosure Mediation Program for several years and has been effective in facilitating communication between homeowners and banks to resolve foreclosure and home mortgage challenges while exploring solution oriented possibilities.
During the 2017 Legislative Session, Becky served on the Nevada Senate Judiciary, Finance and Education Committees. She also served as:
• Treasurer, National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS)
• Chair, NCGLS Committee on Responsible Gaming.
• Commissioner, Uniform Law Commission and Education Commission of the States.
• Nevada State Director, Women in Government.
Becky served as the Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Vice-Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was a member of the Senate Commerce, Labor and Energy Committee during the 2015 Legislative Session. Becky has been recognized by numerous organizations for her work; including the Nevada Association of School Board, The Nevada Black Caucus, and the National Education Association Republican Education Caucus. Becky's legal areas of focus have included counseling business clients in entity formation; maintaining compliance with State and local regulations; contract negotiation, commercial leases and dispute resolution.
Anthony Strangia
Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Mr. Strangia is a Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, where he is assigned to the Service Industry Licensing Bureau that investigates and licenses the entities and individuals that transact business with New Jersey’s casino, internet, and sports betting industries. He is also responsible for spearheading the Division’s efforts to combat unlicensed, offshore internet gaming and sports betting, which resulted in being named to Global Gaming Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders in Gaming for 2020. Prior to his career in public service, Mr. Strangia was an associate at Chasan, Leyner & Lamparello, P.C. and the Law Offices of Karen Kirchoff Saminski. He previously served as law clerk to the Hon. Travis L. Francis, Assignment Judge for Middlesex Vicinage and is a 2011 graduate of Rutgers Law School where he served as Notes Editor to the Rutgers Law Review.
Dr. Laila Mintas
Dr. Mintas Consulting
Dr. Mintas is a global thought leader on sports data, sports betting legislation, regulation and sports integrity with speaker engagements around the world including Europe, Australia, North America, Central America and Asia. She published more than 100+ legal publications in the top academic and professional journals about sports betting and sports law. She serves as Guest Professor at several Universities such as Columbia University NYC, St John's University NYC, University of New Hampshire and Humboldt University Berlin/Germany on topics such as Sports Betting, Sports Law and Sports Integrity.
Dr. Mintas received for her personal achievements the Leaders in Sports U 40 Award, the SBJ Game Changers Award and the International Award for Women in the Gaming Industry – Inspiration of the Year 2018. She was named one of 25 executives to watch in 2019 by the Global Gaming Business GBB magazine, selected as SBJ´s Power Player Sports Betting 2019 and Business Insider´s Leaders of the Sports Betting Industry 2019.
Dr. Mintas is a lawyer by trade. Before joining the PlayUp Group, she served as the Deputy President of Sportradar US, the global technology company that is the leader in analyzing and leveraging the power of sports data. She managed 350+ employees with offices in New York, Minneapolis, Menlo Park and San Francisco. During her tenure, Sportradar was valued at $2.4 Bn USD. Sportradar applies technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to drive data insights on a variety of business verticals for the creation of unique experiences across platforms in real time.
Previously, Dr. Mintas worked several years at the international law firm White & Case LLP in Berlin, Germany and specialized i.a. in Sports Law, Gambling Law, Compliance and Litigation. She wrote her Ph.D. in Betting via the Internet in Europe which became a well-recognized book in its field. She was the Head of Legal and Head of International Development for FIFA’s Early Warning System (FIFA EWS) in Zurich, Switzerland and the first Director of Sports Integrity at CONCACAF, the governing body for Soccer in North America, Central America and Caribbean being responsible for all 41-member countries including the US, Canada and Mexico. In both positions, at FIFA and at CONCACAF, Dr. Mintas used data to prevent, detect, investigate and sanction match manipulations in sports that are linked to sports betting.
Jamison Selby
Senior VP, Games & Marketing, b spot
Jamison Selby is an iGaming specialist with years of expertise leading cross-disciplinary design and production teams in the creation of real money multiplayer games and interactive entertainment. He heads up the games team at b spot, overseeing all game development, partnerships and acquisitions. He has brought over 50 games to market on multiple platforms: iOS, Android, Facebook, Browser, PC, BlackBerry and DVD. He has launched over 25 mobile real money gambling titles in the regulated US market including 12 on the iOS US App Store. In years prior, he adapted the hit TV series Deal or No Deal into a live, interactive gambling stage show for Norwegian and Oceania cruise lines and produced The Real Deal interactive gambling show at the Venetian Las Vegas, featuring a wireless network of 750 handheld devices pitting the world champions of poker against an audience of their fans.
Michael Darley
CEO, Next Gaming LLC
Mike Darley is the CEO of Next Gaming LLC. He has over 35 years of operational and executive management experience in the gaming industry with companies that include Harrah’s Entertainment, Trump Casinos and Majestic Star LLC. His guidance has positioned Next Gaming, LLC to be at the forefront in the development of cutting edge skill-based slot games, bringing well known titles from Atari and Taito to a wide demographic audience.
Darley holds both a BFA and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from California State University Long Beach and did his Masters work in Curriculum Development at California State University Dominguez Hills.
His community service includes Past President of the Shade Tree Shelter, Past President of the Nevada Youth Alliance, Past President of the Las Vegas Centennial Optimist Club and member of the Southern Nevada Youth Gang Task Force.
Raul Gonzalez
Marketing Director, Avantage Entertainment
Raul is an eSports gaming, and soccer marketing Consultant, currently serving as Acting Marketing Director for Avantage Entertainment, a US / UK sports analysis and gaming company. With over 15 years experience in the sports, gaming and entertainment industry, Raul is now at the forefront of exploring and innovating eSports betting markets and events, specifically with sports videogames. For over a decade, Raul worked closely with the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise, serving as a lead consultant for developing and deploying FIFA’s North American Hispanic Marketing and Communications. In addition, he’s been responsible for several experiential activations with EA and MLS, as well as brand partnerships with ESPN, FC Barcelona, Konami, Football Manager, and a few international soccer leagues.
Raul is a Business and Marketing graduate from Suffolk University in Boston and has been based in NYC where he is also a guitar player and active participant in the city’s rock and roll community.
Senator Bill Coley
Senator for the 4th Ohio Senate District
Senator Bill Coley is serving his second full term, representing the majority of Butler County as the Senator for the 4th Ohio Senate District. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Government Oversight and Reform and serves on several other Senate committees. He is also a member of the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee, the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee and served on the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission as well as serving as one of Ohio’s delegates to the Assembly of State Legislatures. Senator Coley’s experience in handling gaming issues led to his election as president of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS). His experience, coupled with his innovative legislative efforts, has resulted in the senator speaking throughout the nation, and internationally, on legislative issues including elections operations, payment systems, pharmacy benefit management, educational distance learning, sports betting and gaming policy.
Prior to his appointment to the Senate, Senator Coley was elected to four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives where his background in finance matters led him to be named Chairman of the House Financial Institutions, Housing and Urban Development Committee. While in the Ohio House, Coley championed changes to a DNA testing bill that protected the rights of the accused without local law enforcement incurring “astronomical costs”.
In addition to his legislative duties, Senator Coley works as a commercial litigation attorney with the firm Strauss Troy, is AV Preeminent rated, and is licensed to practice law in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. An active member of his community, Coley is involved in the Butler County Republican Party, St. John's Catholic Church, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Sons of the American Legion and the Boy Scouts of America.
Coley's innovative legislative efforts have garnered him many awards. He has been named legislator of the year by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and the American Kennel Club. The Senator has also received distinguished legislator recognition by numerous organizations including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) where he serves as state chairman, the American Conservative Union, the Ohio Farm Bureau and he has been named a Watchdog of the Treasury by the United Conservatives of Ohio.
