1. PANEL: Future-Proofing Diversity in Gaming
Gaming has long been a part of Black culture and its evolution
with the introduction of esports has been heavily influenced by
the culture in general.
From the music and characters represented in many of today’s
popular games to the players themselves – 83% of Black teens
identify as gamers - it’s evident that people of color are fueling
the evolution and contributing to the growth of the gaming
industry. Yet, it only comprises 4% of Black professionals…this
is a problem.
This panel will unpack the role of the culture in the growth of
gaming and how the industry can work collectively to
future-proof diversity and close the equity gap through
education and tech access, strategic partnerships that drive
awareness, exposure and opportunity, and investment in
minority-owned gaming platforms.
Panelist: Ryan Johnson
Cxmmunity Media CEO
Panelist: Dante Simpson
ESPAT TV CEO
Moderator: Erin A. Simon
XSET Chief Culture Officer &
Co-Owner
2. ABOUT
CXM.
Cxmmunity Media Co.(CXM), a media-tech company,
building assets with the mission of future proofing diversity
within the video game and esports industries through
strategic partnerships, philanthropy, and entertainment.
3. VERIZON CELEBRITY PRO-AM
On March 20th, 2022, the HBCU Esports League hosted the HBCU Esports
League Verizon Celebrity Pro-Am which featured celebrities, professional
athletes, famous Twitch streamers all joining forces to help hbcu students win
scholarship prize money and esports lab builds for their respective campuses.
The event saw over 1.34M total live views and 5.2M minutes watched,
averaged 21K concurrent live viewers, and topped out at 28K concurrent live
viewers. It has been the most viewed broadcast thus far for the HBCU Esports
League over the two seasons.
Verizon also hosted an executive fireside chat where Verizon executives,
WNBA star and gamer Aerial Powers, and CXM’s CEO Ryan Johnson spoke
about the importance of investing in HBCUs, how Verizon is handling DEI from
a corporate level, and the investments Verizon is making in the HBCU
community to create a more equitable world for Black and Brown students
pursuing a career in gaming and esports as well as STEM/STEAM.
Pro-Am participants included musicians Offset, Tpain, Bas, and Big K.R.I.T.,
Tampa Bay Buccaneers/Super Bowl Champs Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette,
Chicago Bears’ Tarik Cohen, WNBA players Aerial Powers and Alisha Gray,
NBA players Iman Shumpert and Juwan Morgan, Twitch streamer The Black
Hokage, Team Liquid players Alixxa and AmandaTheJedi, XSET co-owner Erin
Ashley Simon, and FaZe Swagg.
4. MOUNTAIN DEW - REAL CHANGE CHALLENGE
CXM partnered with MTN DEW o kick off kicked off year two of their five year commitment to invest and
uplift Black entrepreneurs through the MTN DEW Real Change Opportunity Fund. The fund marks a
commitment from the brand to make a tangible investment in Black entrepreneurs through a unique
competition, providing winners with resources, programming, and funding to turn their ideas into real
businesses.
Now in year two, CXM and MTN DEW are recognizing the opportunity gap that Black gamers face in
exploring the gaming industry as a career path. This campaign will support these competitors by partnering
with the CXM - HBCU Esports League to launch the MTN DEW Real Change Challenge, a Call of Duty
tournament for HBCU student gamers.
The Real Change Challenge will be open to (16) teams of HBCU students nationwide to compete for the
largest collegiate esports prize pool ever, at $500k.
● Plus, CXM & MTN DEW will identify four competitors based on their performance and
sportsmanship throughout the tournament to be crowned the All-Stars of the Real Change
Challenge.
● These All-Stars will each be awarded $50,000, along with a MTN DEW sponsorship for up-to one
year, as well as mentorship, and maximized exposure to esports pros.
