Today, we are blessed with April Welch’s presence at the Esports Next Conference to talk about the launch of the Bronzeville Esports League and the first Level-Up award received from the Esports Trade Association. 

April is the Associate Vice President and Strategic Initiatives and Director at the Esports and Digital Arts Center at Illinois Tech. 

We are also joined by Bubba Gaeddert, Executive Director of the Varsity Esports Foundation and Founder and Creator of the Level-Up Fund.

In this episode, Bubba shares the details of Level-Up Fund’s birth and why he decided to start it. April describes her experiences in her 15+ years career in education, her mission, and her vision. We also dive into April’s future projects at Illinois Tech, the process behind creating the Bronzeville Esports League, and the opportunities it will bring to the students. 

Resources:

Visit Illinois Tech’s website: https://www.iit.edu/

or connect with April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilwelchchicago

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:15 – Bubba talks about the creation of the Level-Up Fund.

2:39 – April talks about her mission and shares a big announcement. 

4:48 – April talks about the projects she is working on and Illinois Tech’s future projects.

7:36 – April talks about her experience working with education. How it helped her grow, and the essential values and skills esports and gaming have to offer to students.