UK, Gen.G build on future of esports, gaming industry with ChallengHER Leadership Summit
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2024) — The University of Kentucky and Global esports and gaming organization Gen.G recently hosted the inaugural ChallengHER Leadership Summit, a conference aimed at uniting student leaders within the esports and gaming community. The small conference required an application process in which 16 students were selected (five UK students and 11 from other schools).
Top industry professionals in the esports and gaming space were in attendance to provide mentorship, leadership training, career guidance, skill development workshops and networking opportunities. Attendees participated in activities meant to help kickstart how they want to approach their post-college careers. They engaged in Q&As with industry professionals, attended personal branding and social media workshops, professional headshot sessions, resume reviews, mock interviews and more. The featured mentors that were a part of these various workshops included Julie Shen (marketing writer, Riot), Rose Dang (product manager, EFG) and Liquid Eiya (producer and content creator, Team Liquid).
“The ChallengHER Leadership Summit offers a unique space for the development of skills and connections necessary for success,” said Heath Price, associate vice president for partnerships. “The initiative is not just about education — it’s also about inspiring our students to lead, innovate and thrive in a rapidly evolving field. Developing impactful and forward-thinking experiences like ChallegHER is what our partnership with Gen.G is built upon.”
“Gen.G’s mission is to provide students the tools to become the industry’s next generation of leaders,” said Yugina Yun, Gen.G’s assistant director of U.S. Education. “It’s always a part of our mission to show doors to individuals looking for a career in this space where they originally wouldn’t have even thought about.”
“I am very satisfied with what I learned and achieved while at this amazing event. I learned the different perspectives and outlooks from my new fellow colleagues within the esports community, while also learning from the amazing mentors that attended the event as well,” said Courtney Jacobs, student at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. “This event was very eye opening for me. It made me realize my strengths, my weaknesses, what I thrive in, what I need to work on and gave me an overall better understanding of where I am at right now in the esports industry.”
The ChallengHER Leadership Summit joins Gen.G’s host of other education initiatives in order to open doors to the esports and video game industry, including the latest Gen.G Global Academy facility recently built in Korea, the acquisition of the YOUR.GG analytics platform meant to enhance the Gen.G Global Academy experience for students in the program, and the Next Gen Fellowship program designed to provide high levels of accessibility for students aspiring to work in the esports and gaming industry as pillars of its initiatives.