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In an effort to increase the visibility of women working within the esports industry, The Esports Observer has created a monthly interview series. This series will highlight professionals working throughout the industry from startups to major developers, and everything in between. Our goal with this series is to help dispel the myth that competitive gaming is “for boys only” by showcasing all of the work already being done by women across esports.
This month, The Esports Observer spoke with eight women from Immortals Gaming Club (IGC) 
—formally Immortals, LLC—to find out how they got started in the industry, how the experience fit any preconceived notions about working with an esports team, and the important roles they each play within the organization.
Debbie Chun, team manager of Los Angeles Valiant served in the U.S. Navy before starting a career in esports management. Since the release of Overwatch , she has managed Tier-3 teams, moved up to Contenders, and eventually signed onto the Overwatch League (OWL).
Chun began the 2019 OWL season with the Toronto Defiant , then moved over to LA Valiant as team manager.
“As an avid gamer myself, this experience goes beyond my initial expectations,” said Chun. “Imagine waking up every day not only doing what you love, but working with talented professionals who also love their job and working together for a common goal. That’s exactly what my reality is.”
Chun’s duties change each day between assisting LA Valiant General Manager Mike Schwartz and handling players’ day-to-day schedules.
“There’s no ‘typical day’ and that’s part of the excitement,” she said.
Karen Hennessy-Coles, director of people and culture at IGC calls the beginning of her esports career a “total fluke.”
“A job was advertised to set up ‘the people function’ for the organization, which is my background,” said Hennessy-Coles, explaining that prior to Immortals, she was consulting with businesses about building culture and leadership teams.
“When I started researching [IGC] I was drawn to the excitement of being involved in a new industry with the potential for doing things differently,” she said. “The fact that the organization had publicly stated that they were passionate about player wellbeing was a great sign. [I’m] not sure I had any expectations of the [esports] industry. However, I did have expectations that the organization would be mission-driven, working towards instilling positive values.
“My role is to support the business in developing a high performing culture, which allows both the people and the organization to succeed.”
Caroline Beall, manager of event operations at IGC Esports, gained experience working in digital media with influencers and YouTube creators while employed with Fullscreen Media.
Beall heard about IGC through a former manager, who had left the company to work there.
“I didn’t have many expectations around working in esports, except that I knew it’d be a startup mentality, which I was excited about,” Beall recalled. “I will say I was pleasantly surprised, however, at everyone’s positive attitude and openness toward achieving a common goal.”
As manager of event operations, Beall works alongside the vice president of events and looks forward to the upcoming OWL season.
“Our Overwatch team, the LA Valiant, is in an exciting place for us as the Overwatch League prepares for home matches in the 2020 season,” she said. “Additionally, I plan community events for the fans of our teams to come together and connect in an offline setting.”
IGC PR and Communications Manager Jen Neale was an NHL writer for Yahoo! Sports but found herself unemployed following the 2017 Verizon merger.
“I happened to interview [IGC] CEO Ari Segal for a piece on Yahoo! a few years earlier when he was with the San Diego Gulls,” recalled Neale. “We stayed in touch and when I was looking for a job, he gave me the heads up that Immortals was looking for a PR Manager. Ari put me in touch with the hiring manager, went ‘hands off’ from there and I had to earn my way in.”
Neale admits that she had “zero” expectations walking into the industry.
“My goal coming in was to develop a professional PR program as if I was running a ‘traditional sports’ team,” she recalled. “I see our players as no different than the NHL players I covered… I will say I didn’t truly understand the esports phenomena until I went to Blizzard Arena for the first time to watch the LA Valiant play. The fans were just as rabid as any hockey game I’ve attended.”
Today, Neale manages public relations and communications for both parent company IGC and competitive branch IGC Esports.
“In one day, I could be writing a press release, then moving on to media training for our players or chatting with reporters on upcoming stories,” she said. “I’m an army of one, so being able to adapt and refocus on the fly is key.”
There was a time when IGC Esports Partnership Account Executive Stephanie Hawkins saw gaming as a just a personal pursuit.
