Mark Josey is the CEO of both the Kansas City Pioneers, a multi-discipline esports organization, and Social Apex, a marketing company, both based in Kansas City, MO. Due to both personal and professional interest, Josey has positioned himself at the intersection of technology, communications, and the quickly growing world of esports.

Josey has always identified as a gamer, and has considered gaming an integral part of his personal relationships since childhood. “What really interests me about it is seeing the evolution of something to do for fun, to a way to begin to collaborate, engage, build a community, and find people with similar interests. As technology evolved so did the way you can connect with people.”

Josey also stresses the importance of supplementing personal passions with education. Through gaming focused programs, internships, and recruitment efforts, he believes institutions could attract both professional and non-professional collegiate esports players. Such a partnership would benefit institutions by increasing enrollment and representation in the esports space, as well as providing students with career opportunities related to their passions.

“There is a tremendous opportunity to find niches in the sport that you may or may not know. It’s one thing to intern, it’s another thing to be part of a program, or to be a content creator or a gamer. Those are things that are great, but they can also be applicable to organizations. You can be a gamer, and you can also be passionate about accounting, for example.”

Josey and the Kansas City Pioneers are looking forward to a successful 2021. Watch the video below to learn more about Josey’s thoughts on education and esports.