Coley received his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Dayton and his law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. An instrument rated pilot, he and his wife Carolyn live in Liberty Township, Ohio.
Ismail Vali
Atropos Intelligence inc.: FOUNDER, CEO & PRESIDENT YIELD SEC: FOUNDER A GAME ABOVE: FOUNDER
Ismail Vali is a strategic marketing specialist fuelled by commercial discipline, creative ideas, curiosity for what makes players play, and dissatisfaction with the status quo. Over his professional experience, Ismail has a proven track record of commercial and creative success across consulting and senior marketing roles, including as Head of Development for Ladbrokes, and Chief Marketing Officer for ParadisePoker, SportingBet and PokerStars – all of which were taken to global leadership by the teams and initiatives Ismail led during his management. A pioneer of promotional schemes and marketing solutions, Ismail is known for his commercially-disciplined creative output and holds a US Patent for game and prize methods that serves as the foundation for the A GAME ABOVE business and led Ismail to found the award-winning marketing campaigns company in 2019. Ismail is the inventor and founder of Yield Sec – the world’s first effective tool to monitor, police and enforce the licensed marketplace for betting & gaming by removing blackmarket threats to taxation, legal operator revenues and player protection. Yield Sec is a specialized product and process platform for government and stakeholders to realize market equilibrium across the entire, addressable online betting & gaming business in each regulated, taxed and contained jurisdiction. Yield Sec’s mission is to help government and legal operators achieve a truly level playing field for licensed, responsible operations across online betting, gaming and lottery. Yield Sec is the first product from marketplace optimization and protection specialists Atropos Intelligence, which Ismail founded and leads as CEO & President. Atropos utilizes a unique platform with processes to provide intelligence and insights that improve internet marketplaces. The platform, products and processes presented by Atropos Intelligence provide the right framework for government, regulators, industry and stakeholders to Agameabove.com yieldsec.com linktr.ee/Ismailvali +1 323 841 5853 2 make decisions and take actions from. The decisions and actions that protect and perfect valuable and at-risk online marketplaces and their consumers, today. Writing extensively across betting & gaming industry matters, examples of Ismail’s published work can be found at SBC News, EI Industry News, iGaming Times, Casino Beats and Casino Review
Tammuz Dubnov
Founder & CEO, Zuzor
Tammuz Dubnov attended the University of California Berkeley where he studied theoretical mathematics, computer science, and dance. He graduated with honors at the age of 18 and spent the next two years working as a highly sought-after performer in the Dance and Cirque space. This experience gave him a unique perspective on audiences and engagement. By the age of 20, Tammuz combined his technical expertise with his passion for live entertainment to create Zuzor - an experiential technology company. Zuzor empowers AV professionals, designers, and creatives to bring interactive motion-generated content to a range of industries. Tammuz is considered to be one of the youngest Thought Leaders in the field with multiple patents pending and a master's degree in Artificial Intelligence from the University of California San Diego. He has been flown around the world to speak at conferences and share his knowledge.
Andrew Weilgus
Executive Director of the Esports Innovation Center at Stockton University
Andrew Weilgus is the Executive Director of the Esports Innovation Center at Stockton University. Prior to that Mr. Weilgus was co-founder and President of TheLiveNetwork.com and Atlantic City FC. Founded in 2017, Atlantic City FC is minor league soccer and esports team sponsored by the Tropicana Hotel and Casino and Caesars Entertainment, the largest gaming company in the world. TheLiveNetwork.com produces events for venues around the country ranging from esports/fantasy sports to trivia and gaming. Mr. Weilgus received his Master’s Degree in Technology Management from the Wharton School of Business and The School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being a producer on NFL’s Sunday Ticket, Mr. Weilgus has a 20-year history as an executive in the sports and entertainment industry.
Marque Cornblatt
Founder, Museum of Future Sports
Marque has created award-winning art and media for years, earning millions of social media views. Marque’s robots and kinetic art and short films have been exhibited at the SFMoMA, San Jose Museum of Art & The San Jose Tech Museum and he recently celebrated 25 years as an artist with a major East Coast retrospective. Often cited as a pioneering researcher in the field of telepresence robotics, Marque’s presented iSparky at TEDx San Francisco in 2011. His followup 2016 TEDx Hollywood presentation on flow state, brain chemistry and sports technology helped inspire multiple STEM programs and curricula. Marque helped launch the drone sports revolution in 2013 with his innovative use of experimental hardware, wireless video and social media, and is currently CEO of the Aerial Sports League, a global drone entertainment company. Marque recently founded the Museum of Future Sports, a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to technology, entertainment, education and culture.
Peter Gan
CEO of Royal Wins
Peter is President and CEO of CSE and OTC listed pure skill gaming company, Royal Wins Corporation (CSE : SKLL, OTCQB : RYWCF). Peter holds an Engineering degree (Hons) and Master of Business Administration from the University of New South Wales, Australia. He has held CEO/COO/Company Secretary roles over the last 15 years in publicly listed companies (ASX, SGX, CSE, OTCQB), private and institutional fund companies. Peter has led small to medium-sized companies in multiple industries including online gaming, energy markets, technology start-ups, and financial services. His experience comprehensively straddles international capital markets and corporate management.
Giovanna Fessenden
Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds
Giovanna is a computer scientist, intellectual property attorney, and blockchain specialist with 18 years of experience advising high-tech companies and startups in software patents, software product development, software licensing open-source software licensing compliance, and intellectual property strategy. Giovanna is a frequent speaker on the topics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), blockchain, esports technologies, and open-source software.
Bobby Soper
CEO, Sun Gaming and Hospitality
Bobby Soper served as CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, growing it from a single asset to a multi-property international company with $3 billion in assets. He has 20+ years of executive leadership roles in hospitality and has served as CEO of various casino properties.
Katharine M. Nohr
Principle of Nohr Sports Risk Management
Katharine is a former Judge, practices esport, sports and insurance law for the Law Offices of Katherine M. Nohr, LLC. Ms. Nohr is a principle in Nohr Sports Risk Management, LLC, and is the author of Managing Risk in Sport and Recreations: The Essential Guide for Loss Prevention (2009 Human Kinetics). She is a frequent speaker at international and U.S. seminars regarding legal and risk management in relation to sports law and risk management. She provides training seminars on insurance, esport, and sports law and risk management.
Ms. Nohr, a former triathlete, currently serves as a hearings officer for USA Triathlon and has performed multiple functions for USAT, including officiating and managing officials for the Pacific Region. Ms. Nohr is a past region Vice President of the International Association of Insurance Professionals (IAIP). She was awarded The International Insurance Professional of the Year Award by IAIP in 2012. Ms. Nohr is the author of a legal sports mystery series, which includes Land Sharks, Freewheel, VO2 Max, and the series prequel, Zana West's Diary, will be released for publication in 2020. She is the host of live-streaming TV show, "Much More On Medicine" for ThinkTech Hawaii. Ms. Nohr earned her B.A. degree at the University of Washington and her J.D. degree from the University of Utah.
Karl Rutledge
Karl is the Chair of the Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Gaming Industry Group, and provides counsel to clients and the business community about the nuances of gaming, particularly, eSports, fantasy sports, sports betting and promotional marketing. Karl is knowledgeable of the gaming regulatory framework and is an expert on skill gaming, e.g., fantasy sports, eSports, and casual skill games. He is the Chair of the Gaming Law Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Gaming Law Section of the Nevada State Bar. Karl is also an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, where he teaches a class titled “Gaming Industry Regulation.” Karl has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® in the category of Gaming Law since 2012, was featured in the April 2014 edition of Global Gaming Business Magazine as an emerging leader in the gaming industry and was named to Vegas Inc.'s "40 Under 40" for the Las Vegas Valley in 2019. Karl has also just been named to The Innovation Group’s Emerging Leaders in Gaming Class of 2019-2020.
