University of Pennsylvania

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

New York University

Content & Business Development Strategist  -  Emerging Media & Tech Adviser  -  Digital Media  -  eSports  -  Content Licensing

Washington Office is a DC-based strategy firm that aims to redefine government relations by focusing on frontier tech that powers the national interest.
Specifically, Washington Office serves as the DC team for startups and leading companies working to harness emerging technology - including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, energy, materials sciences, robotics, space systems, synthetic biology, quantum computing, and beyond - to advance U.S. security and prosperity.

Washington Office

Advisor

Bloom Sensory provides customer experience technology through AI and ML powered solutions to the cannabis and CPG industries.

Bloom Sensory

The Future US is building a catalytic, post-partisan policy development and solutions platform using challenges and start up acceleration to help current and future leaders understand and embrace the ideas we need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The Future US

With the backing and scale of the British Consulate New York, industry leaders and VCs, the 1,000 Black Voices accelerator provides relevant and practical insight into the investment  journey, fundraising, technologies, employee and customer engagement, branding, innovation and technologies, pitch practice for black and underrepresented startup founders in The UK.

1000 Black Voices

Mentor

Project W, powered by Davis Wight Tremaine, is a national initiative that helps female entrepreneurs build great companies and successful careers. Through bootcamps and programming for female founders, networks for women in media & entertainment, sports, fintech, healthcare, the social impact sector and collaborations with like-minded organizations, Project W is committed to unleashing the power of women.

Project W

Advisor & Mentor

Endeavor Puerto Rico aims to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Puerto Rico by integrating founders into a global community that is driving innovation-based economic development across borders.

Endeavor

Institute of Law & Economics
• ISDE is a leader in international education offering law, business and sports management degrees focused at the intersection of law and economics.
• Teach course for the Esports Management MBA Program.

ISDE

Lecturer

Kudos is a rewards platform for gamers with the mission to give back to the community.

Kudos Labs

Golazzos is the leading sports and esports gamification platform that creates digital experiences for brands while rewarding fans by extending their passion for their favorite professional teams. The new Free-2-Play digital engagement platform is focused initially on the US Hispanic and LATAM markets. Golazzos is the ideal product for brands and media companies to create engagement, launch new products, build customer databases and generate a positive emotional connection between the brand and its fans.

Golazzos

Pangea Cup is the world’s first competitive community for undiscovered talent in the video game industry.

Pangea Cup

Parallel 18 is an accelerator affiliated with the Puerto Rico Science, Technology & Research Trust that aims to attract and create high-impact startups that can scale from Puerto Rico to global communities beyond the island. The program’s mission is to expand the horizons of Puerto Rican entrepreneurs and promote economic development through the creation of successful startups.

Parallel18

Global Esports Business Network

Founder & Chairperson

• Pierce Yates provides early stage funding and strategic advice to emerging companies in the financial services, sports, media and entertainment verticals. 
• Responsible for business development including identification and investment framework for new investment verticals in esports, sports, entertainment, music and web3.
• Originate, diligence and manage investments in new verticals.
• Lead investments in Rogue, Gameway, Crowd IQ, US Integrity, BettorView and Cove.
• Work with portfolio companies on scale and monetization strategies for content, partnerships and esports.

Pierce Yates Ventures

Principal

The Techstars Music accelerator invests in startups with diverse founders that use technology to solve the music and live events industries’ most pressing problems, innovate for the future of music and support the cultures surrounding it. Techstars Music has partnered with best in class industry leaders including Warner Music Group, SONY Music, Concord Music and Harmonix.

Techstars

Mentor, Techstars Music

Using proprietary technology, Champria connects esports athletes through recruitment, scrimmages and team management/coaching while providing real-time data visualization.

Champria

• The Venture Cooperative is an educational program and inclusive community that make Laconia's investments, processes, and learnings accessible for the next generation of early stage investors.
• Cooperative participants participate in Laconia’s investment processes, share collaborate on due diligence, hear perspectives from industry leaders, share their expertise within the community, and collaborate with early stage founders.

Venture Cooperative

Venture Fellow | Cohort 1

Stadia Ventures is the global Sports Innovation Hub for early-stage investment in sports and esports. The three pillars of the ecosystem include a broad, independent growth fund, a deeply connected global network of sports and esports executives, and a world-class business development accelerator which combine to create unprecedented deal flow, new technology discovery and investment opportunities. Since late 2015, Stadia Ventures has invested in almost 50 portfolio companies and experienced 5 exits. The success of the Stadia portfolio companies has led to Stadia Ventures being one of the longest-running and truly global players in the sports and esports technology space.

Stadia Ventures

The program, powered by Startupbootcamp, is a recently launched global accelerator supporting innovative early stage startups working in sports technology that is focused on the athlete and the team, the fan, and the World Cup 2022. Focus on eSports and Media verticals.

Qatar SportsTech

• With over 50 members, the group is NYC's oldest and largest networking group for professionals focused on revenue-generating activities within the eSports ecosystem.
• Group consists of thought leaders coming from endemic backgrounds (eSports teams, networks, publishers, talent agencies), as well as non-endemic professionals (angel investors, VC's, marketing, advertising, traditional media conglomerates). 
• Group holds monthly events focused on educating the NYC ecosystem about emerging opportunities surrounding eSports as a content vertical.

Esports Industry & Investments

Co Chair

• Rogue is a premier professional eSports team with an active presence in CS: GO and Rocket League. 
• Established and managed an in-house content studio focused on building Rogue's existing fan-base and growing brand awareness.
• Coordinated a team of six direct reports spanning the US and EU. 
• Managed a global team of over 50 Twitch streamers and led subsequent monetization efforts. 
• Established and managed Rogue's revenue-generating activities with third parties ranging from professional eSports leagues to video platforms, arenas and sponsors.
• Managed all consumer-facing activities for Rogue including social media marketing and PR efforts culminating in a four-part feature series covering Rogue in Las Vegas' largest print newspaper (https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/vegas-esports-squad-goes-from-startup-to-champion-in-a-matter-of-months/)
• Built and managed marketing channels for Rogue's co-owner DJ Steve Aoki.

Ian S.