11 college students from around the country selected; scholarship set to provide opportunities to next generation of gaming leaders

Limited-edition shirt featuring art from Heron Preston to celebrate the recipients goes on sale today at 5PM PT, net proceeds to go into next year’s Foundation

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 17, 2020) – Global esports organization, Gen.G, today announced the first class of recipients for its Gen.G Foundation scholarship. 11 college students from around the country were chosen to receive the scholarship which focuses on supporting women, people of color, and low income students enrolled in a US university or college who are interested in gaming, esports, entrepreneurship, journalism or content creation. Each will receive $10,000 to subsidize their tuition for this academic year, and will be a part of Gen.G’s ongoing programming in 2021 for mentorship and career development.

The recipients (with hometowns) include:

● Tyler Blake (Salinas, Calif.) – Cal State University, Long Beach
● Jaya Deeliore (Saint Louis, Mo.) – Saint Mary’s College/Saint Louis University
● Madison Doss (McDonough, Ga.) – Spelman College
● Nathan Harris (Overland Park, Kans.) – Arizona State University
● Kristina Huang (Stockton, Calif.) – UCLA
● Jordan Mendoza (Glendora, Calif.) – Cal State University, Northridge
● Prem Patel (Russell Springs, Ky.) – University of Kentucky
● Joaquin Pizana (Adrian, Mich.) – Eastern Michigan University
● Madison Sellers (Salt Lake City, Ut.) – University of Utah
● Clayton Sinclair (Atlanta, Ga) – Univ. of California, Irvine
● Deanna Tran (Fort Smith, Ark.) – Univ. of Arkansas at Fayetteville
● A final spot is being held for an international student attending a US college; due to COVID, the student will be selected in early 2021.

“The first-ever Gen.G Foundation class is a very special group; they will be change agents in the gaming world in the years to come,” said Gina Chung Lee, VP of Brand at Gen.G. “The best part of this process was getting to know these students and hearing their stories. We will continue to prioritize building out a diverse and supportive network of people who are passionate about careers in gaming and digital media. More to come in 2021!”

Each of the winners will receive a limited-edition shirt featuring artwork designed by Heron Preston, who serves as Gen.G’s Executive Brand Advisor. Fans can pre-order the t-shirt for $65 today at geng.gg, with net proceeds going into the 2021 Gen.G Foundation Fund.

Earlier this year, Gen.G announced a $1 million commitment to developing the next generation of leaders in the gaming industry, pledging to commit $100,000 annually for 10 years through the establishment of the Gen.G Foundation alongside its partners – Silicon Valley Bank, University of Kentucky, Eastern Michigan University, and Bumble.

About Gen.G
Established in 2017, Gen.G is the only major organization that owns and operates top teams in China, South Korea and the United States. Ranked no. 6 in the inaugural Forbes list of the “World’s Most Valuable Esports Companies,” Gen.G’s core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. The company has quickly become a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for sports entertainment.

United under #TigerNation, Gen.G boasts seven global championships to date among their competitive teams which includes the Seoul Dynasty franchise of the Overwatch League, the LCK world champion team in South Korea, the world’s top all-female Fortnite team, PUBG, CS:GO, Valorant and the NBA 2K League’s historic expansion franchise in Shanghai.  Its widely acclaimed initiatives include #TeamBumble, the leading team platform for the empowerment of women in gaming, and the Gen.G Global Academy, the world’s first fully-integrated academic esports program in Seoul. More information about Gen.G esports and its teams can be found at this link.

Media Contacts:
Gen.G:
GenG@DKCnews.com

Partners Include Adidas, Chanel, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation, Tony’s Chocolonely and the Visa Foundation

Non-profit Initiative to Provide Bridge to Success for Black & Latinx Entrepreneurs through The Black Ambition HBCU Prize and The Black Ambition Prize

Los Angeles, CA (December 2, 2020) – Pharrell Williams today announced the launch of Black Ambition, a non-profit initiative that will provide a bridge to success for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs who are launching tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products/services start-ups. Black Ambition is committed to leveling the playing field and fostering the ingenuity, determination, and resilience of underrepresented entrepreneurs. As part of the launch, Williams announced two prize competitions – The Black Ambition HBCU Prize and The Black Ambition Prize – which culminate in one major national event.

“Recent events and tragedies have illustrated the always existent stark divisions in the American experience, and while entrepreneurship has long been a tenet of the American dream, marginalized people have faced long-standing barriers to success,” said Pharrell Williams. “With Black Ambition, the goal is to help strengthen the pipeline of talented entrepreneurs and close the opportunity and wealth gaps derived from limited access to capital and resources.”

In partnership with historically Black colleges and universities (“HBCUs”), The Black Ambition HBCU Prize will offer prizes and mentorship for current and former students at HBCUs as they develop seed or early-stage ideas and launch companies in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products and services. The grand prize winner will receive up to a $250,000 prize and at least nine additional teams will receive smaller prizes. Teams must include at least one current HBCU undergraduate or graduate student (full-time or part-time), one recent alum within two years of graduation, or one former student within two years of attending the institution who is a member of the founding team. This HBCU-affiliated individual must identify as Black/African/African American and/or Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx.

The Black Ambition Prize will find, support, and seed early-stage companies in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products and services. Ventures must have at least one founder or co-founder that identifies as Black/African/African American and/or Hispanic/Latino/a/Latinx. The grand prize winner will receive up to a $1 million prize and at least nine additional teams will receive smaller prizes. For both prizes, a member of the founding team is defined as having a senior role, such as VP or C-level role. The prize will launch with a nationwide call for applications from eligible founder teams. Independent application reviewers will score eligible applications on the strength of their idea, with the strongest applications advancing to the major national event.

In July 2021, the two competitions will culminate in teams competing for these prizes by presenting to luminary judges and investors. In addition to financial awards, the entrepreneurs will receive mentorship and feedback as well as access to peer networks and expert connections. All screened applicants will receive access to online resources, information about business resources, and high-level feedback. Semifinalists will also receive cohort-based mentorship. Finalists will receive personal mentorship, opportunities for media exposure, and introductions to venture capitalists, angel investors, and accelerator partners.

Black Ambition’s long-term vision is for inclusive entrepreneurship to be the new normal. The start-up non-profit initiative will be led by an all-star advisory team that includes Grammy Award-winning recording artist, producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Pharrell Williams, with support from The Bridgespan Group, a global nonprofit organization that advises mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, philanthropists and impact investors. Virgil Abloh, the artist, designer, and philanthropist, is actively involved with the initiative and contributed the Black Ambition logo and identity concept design. Black Ambition is supported by funding from Adidas, Chanel, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation, Tony’s Chocolonely and the Visa Foundation. Individual donors include Ron Conway/SV Angel and Jonah Peretti. Mattel is releasing a product created in partnership with Black Ambition in the coming weeks, and Tony’s Chocolonely is making a special Black Ambition chocolate bar with a portion of proceeds from both products benefiting the non-profit initiative. For more information on Black Ambition, competition eligibility, and how to apply, please visit www.blackambitionprize.com  and follow us on Facebook (@blackambitionprize), Twitter (@blackambitionpz) and Instagram (@blackambitionprize). Black Ambition is a fiscal sponsorship project of PolicyLink.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Amanda.Silverman@ledecompany.com
Anna.Bailer@ledecompany.com