Phillip Runyan
Serial entrepreneur and Chief Executive Risk Taker, Phillip is the co-founder of NiftyCo, a blockchain think tank that builds tools and services to bolster mass adoption of the technology with none of the headaches that are often involved.
Joe De Pinto
Joe De Pinto was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. After spending 4 years playing professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox farm system, he co-founded his first venture, Barpay, in 2015 with White Sox teammate Daniel Wagner. The company has since grown to become a leader in the mobile ordering and payment space for in-venue dining at bars, restaurants, and hotels, as well as digital menus, with more than 10,000 accounts throughout the United States.
In January 2021, along with Wagner, he co-founded Haste. The company leverages blockchain technology and micropayments within its products, the Haste Arcade, and Take It. The Haste Arcade rewards players that make a leaderboard with micropayments from subsequent gameplays, known as Instant Leaderboard Payouts. Take It is an auction platform that guarantees a bidder either generates a profit on their bid (if they get outbid), or wins the NFT they bid on, creating a win-win for NFT enthusiasts. De Pinto is focused on bringing the utility of blockchain technology to the masses.
Robert Rippee
MBA, Ph.D. Executive Director, UNLV Black Fire Innovation Hub
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Executive Director, UNLV Black Fire Innovation Hub
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Assistant Editor, International Journal of eSports Research
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Former Director, Hospitality Innovation Lab, UNLV
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Former Director, esports Lab, UNLV
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Co-founder RM Labs LLC
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Co-founder UV Labs LLC
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Partner Net Effect Ventures
Dr. Rippee is currently the Executive Director of UNLV's Black Fire Innovation Hub, as the visionary guide for teams of students, faculty, staff, and partner stakeholders in fulfilling the vision and mission for economic development and diversity through problem-solving based idea creation, innovation, acceleration, and commercialization. Black Fire Innovation Hub brings one of the nation's top research institutions to transition problem-solving innovation. Black Fire Innovation will create a collaborative, synergistic environment designed to advance student ideas, industry innovation projects, and economic development through advanced technology development.
Black Fire Innovation brings one of the nation's top research institutions and a significant industry partner together in one space to develop quick-to-market solutions that will move the hospitality industry forward. Black Fire Innovation will create a collaborative, synergistic environment designed to spark strategic partnerships, advance research, elevate student learning and entrepreneurship, and highlight an emerging workforce trained to excel in a rapidly evolving industry. The business incubator will house a replica resort with dedicated software development and maker spaces, advanced supercomputing access, business acceleration activities, training opportunities, and living hospitality and gaming labs. Black Fire Innovation opened in the third quarter of 2019 in a state-of-the-art research building in the UNLV Harry Reid Research & Technology Park. It will inhabit a floor and a half (43,000 square feet) of the debut innovation building at the park and contain:
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Fully-equipped resort amenities, including a commercial kitchen, casino floor, hotel rooms, esports arena, VR lab, and sportsbook.
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Private offices and conference rooms.
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Collaboration and co-working space.
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Classrooms and presentation facilities.
Before his selection as Executive Director for Black Fire Innovation, Dr. Rippee was Director of the Hospitality Innovation Lab and the esports Lab at the International Gaming Institute at UNLV. These highly acclaimed and successful center-based initiatives fostered early-stage student-led innovation and transition activities specifically within the hospitality, gaming, and entertainment verticals.
Dr. Rippee is the co-founder of two early-stage startups: one with innovative new technology for the wine industry currently holding a provisional patent; the second a startup using ultraviolet light as the basis for a hotel room sterilization device.
He is also active in Net Effect Ventures partner. Net Effect Ventures is a global startup funding source for social innovation transition and impact investing. Dr. Rippee and Net Effect Ventures partnered with Duke Universities Project Phoenix during the summer of 2020 to create and manage five social innovation internship projects for Duke Student. The projects received an immediate and positive response from students, with over twenty students participating in the program.
Dr. Rippee attained his Ph.D. in Hotel Administration from UNLV in December 2020, researching consumer behavior and human learning in the context of innovation while simultaneously holding his full time-positions with UNLV. His dissertation, A Nomological Analysis of Innovation in Higher Education and Industry, was successfully defended in November of 2020. He has extensive research expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, innovation, and transitional activities. He is well known across the University for his interdisciplinary approach to innovation, providing lectures and mentoring student teams from engineering, business, hospitality, and architecture. He is frequently requested as the academic advisor by graduate students for independent research projects ranging from video game development to robotic process automation. His research has included game theory, problem gaming; the convergence of gaming and gambling; human learning; innovation; and esports. He holds an MBA with a specialization in Operations Management from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business and an undergraduate degree in Finance from The University of Wyoming.
Dr. Rippee holds a long tenure in the private sector before joining UNLV. His most recent position was Senior Vice president for Las Vegas Sands Corporation. A position that culminated more than 25 years of innovation experience in the private sector. He maintains a robust network of high-level contacts across technology and development.
He is also a Decorated Veteran, having served as a Pilot in the United States Navy. An avid bicyclist, both road and mountain. He is also an avid fitness practitioner.
Joshua Swissman
Visionary Marketing Executive
Joshua Swissman is a uniquely experienced transformational Marketing Executive with 20 years of operational and leadership experience in advertising, customer relationship management (CRM), brand strategy, marketing analytics, loyalty programs, and entertainment; leading 20 asset portfolio organizations. He has a successful track record of developing ambitious strategies to elevate profit by implementing loyalty programs and continuous improvement initiatives to position organizations for growth, brand differentiation, and increased consumer loyalty. He is highly adept at corporate transformation, marketing strategy, and business growth. As a marketing innovator, he is endorsed for his keen ability to solve complex issues, take action, and drive results. Swissman thrives in a dynamic, fluid, and innovative environment with unique skills to engage multigenerational, diverse and skilled teams across various disciplines. He has a proven record for boosting team motivation, enhancing customer loyalty, and reaching aggressive profit goals, while driving internal and external stakeholders to a unified mission.
Lisa Jey Schanley
Director Global New Business Development, Technomedia
Lisa Jey Schanley is a Director Global New Business Development, for Technomedia (a global AV systems integrator, best known for being the creators of the most original, immersive and memorable media experiences in the world.) Lisa Jey is a business development specialist, having owned her own marketing/PR firm for 12+ years, she developed relationships within many disciplines while becoming a bestselling author and writer/blogger for the Huffington Post. Most recently, Lisa Jey was a Project Development Manager with themed entertainment program management firm nFusion, and sister fabrication firms Nassal and Lexington to new clientele within theme park and attraction developments, mixed-use urban developments, retail roll-outs, integrated resorts and casinos, entertainment districts and museums. Lisa Jey sits on the Western Division Board of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and co-chairs the Communications Committee.
Seth Schorr
Chairman, Downtown Grand and CEO, Fifth Street Gaming
Seth Schorr is Chairman of Downtown Grand. Downtown Grand and the adjacent Downtown3rd district are the embodiments of Schorr’s vision to create a downtown Las Vegas hospitality experience delivering a superior guest experience and genuine sense of community.
