Leadership Luncheon Series: Investment in the E-sports Industry

Adam is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and mergers and acquisitions specialist that has been involved in funding, building and growing some of the great Canadian technology growth companies over the last two decades. Adam is co-founder and serves as the Chief Strategy Officer of OverActive Media Inc.

Marco Ciarlariello is an associate in the Business Law Group at Cassels. Marco focuses on the areas of intellectual property (IP), information technology (IT) and sports. He regularly drafts and negotiates commercial agreements that relate to the acquisition, licensing and disposition of IP and IT rights and provides advice on data privacy issues. Marco’s practice involves a variety of work in esports where he provides support and advice in connection with financings and M&A in the esports industry. Marco has lectured and presented on a range of topics in sports and entertainment law, including current challenges and opportunities in the esports industry.

Shane Talbot is Esports Manager for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment where he manages operations, team performance, marketing, and partner activations for Raptors Uprising GC (NBA 2K League), Leafs Gaming League (EA SPORTS™ NHL®), TFC Gaming (EA SPORTS™ FIFA), along with other gaming-related initiatives.

Prior to joining MLSE Shane was COO at Luminosity Gaming, an industry-leading esports organization (acquired by Aquilini Investment Group prior to a merger with Enthusiast Gaming), and initially entered the esports industry from a background in tech startups that lead him to Seattle-based Unikrn inc., an esports betting and news media company.

Wim Stocks has been a progressive leader in the online gaming and esports businesses since 1990. From 2001 to 2006, Wim was Executive Vice President of the “new” Atari Inc. (a roll-up and amalgam of Hasbro Interactive, Infogrames, and GT Interactive), leading and managing one of the broadest-reaching interactive entertainment publishing networks in the world. In 2006, Wim started an entrepreneurial online gaming publishing business named Elephant Entertainment, assuming the role of President and COO. In March 2008, the leading games publisher THQ purchased Elephant and Wim assumed the role of EVP and leader of the Online Gaming division and related digital gaming initiatives. In 2010, Wim was recruited to join the executive management team of Virgin Gaming (now WorldGaming) as Executive Vice President. In this role, Wim helped launch the company and platform in 2010, as well as developed strategic investor, technology, game publisher, retailer, and other brand partnerships. In April 2016, Wim was named CEO of WorldGaming & Collegiate StarLeague, which was acquired by Cineplex in the Fall of 2015 (a leading movie theater operator with diversification into gaming, location based entertainment, and other aligned entertainment and digital media businesses), and is presently leading the esports business, strategy, programming initiatives, sponsorship/partnership sales, and investor relations for the Company.

Wim currently serves as an Advisor to the Special Olympics International; an Advisor to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and Ryerson University’s ‘Future of Sports Lab’; Board member of Wombo Sports, a sports/gaming influencer agency; Advisor and part of the ownership group of Andbox, parent company of the New York Excelsior (NYXL), the professional NYC-based franchise in the Overwatch League and the NY Subliners, professional NYC-based franchise in the Call of Duty League; is a Board Member of National Public Radio’s ‘Marketplace’ programming; and is also a Trustee and on the Board of Directors of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.  Wim has also served on the boards of Allina/Abbott Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis), the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.   

Marissa Roberto has been working professionally in the video game industry for 10 years now. Her work includes Host of long running geek-centric TV shows ‘EP Daily’ and ‘Reviews on the Run’, Xbox Canada's community show ‘XboxAllForOne’ and Superchannel’s esports news show, discussing the hottest esports/gaming topics with pro gamers and industry veterans.

You can now find her stage-hosting a variety of LIVE esports events on weekends (previous titles include Call of Duty, Street Fighter, Rainbow 6, Overwatch, CSGO, & Rocket League) and on TSN’s Instagram stories hosting ‘Digital Sportscentre’ every weekday starting at 3pm EDT.