Breaking Barriers: The story of Megan Van Petten, Founder of the Esports Trade Association

Welcome to my newsletter where I share the stories of inspiring women in the gaming industry. Today, I am excited to bring you an interview with Megan Van Petten , the founder of the Esports Trade Association. Megan has dedicated her career to coaching nonprofit organizations and high-level executives to help them realize their visions through her company, Van Petten Group. Her expertise in sports, medical, insurance, and psychological fields has made her an ideal leader for the Esports Trade Association. In this interview, we will learn about Megan's background, her role as the founder of ESTA, and her thoughts on diversity and inclusion in the esports industry. I hope that this interview will empower more women globally to pursue careers in the gaming industry.

Fida: So Megan, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you became the founder of the Esports Trade Association?

Megan: I have been grateful to focus on coaching nonprofit organizations and high level executives for the past few decades to help realize their visions through my company, Van Petten Group. These organizations have spanned the focus of sports, medical, insurance, and psychological fields that often required meticulous research to fully understand the scope. I have been privileged to learn from many incredible mentors around these complex fields of industry that often require you to be part of a trade association to actively work in their field in a successful way.

Fida: That's quite an impressive background you have. Can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to start the Esports Trade Association?

Megan: One day it was as simple as hearing the call to service. A mentor said, “Megan, you should start a trade organization for this industry because of your management experience and love of working with teams. These esports related companies need support through localized professional business development, processes, and resources.” My love for smooth processes, industrial psychology, along with a passion for learning about the latest business technologies made it a light bulb moment for me. It is not a cake walk to be a woman in leadership but more women need to be in this space and it is an honor to add value.

Fida: Absolutely, and how do you manage the day-to-day operations and long-term strategy of the organization as its founder?

Megan: Day to day vs. long term is all about creating and valuing time management for micro and macro planning. This calls for consistent dynamic meetings or efficient communication dedicated to both ends of the spectrum. To give you a feel, we are working on strategies for our upcoming EsportsNext conference to illustrate the amazing speakers and resources we are making available to our attendee. On the micro, I help with choosing new board members and technology tools the help serve the association.

Fida: That's great. Can you tell us about some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your role as the founder of the Esports Trade Association?

Megan: Adapting through 2020 when we were set up to have our first in person conference in March was a wild ride but was also so gratifying to see our team rise to the challenge. Working in this industry that is so segmented throughout the globe sometimes can be an uphill battle, trying to work out how we can best serve the community and finding ways to help open more doors and ensure a more accessible, safe, and enriching industry for everyone that is interested.

Fida: In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges facing diversity in the esports and gaming industry today?

Megan: Accessibility, stigmas against gaming as a respected career path, isolation and lack of organized communities are all blocks that I have witnessed within our field.

Fida: How does your organization work to promote diversity and inclusion in the esports industry?

Megan: Part of my mission is creating safe spaces for people to flourish and connect professionally and personally. To promote DEI it's all about actively participating in ongoing continuing education, doing our due diligence to go the extra mile beyond the middle aged white demographic that has flooded the esports space and also not work through tokenism, and taking constructive criticism with an open heart void of the defense mechanism of white fragility. The Chicago community is still recovering from segregated mentalities that keep people apart. As a woman, I have recognized the need for creating inclusive organizations vs hoping organizations will change with the times. Our DEI Panel at our 2022 annual EsportsNext conference truly tipped the hat to the idea that this is the only way forward for us to be a true resource.

Fida: Thank you so much for joining us, Megan. It's been an honor hearing your insights and experiences. To our current subscribers, stay tuned for more exciting interviews with professional women in the games industry. And for those who haven't subscribed yet, don't miss out on the latest stories and perspectives from the world of esports and gaming. Subscribe now to stay informed and be a part of our community. Thanks again, Megan!

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