Since beginning his career in gaming and hospitality in 1991, Schorr served as an integral member of the Wynn Resorts team, developing the international marketing department in Macau, the interactive gaming division and The Wynn Collection of Fine Art. Schorr also worked in numerous capacities at Bellagio Resort and Casino, The Mirage Hotel and Casino, Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and the Golden Nugget Laughlin. Schorr and his partner, Jeffrey Fine, own and operate Fifth Street Gaming and its affiliate, Lucky Silver Management, which owns and operates three casinos in North Las Vegas. The principals of Fifth Street Gaming also control, through affiliates, the LEV Restaurant Group, a food and beverage operation that owns and operates more than 35 restaurants in the Las Vegas area. The LEV Restaurant Group is the local area developer of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Jamba Juice and has a number of internally developed concepts including Lobster ME, JaBurritos, Daily Kitchen & Wellness Bar, Evel Pie and Golden Tiki.
In early 2015, Schorr was introduced to the world of eSports and lead the effort of developing the first fully integrated eSports program in a casino resort at The Downtown Grand. The Downtown Grand’s eSports program includes weekly eSports contests, team residencies and sponsorships, a weekly broadcast and professional tournaments. Schorr sits on the board of GameCo and is advising on the development of the world’s first video game slot machine. Schorr also sits on the board of Millennial eSports which has created the world’s first permanent eSports arena.
Schorr is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Chinese Studies. He has received numerous awards and accolades including being recognized by VEGAS Inc. as a member of the elite “40 Under 40,” as well as “The Vegas Dozen.” With all of his professional accomplishments, Schorr remains active in the community by being part of numerous boards including those for The Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Nevada Restaurant Association, Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, the Advisory Board of The Smith Center for Performing Arts, One Night for One Drop and the recently was appointed by Governor Sandoval to serve on the Nevada State Board of Museums and History. He is also an executive board member and Chairman of Communications Committee of the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance and a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO).
Roderick Alemania
CEO, ReadyUp
Roderick Alemania is the CEO of ReadyUp, a B2B company fueling vibrant game communities with an interactive event platform that makes it easy to find, follow, and join in the action. An accomplished entrepreneur, Roderick has been at the forefront of industry transforming technology throughout his career. As the internet was transitioning to commercial use, Roderick helped to grow Infoseek from being a startup to a publicly-traded company, which was then purchased by Disney. As gaming shifted to the mass market, he was a key contributor for driving IGN’s value from $26MM to a $650MM acquisition by News Corp. At Vudu, he moved digital distribution to high definition formats (HD) when the industry was still in its infancy. At Six Apart, he helped to lead the development of the influencer marketing industry during the early days of blogs. And, at Tapjoy, he pioneered mobile advertising strategies for consumer brands.
William Webb
Founder and CEO, Jackpot Rising
William is the Founder and CEO of Jackpot Rising, a company based in Dallas, TX that has built the most dynamic competitive gaming and eSports platform on the market. Jackpot Rising’s patented infrastructure powers social competition at scale, enabling an unlimited number of players to compete against each other for real money, prizes, digital goods, and other rewards in games across Mobile | Console | PC | Arcade | VR/AR (and more). Jackpot Rising works with partners, both online and on-premises, across the entire entertainment value chain, including game developers, influencers, brands, marketers, venues, and event operators. Along with tech, Mr. Webb’s background consists of over a decade in the Private Equity and Venture Capital spaces as well as in operations with the portfolio companies.
David Chen
Partner, GTIF Capital
David has over 10 years of experience with a big 4 firm. He created and developed the Chinese Services Group for Deloitte Mexico. In 2010, David and his team were recognized by the global Deloitte firm and they won the prestigious "Standards of Excellence Award" for a 1 billion USD merger. David, at the age of 34, was one of the youngest partners at Deloitte, and worked on over 500 transactions with Fortune 500 companies.
In 2015, David founded the Venture Capital Firm BLCP Capital with his partners. They purchased several entities, engaged in several transactions, raised capital, and managed /developed the operations and mergers of several companies. David, with his team, also managed several projects and consulted clients in the food, health, entertainment and real-estate industries. In 2017, David joined SparkleCOIN, a blockchain and cryptocurrency company, as CFO and VP of Business Strategy. David worked closely on the development and strategy of the company and is excited that SparkleCOIN is the first cryptocurrency with "real world" applications for p2p and b2b transactions. SparkleCOIN is a self pre-funded operation and has its own fully developed blockchain. SparkleCOIN had a successful ICO in December ending at $37.
David worked As Vice President of business strategy, he also works on business development, financial strategies, blockchain development for business use, blockchain implementation, blockchain strategy, ICO consulting, and client development for business use. David started the group GTIF Capital and is partnered with several major businesses in the E Sports, Technology, health care, brand and real-estate sector.
David sits on several boards including North American Collegiate League, Faze Clan, MiCamp, Commloan, Tengri Holdings, Chosen by Doctors & Sharebert, and has helped develop strategies for several companies, and is also fluent in 5 languages.
Kimberly Culp
Director, Carr McClellan P.C.
Kimberly Culp is a Director at Carr McClellan P.C. in the Silicon Valley, where she works with digital media and video game companies to resolve their high-stakes IP and advertising issues. Of course, her clients have entered the eSports arena, where she helps resolve legal issues with putting on events, building eSports technology platforms, working with eSports players, and negotiating contracts and licensing intellectual property, amongst other emerging issues. She counsels her clients to help them assess and manage risk on a wide variety matters. In all aspects of her practice, Kimberly’s focus is on reaching her client’s strategic goal.
Johnathan Wendel
Founder, ReadyUp
Johnathan Wendel known by his online alias Fatal1ty (pronounced "Fatality"), is a former professional Esports player of the first-person shooter titles and a successful entrepreneur. He was an early pioneer of competitive gaming and was once considered the best professional gamer in the world. His prize money earnings to date surpasses $450,000. Along with his professional career he founded Fatal1ty Inc., which licenses the Fatal1ty brand to gaming accessory manufacturers. Recently Wendel has launched the popular eSport community building platform Readyup. He is a key authority on the eSport movement and is one of few people who have played a significant role in building eSports to what it is today.
Bill Pascrell III, Esq.
Strategic Advisor, Gov. & Reg. Affairs Counsel, Princeton Public Affairs Group
Bill Pascrell III, known in the industry as BP3, is a partner in Princeton Public Affairs Group, the nation’s largest state contract government and public affairs firm. He is a leading national expert on online gaming, sports betting lottery, exchange wagering, e-sports and horseracing. BP3 has a diverse worldwide client base including Hard Rock Casinos, GVC Holdings, Golden Nugget, Ocean Resort, Gaming Innovation Group, BetMakers, Sportech, Lotto Land, Monmouth Park Race Track, Meadowlands Race Track, Camelot, PokerStars, Gambling.com. Mr. Pascrell led the campaign to legalize NJ Sports Betting in the US with the recent SCOTUS decision to repeal PASPA, after managing a successful statewide ballot referendum legalizing sports betting. Bill Pascrell, III is known internationally for his sports betting and online gaming expertise, as well as his influence in crafting horse racing and lottery regulations and legislation. Most notably, Mr. Pascrell spearheaded the multi-year campaign to pass the landmark New Jersey On Line Gaming Act signed into law by Governor Chris Christie in 2013, which has been a model for all US states. BP3 is a member of the National Council of Problem Gambling Federal Affairs Committee, The Ampersand Assembly for ICE and GIGSE, and serves on the Board of Directors for GVC US Foundation. BP3 has been routinely cited as one of the 100 most influential personalities in New Jersey politics by PolitickerNJ.com, Insider NJ, NJ Globe and NJ Cannabis Insider. He is a frequent national media political commentator on MSNBC, Court TV, Comcast CN 8, NJTV, News 12, and Newsmax TV in addition to many national newspapers.