“I worked in marketing and communications in the Aerospace industry before moving to Japan to teach English for three years,” Hawkins said. “While in Japan, I came to realize gaming could be much more communal and I began to see the true power of esports. When I returned to the States I worked hard to pursue a career in gaming and esports.”
When Hawkins saw videos from LA Valiant’s Girls in Gaming Summit and from the team’s activation at the 2018 LA Pride parade, she became “laser-focused” on getting a job at IGC.
“I was drawn to IGC’s values of diversity and inclusion,” she said, “and wanted to be part of the company prioritizes making a positive impact on the gaming and esports community.”
That being said, Hawkins had “really high” expectations for working with IGC because of what attracted her to the organization in the first place.
“I’m happy to say IGC did not disappoint,” she said, noting that one of her first major accounts was fundraising to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Our fan community immediately participated and continues to participate… We hear all too often about the toxicity of the gaming industry but we don’t hear a lot about the good that our community does when it rallies behind a cause.”
Hawkins works with each of IGC Esports’ team brands, coordinating the activations for partners like Kit Kat and St. Jude.
“I love that I get to work with our internal teams to take the words from a contract and bring them to life in a way that connects with our esports fan communities. I also enjoy being an advocate for partners and learning about their objectives in esports so I can help them navigate the industry landscape.”
For IGC Esports Graphic Designer Vanessa Schoth, the path to esports was not one she expected to take.
Schoth spent seven years as an illustrator, teacher, and designer before joining IGC.
“The biggest draw to the position [at IGC Esports] was having a direct role in developing and executing the visuals for our various teams, events, and campaigns,” said Schoth. “It’s a collaborative experience and allows me to use all of my skills—not only in design, but ideation, styling, and branding.”
Other than “fast-paced and dynamic,” Schoth admits that she “dove in” to the job without any expectations of what it would be like working in esports.
“I’m the one-stop shop for the majority of our visual needs, from social posts and banners to logo design, deck building, branding, and events,” she said. “If you see something on our channels, [the] chances are pretty high that it was done by yours truly.”
IGC Esports Social Media Manager Shelby Reese is no stranger to the world of gaming, having worked for Machinima, ELEAGUE, FaceIt, and Twin Galaxies.
“I got my start in digital media working in the music festival and artist account management space,” remembers Reese. “My first job in the gaming world really tested all of my skills from being in front of the camera and behind it to doing voice-over work.”
When AT&T consolidated its properties under Otter Media in 2018, Reese was laid off but soon found herself at IGC, where she manages multiple social media accounts across different esports franchises.
Reese said her first experience in esports was prior to IGC and “definitely” not what she expected.
“I knew esports was massive—I had been a fan for years—[but] what I didn’t realize was how built-out the infrastructure of these tournaments was,” said Reese. “That being said, IGC is different from many other companies within the industry. Not only do they push positive values but they live them every single day.”
As social media manager, Reese says her day-to-day consists of designing social campaigns around IGC’s different brands such as the Los Angeles Valiant, MiBR , and the Immortals Clash Royale and Apex Legends teams.
“I work with the coordinators for each team to create programming and content schedules while additionally managing the creative side of the business with our graphic designer,” said Reese.
Prior to working for IGC Esports, Production Assistant Anna Eastman gained experience in cosmetic/makeup photography while working for a production company in New York.
“I was living on the East Coast when I saw Immortals was in need of a Portuguese translator and I applied right away,” said Eastman. “I thought my background in production assistance as well as my familiarity with the language would make a great fit for the position, and I moved out to LA almost immediately after hearing back from the team!”
Eastman says she has been granted far greater creative roles than she “ever imagined possible,” making the long-distance move worth it.
“I never expected to collaborate with other content creators to bring my illustrations to life, and to have such freedom to pitch my own visual ideas,” said Eastman. “The company has given me great artistic latitude by way of making content for MiBR as well.
“I move back and forth between several roles here, namely production assistance, translation, and illustration. I’m usually either translating subtitles for player interviews, helping set up and break down lighting equipment for ‘Custa News’ or illustrating the LA Valiant players for the newly released video series, ‘Storytime.’”