Louis Alfieri
Principal, Chief Creative Officer, Raven Sun Creative
Over his thirty-year career, Louis Alfieri has focused on helping owners and brands lead the advancement of global location-based entertainment. He has collaborated with clients around the world in the development of resorts, branded destinations, theme parks, and mixed-use destinations, sharing his deep knowledge of experiential design, branded experiences, and intellectual property assets. “My aspiration is to elevate our industry by guiding owners, developers, brands, and their teams to realize their creative, financial, and guest expectation aspirations in location-based entertainment. I want to lead the way to a future where location-based entertainment inspires every person in the world.” – Louis Alfieri panelist on Global Theme Park development 2018 IAAPA Asia Expo
Louis is recognized as a trusted authority, speaking on behalf of the industry at the global IAAPA, SATE, and MAPIC conferences on topics of development, branding, and establishing industry standards. He has a long track record of success collaborating with international brands and large multidisciplinary teams on the conceptualization, design, and implementation of location-based entertainment mixed- use resorts, theme parks, waterparks, museums, and cultural destinations.
Louis’ expertise in balancing creative vision with financial and schedule realities allow him to be especially effective at managing executive and shareholder expectations, guiding project realities, and realizing key consumer guest experiences. Over the course of his career, Louis has served in many roles and capacities in the location-based entertainment industry, gaining an end-to-end understanding of the process from design-to-opening and beyond. He imparts a holistic understanding of the process that translates directly to team members, fiscal institutions, brand management, strategic planning, long-range implementation, and profitable market growth opportunities.
Ben Feferman
CEO of Amuka Esports and Parabellum Esports
Ben Feferman is the Chief Gaming Officer of React Gaming Group. Ben has worked in the esports industry for the past 5 years having founded Amuka Esports and its pro team Parabellum Esports. As part of the portfolio, he manages 3 gaming centers and produces over 300 online and LAN events per year. Ben hosts several esports shows including the Daily Download and Esports Unfiltered. Outside of the office, you'll find him playing Fortnite and chasing after his 4 kids.
Megan Zeller
Sr. Director, Business Development, Peerless-AV
As Sr. Director of Business Development, Megan Zeller leads Peerless-AV’s dvLED video wall systems, integrated kiosks, and outdoor AV sales initiatives in the hospitality and gaming verticals. In this role, she is responsible for helping her clients develop brand standards that are representative of the specific style and quality of the company.
Zeller brings over a decade of experience in the service industry to her position at Peerless-AV. Prior to joining the company, she worked for Daytona International Speedway, where she supported the $400 million DAYTONA Rising project, a two year redevelopment plan. In this role, she focused on hospitality and partnership sales for the speedway.
Before that, Zeller managed hospitality for a premier sports car racing series where she coordinated catering, meeting planning, hotel accommodations, and travel negotiation. Zeller has also held positions in advertising.
Zeller holds a Bachelor of Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Sport Business from Saint Leo University.
Dr. Ryan Terao
Esport Psychologist, PsychSensei
Dr. Ryan Terao (PsychSensei) is a licensed clinical psychologist and works in the esports industry as an esport psychologist, mental performance coach, and esport program developer. Within the esports industry, Dr. Terao has experience of working in titles such as League of Legends, Rainbow 6 Siege, and Valorant. Dr. Terao is very passionate about esports and believes that esports can be used as a tool to develop well-rounded of gamers and fans alike. As a trained clinical psychologist Dr. Terao, takes a systemic approach in understanding the various factors that affect the performance of esport teams, coaches, and individual players. In his work within the esports industry, Dr. Terao specializes in establishing team dynamics, effective communication systems, and mental self-regulation techniques. While in his work with individual players, Dr. Terao helps players to identify their ideal performance state and remove roadblocks that impede them from playing their best. As an esports psychologist, Dr. Terao brings a systemic and holistic approach and perspective of the mental, physical, and social health of gamers. Dr. Terao continues to pursue his passion for esports while ensuring the safety and further deployment of the esports community as a whole.
Jonathan Baha'i
Founder, Peerplays Blockchain
Jonathan Baha’i is an entrepreneur with 25+ years experience, and the founder of a number of tech companies which today focus primarily on blockchain technology. As Founder of the Peerplays blockchain, home of decentralized sports betting exchange BookiePro, and other exciting esports/streaming-related decentralized applications he has become the foremost authority in the space of provably fair gaming and all things blockchain gaming. Founding the first ever publicly traded blockchain development company in Canada, eXeBlock Technology Corp, he has continued to be at the forefront of innovation.
Sought by the Federal Government of Canada to speak at the Public Policy Forum as the keynote in Blockchain 101, followed numerous appearances on CNBC, TD Ameritrade, IDEAs, the Mindas Report, and various popular YouTube channels, Mr. Baha’i has spoken on matters relating to blockchain industry news and helped provide insights into this new emerging technology. In addition to these appearances, he has sat on various panels as a thought leader in decentralized public blockchains, and has given numerous presentations on cutting edge blockchain gaming applications both at home and around the world.
Jordan Rambis
Exec. in Residence, City of LA for Video Games & Esports; Part-Owner Evil Geniuses
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Executive in Residence the for City of Los Angeles for Video Games and Esports.
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Packaged and was the Head of BD at aXiomatic Gaming, the parent company for Team Liquid, the highest-grossing and one of the most viewed esport teams in the world, received investment from Disney, Michael Jordan, owners of Warriors, Dodgers, etc. We also invested in Epic Games (Fortnite).
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Packaged the acquisition for the 2nd highest-grossing esport team in the world, Evil Geniuses.
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Raised $40M+ for various esports and gaming startups.
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Co-Founder of 133 facilities, an esport facility construction group.
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Head of Development for a production company where we grossed $50M on a $12M budget movie; currently consulting on Will Ferrell's esports movie.
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Advisor for a few companies in the esports space that could also be helpful in this partnership; including FanAI, a data analytics tool used by almost every major esport team for sponsorship sales.
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Nationally ranked gamer for multiple titles.
Lydia Scherr
Web3 Research Lead @ SolidBlock
Lydia is an award-winning speaker and business leader with an MA from Columbia University and 10 years of experience in finance, research and business development. Lydia is passionate about using her experience to enhance mass adoption of blockchain technology.
Brian Stern
CEO, Puro Lighting
Receiving his BS in Business Administration from the University of Denver, Daniels College of Business in 2007, Brian started his career at a leading IT consulting firm, focusing on design and implementation of financial and accounting systems. At the end of 2009, he founded, along with partner Webb Lawrence, LED Supply Co., LLC, a wholesale distributor of LED lighting products with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency. In early 2019, Brian added to his lighting company portfolio by co-founding PURO UV Disinfection Lighting, with the initial mission of protecting people’s health and promoting wellness with next-generation UV light technologies, powered by Violet Defense. Today, Brian is CEO of a fast-growing enterprise at the very center of helping to keep people safe and infection-free during an international pandemic. Most recently, Mr. Stern has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and many other television and news outlets across the country, sharing his vision of bringing proven UV disinfection solutions to the hotel, medical, school, sports and transportation sectors allowing them to welcome back their guests and customers safely and responsibly. Brian is also a frequent guest on webinars and podcasts devoted to exploring ways UV light can disinfect spaces wherever people gather, both on surfaces and in the air.
Paulino Miguel Ocampo
Esport Consultant and Team Owner
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Milo has 15 years of esports experience and had his start by running melee events in middle school. In 2012, he founded one of the first 20 collegiate esports organizations partnered with Riot Games. Since then, he has worked for Blizzard and Team Liquid and has held every major position in esports from CEO all the way to pro player. Currently, he is an esports consultant and owns his own team in Las Vegas.
Keith Waggoner
Owner/Founder, ButtonSmasher
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Keith Waggoner is an inovator and expert in the gaming industry. Former US Navy and private military contractor, Keith has been involved in every aspect of implementation for video games and the business world. Including non profits and Consulting for projects such as Luxors' esports arena, Caesars entertainment, Gameworks national, Indy game development, and many more. From practical advising and operation Keith has been integral for a majority of projects. Sought after for speaking and lending knowledge to multiple conventions, speaker panels, trade shows, master classes and interviews.
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Keith's most recent blockbuster project is ButtonSmasher LLC. Founder and owner to a revolutionary new platform filling in the gaps between users, industry, developers, and real aggregated results. Button Smasher was recently launched at E3 Los Angeles, and has already been features in places like Forbes, business.com, yec.co, news and media outlets as well as landing with all of the heavy hitters in gaming.
Andrew Prell
Founder, Convergence of 4 Dimensions, LLC
Andrew Prell is a founder of Convergence of 4 Dimensions LLC. creator, director, developer, and inventor. He has created companies, technology, hardware, software, video games, websites, broadcast game shows and patents. Andrew began working with VR and advanced technologies in 1988 at Autodesk. He is currently developing XR Technology and has created a Player Acquisition Engine (PAE) using Blockchain and NFTs. Most recently he developed "Scratch-Offs" as Blockchain NFTs.
Russell Aleksey
CEO, OKLetsPlay
Russ Aleksey (BSME, MBA) is the founder, CEO of OkLetsPlay, a next generation real money esports tournament and private cash match platform for competitive PC, console and mobile gaming. OkLetsPlay is venture backed and has raised $2m to date. Russell is an entrepreneur at heart who's founded, operated and been an executed team member of several energy tech companies (hydrogen, fuel cells, hydroelectric turbines, tech identification). He wrote and holds four patents for OkLetsPlay's out-of-game peer wagering module IP and leads OkLetsPlay's mission to become the industry's gold standard for trusted and secure real money esports tournaments and private cash matches.
Ron Segev
Ron is a founding partner of Segev LLP. As a practical-minded business lawyer, sensitive to risk, with a keen eye for opportunity, he is bottom-line focused and brings operations, managerial, business development and M&A skills and experience to the table.
Ron assists his clients with gambling, technology, regulatory compliance, corporate finance, corporate, and commercial matters. He has experience advising on international licensing and structuring issues, and has worked with companies in every remote-gaming licensing jurisdiction of note. Ron’s clients have been active in all verticals of gaming and betting, including casino, poker, sportsbook, skill games, social games, sweepstakes, lotteries, DFS, vSports, and eSports. Ron has been a specialized iGaming attorney for more than a decade, and is a frequent contributor to major iGaming publications and seminars. He is widely sought out as a leading iGaming lawyer.
Segev LLP is ranked in the Chambers and Partners 2021 Guide as one of only 4 top tier firms for Gaming and Licensing. Ron has been rated as a Band 1 gaming lawyer by Chambers and Partners – the highest ranking - and is also a General Member of the International Masters of Gaming Law.
As former General Counsel and Senior Legal Counsel for one of the largest online gaming companies in the world, Ron has extensive experience in the iGaming sector and has appeared as an expert speaker on the topic at various high-profile events and conferences.
Yael Tamar
Yael Tamar is Co-CEO and Co-founder of SolidBlock, an issuance platform and a marketplace for property-backed digital securities. Yael co-founded several fintech) startups, a successful marketing company in the blockchain space and an import/export company that was acquired. She is also a regional co-chair at FIBREE, the Foundation for International Blockchain and Real Estate Expertise, the leading international network for exchanging knowledge within the real estate industry. She is regularly invited to speak worldwide as an expert in Blockchain, Real Estate and Fintech.
Marius Adomnica
A lifelong gamer, Marius’ practice focuses on esports and video game law. He has been on the forefront of assisting the development of the esports industry in British Columbia and works closely with a wide range of esports companies, players and content creators. He is also a co-founder of Team Discover, a content creator management agency, a founding board member of the Vancouver Esports Association, and acts as a consultant for various industry groups and companies. In his off hours he also writes The Patch Notes, an esports and video game law blog. In addition to his esports practice, Marius also works with many local video game studios, helping them with anything from incorporations to major corporate transactions and everything in between.
Marius also has extensive experience in general corporate and commercial law, focusing primarily on emerging technology companies, as well as business immigration and commercial real estate law, and is able to provide his clients with assistance on a wide range of matters. Marius takes a down-to-earth approach to the practice of law, and prides himself on finding practical, creative and efficient solutions to his clients’ legal issues
Christopher LaPorte
Christopher LaPorte is the founder of RESET, a consulting company focused on the development of video game and esports experiences for the Las Vegas market. A graduate of Rutgers College, Christopher opened the video game lounge, INSERT COIN(S) in Downtown Las Vegas and served as a Director of the Nevada Esports Alliance. Today Christopher is working with government regulators and the private sector to solidify Nevada as an esports hub in North America.
Jimmy Baratta, J.D.
Jimmy Baratta, J.D., is the Chief Gaming Officer of Holodeck Ventures. He is also an investor and strategist for competitive org and lifestyle brand XSET, as well as an instructor of esports at the University of California, Irvine. Jimmy is based in Los Angeles and leads the creation and commercialization of new content focused on gaming, esports and the rapidly evolving world of the Metaverse: a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe.
Jimmy started his career in gaming through his company FT Empire LLC, where he advised non-endemic talent and partners and successfully bridged the gap between gaming and non-gaming clients. He has since filled roles in business development, brand strategy and talent/community management for leagues, developers, agencies and more. Jimmy has been a trusted advisor to organizations like XSET, Wizard Labs, EsportzNetwork, Fallen Media, and VY Esports. He has spearheaded esports business development for Grammy and Platinum-selling rappers 21 Savage, YBN Nahmir and Chief Keef's Glo Navy Gaming. Jimmy was a strategic advisor to Travis Scott on his extremely successful Fortnite event "Astronomical". Jimmy was the founder of the social gaming network ICEBRKRSCLAN and a co-founder of NACL, a nonprofit league with roots in FaZe Clan, providing college scholarships through international tournament play. Prior to his work in esports, Jimmy was a successful civil litigation attorney for over 7 years.
Gil Solomon
Gil is the founding partner of Gil Solomon & Co., one of Israel’s leading boutique law firms in the fields of blockchain and cryptocurrency, practicing law in the areas of commercial law, blockchain and cryptocurrency, high-tech, mergers and acquisitions, privacy protection, and intellectual property. As of 2020, Gil has become Israel’s youngest ranked attorney ever when Gil Solomon & Co. were ranked by Dun & Bradstreet as a one of the country’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency law firms.
Aaron Carroll
Aaron has been in the cryptosphere for 5 years now. Providing businesses with crypto integration solutions to increase revenue and get businesses into the future.
Thomas Hearne
Tom is a seasoned operator with extensive experience as a senior executive having scaled publicly traded technology companies including in his roles as past Chief Financial Officer of theScore (acquired by Penn National Gaming for $2B) and Sportech (London Stock Exchange listed). Over the course of his career, Tom has on multiple occasions led companies through their rapid growth stage from startup revenues through $100MM run rates and has been an instrumental part in numerous financings raising in excess of $500MM and M&A transactions.
Finn Staber
Finn Staber is a Game Programmer/Designer with a diverse background in Visual FX, Animation, 3D Art, Level Design and Blockchain/NFT solutions. Primary focus on building advanced player controls for cross-platform games, and multiplayer eSports using cutting-edge VR and AR technology. Enjoys creating funny interactive experiences, and donates much of his free time to helping others.
Finn has launched multiple successful tech companies, and has developed award-winning video games, interactive educational content, digital marketing experiences and cyber-security solutions. He is the Founder of Chicken Waffle, and Co-Founder of WaveXR and Failed To Render. He has helped many studios ramp up, and has consulted/advised some of the leading technology developers in the world. He has worked with several Fortune 500 companies to help them build R&D efforts for XR. His experience with agile teamwork allows him to communicate well with other developers, and his experience as a decorated combat veteran of the US Army instilled the ability to work hard to accomplish difficult tasks.
Daniel Cossi
Speaker/Lecturer for Esports Integrity, Social Impact, and Educational Applications. Esports in Olympic Movement and Sustainable Esports Business Models. Esports Legislation and Regulation specialist. Esports Championships and Summits producer. Enthusiast and speaker for Tolkien universe for 23 years. Entrepreneur and Life change lecturer. "to improve the electronic sports constantly and promote it globally in the light of its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values, particularly through youth and development programmes"
*Ensure the quality of its e-sporting events
*Develop its reputation
*Approach political, media, and economic authorities
*Contribute through study commissions to strengthen the links between national federations, publishers, developers, organizations, stakeholders and e-sports related companies, the e-sports movement and governs, students, stakeholders, and entrepreneurs
*Identify an electronic sports development program through education, and establish a set of moral standards in line with the evolution of the contemporary electronic sport and educational issues throughout the world.
"develop existing national federations, publishers, developers, organizations, stakeholders and e-sports related companies and events organizers, broadcasting tvs and streaming companies"see less
Steve M. Boyle
Steve M. Boyle is the founder and CEO of Epic Immersive, a large-scale immersive experience company. Epic Immersive has created immersive experiences with 14-acre real-world fictional cities and 100+ actors, crafted immersive journeys in China and Paris, built neighborhood-scale cultural and civic festivals, and designed experiences for Silicon Valley companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. At Epic's imaginative events, guests have slid through slides in fireplaces into underground wonderlands, crawled through Dante Alighieri’s vaults, descended into replica London Underground stations, launched into mixed reality experiences from inside of Victorian mansions, and joined masquerades from revolutionary France on the docks of San Francisco. Epic Immersive is one of the founding producers of The Immersive Design Summit, the premiere industry gathering for the immersive world. Immersive Design Summit partners, speakers, and sponsors include: Punchdrunk International, Meow Wolf, Walt Disney International, Two Bit Circus, Area 15, Onedome, Oculus, and more.
Oliver Lovat
His expertise is in customer-facing real estate and the evolution of Las Vegas, serving as faculty at City, University of London Business School in London, as regular contributor at the UNLV and previously as faculty at The University College of Estate Management, lecturing on strategic asset management.
He has spent the past 20 years in investment, development, finance and strategy, transacting across multiple jurisdictions, asset classes and ownership structures. His recent focus has been developing and implementing strategies for retail, gaming and hospitality environments, including international casino companies.
Oliver has addressed The World Gaming Executive Summit, International Casino Conference, Global Gaming Summit, International Casino Exhibition, Investment Property Forum and many other notable groups on the importance of learning from Las Vegas.
He is a special features writer at Global Gaming Business, columnist at Gaming America and Gambling Insider Magazines, and has a selection of published papers on strategic trends in Las Vegas.
Originally from Scotland, Oliver spent 15 years working in London before moving to the USA in 2015 to work specifically in gaming and hospitality. He holds a BA in Social Sciences, MSc in Real Estate Investment, MBA with a focus on Finance and Strategy and is a Fellow of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Jordan Tailor
Jordan Taylor majored in finance at St. John’s University. AKA “J Jonah” in the Esports world, he is the Founder of the Most Vicious Players (MVPs), which is now a parent company of the Amateur Esports Union (AEU). But, before the AEU was created, MVPs has been most well-known for its individual players having live streamed over 1000 wins in a row together on YouTube. The AEU, still in its pre-launch stage, has established a global network of Esports leagues and tournament organizers for the purpose of recruiting players to college and pro teams through its Global Recruitment Champions Tournament.”
Glenn Platt
Bringing insight from the frontiers of digital marketing, technology, video games, design, and business to build next generation models for higher education and industry. Proven success in fundraising and creating globally ranked academic programs. Consultant and Speaker. Academic Entrepreneur.
David Isaacson
Isaacson has been analyzing the gaming industry since 2010. At SGC he works on a broad range of projects, including strategic advisory engagements, capital raises, market analyses, litigation support and valuation, among other areas. Isaacson’s work spans a broad spectrum of the global gaming industry to include land-based casinos, sports betting, digital gaming, lottery and esports. He is a sought after speaker and thought leader for industry and investor conferences discussing emerging issues related to the gaming industry.
He joined Spectrum Gaming Capital from Moody’s Investors Service, the top credit rating agency, where he covered a portfolio of high yield gaming, lodging and cruise companies. In his work at Moody’s, Isaacson was responsible for assigning rating recommendations, monitoring ratings and drafting credit related research on a portfolio of gaming and leisure companies and the industry as a whole. He is particularly skilled at analyzing gaming bank loans, high yield and other forms of corporate debt. Prior to covering the gaming and leisure industry, Isaacson worked for Moody’s Analytics as a Structured Finance Analyst. Isaacson has an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a concentration in Corporate Finance and Accounting and a Bachelor's from Yeshiva University, where he majored in Economics and graduated with honors.
Tyler Bushnell
Tyler is the CEO and co-founder of Polycade, a modern arcade platform designed for in-person social gaming. Polycade launched with a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2015, participated in the LIFT Labs Techstars accelerator in partnership with Comcast NBC Universal, and has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal. Tyler previously wrote games for uWink Inc, and has built front to back end online advertising systems. Tyler enjoys getting groups together to have fun playing board games, lawn games, and video games.
Michael Kurcab, CTS
Michael Kurcab, CTS has worked with d&b audiotechnik since 2019. Prior to joining d&b audiotechnik, Michael was Director of Facilities in charge of Technical Services at Mandalay Bay for 10 years, with 3 years at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino serving as the property audio engineer. After his tenure in hospitality and gaming, Michael has served as an audio/visual consultant and as a business development professional for leading audio companies such as d&b auditoechnik.
Tom Hearne C.E.O.
Tom is a seasoned operator with extensive experience as a senior executive having scaled publicly traded technology companies including in his roles as past Chief Financial Officer of theScore (acquired by Penn National Gaming for $2B) and Sportech (London Stock Exchange listed). Over the course of his career, Tom has on multiple occasions led companies through their rapid growth stage from startup revenues through $100MM run rates and has been an instrumental part in numerous financings raising in excess of $500MM and M&A transactions.
Kevin Potts
I am driven by the idea that what we do has the power to impact. I relish the opportunity to collaborate with talented people while we positively impact visitors and guests in the facilities we design. Led technology teams on some of the largest most creative projects in hospitality, entertainment, and corporate.
Art Vivas
As FEA’s Low Voltage Project Manager, Art Vivas collaborates with clients and brings a creative and innovative approach to technology solutions for their projects and drives the client’s vision for the ultimate user experience. As a leader in the technology industry for over two decades, Mr. Vivas has an extensive background in various solutions that have met many demands. At the forefront of these solutions are digital signage, facial recognition, meeting room collaboration, immersive experiences and managed services that include asset management standardization and technology master planning. Mr. Vivas oversees FEA’s designs and project management for audiovisual, IT and security and surveillance systems for hospitality, gaming, corporate enterprise, house of worship and government clients
Michael Kilpatrick Morton
Michael provides the Board with legal and policy advice. Mike serves as the Board’s liaison to the Nevada Legislature and other state and local government agencies in Nevada. Part of his portfolio at the Gaming Control Board is the creation and implementation of the Board’s new Esports Technical Advisory Committee.
Prior to his tenure in the Executive Branch, he served as senior deputy legislative counsel to the Nevada Legislature as committee counsel to the Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services.
Mike also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Carson Valley Community Food Closet in Douglas County, Nevada. A member of the editorial board of the Nevada Lawyer magazine, Mike earned his B.A. in Communications from Boston College, and received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, where he served as a lead editor for the Journal of Health Law and Policy.
PHILIP KATSAROS
Phil Katsaros was appointed as a Board Member to the Nevada Gaming Control Board by Governor Steve Sisolak on March 28, 2019. Mr. Katsaros’ term runs until January 28, 2023. He has over 20 years of gaming industry experience, having served in a variety of positions and leadership roles during that time, including time spent as a regulator with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Much of Mr. Katsaros’ career has been focused on the international and online gaming sectors, where for example, he led efforts on a number of fronts for IGT’s international land-based business during a period of record growth. All told, he has gaming industry experience in over 70 international markets. Mr. Katsaros was most recently the Chief Executive Officer and a Director for Certus Gaming USA, Inc., a gaming systems supplier whose parent company is based in Luxembourg. Prior to this, he served as the Head of Business Development for Inspired Gaming’s Virtual Sports business for the land-based and online casino markets in North America and spearheaded all efforts for the company’s penetration of the North American markets. Before Inspired, Mr. Katsaros was employed by IGT and one of its international subsidiaries, with responsibility for regulatory compliance, technical compliance and related market development activities for all European and Asian jurisdictions (land-based) where IGT conducted business. Mr. Katsaros also spent a number of years working for IGT’s online gaming business. Mr. Katsaros initially began his career in the industry with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, where he was first employed as an Agent in the Tax and License Division conducting regulatory and financial audits of Nevada licensees. Mr. Katsaros later transferred to the Corporate Securities Division where he was promoted to the position of Senior Agent, and later Special Agent. As Special Agent, he was responsible for conducting and overseeing various types of investigative functions, including compliance reviews and licensing investigations of current and prospective Nevada licensees. Mr. Katsaros earned his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting from the Eastern Michigan University. He currently resides in Reno, Nevada with his wife and their two daughters.
Vince Kadlubek
Vince Kadlubek is a Founder of Meow Wolf, an art collective that has transformed into an award winning Art and Entertainment Production Company that specializes in immersive, open-world walk through experiences. Vince acted as leader and CEO for Meow Wolf though its formidable years, having created the business plan for Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return and leading the team towards the project's completion in March of 2016. In January of 2017 Kadlubek formed Meow Wolf, Inc as a full fledged arts production company and creative studio positioned to create the largest, most innovative and audacious monumental art exhibits in the world. After raising series A funding he announced two new Meow Wolf exhibits in Las Vegas and Denver, which both opened in 2021. Kadlubek has been a force of vision in the realm of experiential art, and in 2020 launched a creative consulting agency called Spatial Activations as a platform to usher in a new era of experiential art in modern developments and everyday life. Vince is most passionate about co-creating fully-realized alternative realities that bring paradigmshifting transformation and inspiration to the world.
BEN SEWELL
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES SOLUTIONS
ben.sewell@anc.com
Ben joins ANC with 17+ years of sales, operations, and business development experience in the digital signage, OOH and systems integration space. He recently worked for Samsung Electronics for the last eight years in the Live Events, Entertainment and Spectaculars Division. Prior to Samsung, Ben held various sales roles with Nanolumens where he worked for the International Division and was responsible for all sales activities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During his tenure at Adaptive Micro Systems, he was responsible for Channel Sales and DOOH for the Southcentral and Southwestern Regions.
Some of his notable projects and customers include Virgin Casino & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV); National Geographic Encounter (Times Square, NY); New Tradition; Las Vegas Convention Center; Cordish Companies; AT&T Center; NASCAR Hall of Fame; Tobin Center for The Performing Arts; San Diego Zoo; Miami International Airport; ESPN Wide World of Sports; Sporting KC; University of Arkansas; Texas State University.
Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Texas-San Antonio.
Michael Guy
The CCO of Decentral Games (DG) and the founder of Neo Optimum. Decentral Games builds EV-positive games that give players economic freedom through aligned incentives, self-custody and delegation of yield-bearing metaverse assets. Decentral Games’ play-to-earn metaverse poker game (ICE Poker) generates revenue for the DG Treasury through NFT mints, secondary sale royalties, activations, and upgrades. Neo Optimum is a consulting group composed of top talent in the space offering expertise in crypto, NFT development and metaverse endeavors.
George Connors
SVP, Head of Gaming, Sports, Hotel, Travel & Leisure
Fiserv
George joined Fiserv in October 2018 and is the Head of Gaming, Sports, Hotel, Travel and Leisure Verticals. George and his team focus on traditional and online gaming, sports betting, lottery, and fantasy sports clients to provide them with a wide range of payment solutions — including acquiring, ACH warranty, security / fraud, and digital pay-in / pay-out solutions.
As a strong industry advocate with over 25 years of gaming payments experience, George serves on the American Gaming Association Board of Directors promoting responsible gaming.
He is a proud alum of the University of Tennessee Knoxville loves spending time with his growing family, including three new grandchildren! He also serves as a leader in community mentoring programs, tasked with personal growth both at home and work.
Jo-Ann Teng, JD, CAMS
Director, Risk and Compliance
Fiserv
Jo-Ann joined Fiserv in April 2021 and is a Director of Risk and Compliance supporting Global Business Solutions in high-risk verticals. She focuses on reviewing the compliance programs and regulatory framework of high-risk merchants operating in sports wagering, iGaming, Esports, cryptocurrency, cannabidiol (CBD) and money service businesses.
Prior to joining Fiserv, Jo-Ann was a Team Lead at Standard Chartered Bank where she had the opportunity to lead teams investigating sanctions circumvention, anti-money laundering, fraud, and/or potential terrorist financing. Before moving into the AML and compliance industries, Jo-Ann clerked for a Superior Court Judge, Criminal Part, in the State of New Jersey and then worked at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for four years.
Jo-Ann received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts and her Juris Doctorate from Touro Law Center in Central Islip, NY. She is based at Fiserv’s Short Hills and Berkley Heights, NJ offices.
Jason Hollingsworth, Esq., CAMS
GBS Risk Compliance and Controls Officer / Financial Crimes Compliance
Fiserv
Jason joined Fiserv in 2020. He is currently GBS Risk Compliance and Controls Officer / Financial Crimes Compliance focusing the Financial Crimes Compliance programs and oversees the regulatory framework of high-risk merchants operating in sports wagering, iGaming, Esports, cryptocurrency, cannabidiol (CBD) and money service businesses.
Prior to joining Fiserv, Jason was the Player Sustainability and Operations Manager for Unibet, a Sports Wagering and iGaming Operator, managing a team of investigators and created policy and procedures to address various risks. Before that he was an Associate Director at Standard Chartered Bank where he led a team that investigated anti money laundering, fraud and sanction violations. Prior to working at Standard Chartered, Jason was an Assistant Prosecutor with the New Jersey Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for over seven years where he tried numerous jury trials and investigated white collar crimes.
Jason received his Bachelors degree in History from Kean University in Union, NJ and his Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, CT. He is based at the Fiserv Berkeley Heights, NJ campus.
Anh-Vu Nguyen
Anh-Vu joined Anybrain during the summer of 2020 in the newly created role of Chief Growth Officer. As the first non-tech employee, Anh-Vu is in charge of developing and executing the sales and marketing strategy of the company. Before joining Anybrain, Anh-Vu was co-founder and COO of Fidzup for ten years, an Adtech company with offices in Paris and San Francisco.