Giving Thanks

It's been a while since I've written. My hands feel strange typing across the keys. I love writing but as an operator it's been hard to find time to breath; to sit down and let my mind compose.

This blast of words is not about me anymore. Most of everything I write is about me. No, this is about my family and friends. My wife, my parents, my grandparents, my ex managers, coworkers and friends I made along the way.

My first thank you goes to my parents, my Dad and my two Moms. When I was homeless in NYC many many years ago, my mother, Eliana Bennett, sold her jewelry so that I could eat. My Dad at the time always encouraged me to come home where a warm meal was waiting for me and provided me with an allowance. My second mother, Judy Kerpelman, was always there cheering me on.

Fast forward 7+ years and nothing has changed. If anything, they're even more supportive now. I was extremely fortunate and privileged to grow up in not just one but two supportive households. All my parents worked one or three jobs. They still work non-stop and their work ethic is truly inspiring. They're the reason I work so hard.

My grandparents, bless their hearts, inspired me as well. They always tolerated my craziness even as a kid. My grandfather, John Bennett, still works and travels around the world speaking. My other grandfather from Eliana's side, worked until he was 80+ years old. My grandmother, Carol Bennett, dedicated herself to loving and supporting all her grandchildren and still supports me both financially and emotionally to this day. I could easily write pages about all my family members and how they supported and inspired every one of my dreams.

To not completely embarrass my wife, let's just say without her support financially and emotionally, Exedra Games would not have existed or any of my previous ventures while we were together. She is still my rock during my down cycles and everyone knows how much she means to me. She inspires me most of all and I'm always looking to learn from her success. I first met her during one of my down cycles and she's been supporting me ever since. I'm truly grateful to have her in my life.

My first manager, Risto Haukioja , he took a chance on me and I've been grateful ever since. He inspired me to never give up and that I was something special. Technically, Matthew Gonzales was my first manager so I must thank him as well. Since then, Risto has always been supportive of my endeavors. I'm grateful for our friendship and he will always be one of my closest advisors. I hope one day to be 10% of the leader he was to me and everyone at Appington where he was CEO.

I can't give thanks to my ex managers without mentioning Sonia Gonzalez . As a manager, she inspired me most of all. Her work ethic, her values, her success and her skills as a manager made a positive impact on me. My time at MdotM were the most enjoyable two years I've ever spent at a single company because of not just how she treated me but how she helped manage the company. And there's no way I can just mention Sonia when I give thanks to MdotM. Indirectly, Sourabh Niyogi , inspired me most of all. I've had the privilege to work with great CEO's like Risto before but I was fortunate again with Sourabh. I could easily write how he got me to believe in myself even more. At times, when I had small wins, he quickly encouraged me to set a higher bar even when I had doubts. I hope one day to be 5% of the leader he was to me. His charisma, technical expertise and adaptability still inspire me to this day. Lastly, I must thank Rodney Witcher for putting up with me.

Mike Lee , made a bet on me and let me into the mobile blockchain game industry in 2018. I had no experience in mobile gaming or blockchain and he bet the farm on me. He was my first studio manager and got me completely hooked on Web3 gaming. Everything I learned about blockchain and gaming came from his extensive knowledge on the subject. He is the reason I'm back working in Web3 gaming today. My time at Krypton was a once in a lifetime experience because of the freedom and knowledge he shared with me. Unfortunately, I only worked there briefly but every moment was exciting and fun because of his management. Jianfeng Sun as my first gaming CEO was a dream. I hope one day to be 1% of the kind and humble leader he projected both externally and internally. I would work with him again in a heartbeat as well as Tom and Cakra (their CTO and CPO).

Then there's Mike Peng , my manager at FunPlus. Without much mobile gaming experience, he let me be a part of Kings Group which is if you didn't know the most successful studio at FunPlus. That was my second once in a lifetime experience where I played a super small part in operating Guns of Glory for the US market. I had the great fortune to be given a huge amount of freedom again and was able to be involved with IPs like Star Wars which I grew up on watching. He ended up firing me twice but I don't regret my time there. I will always cherish it deeply in a love/hate sort of way. He always tries to support me even though I know we don't work well together. Even after so many fights, he keeps coming back to ask me to help out in some way or another which I'm grateful for.

I won't try to bore other readers by going into my partners at Exedra Games too much but I have to mention Phil Tossell. Even though we still haven't met in person, he took a chance on me and has become a dear friend and business advisor. My ex Exedra Games partner, Andrea Disperati ?got me the job I have now and was extremely supportive during our early days at Exedra. My ex partner John Deyto supported my dreams from the very beginning all the way back to DailyEsportz. Lastly, my partner Bill Rooney , you helped me become a better game designer.

There are many friends I missed thanking so I want you all to know I'm still grateful for your support and advise in the past. And if we haven't chatted recently, please give me a call because I would love to hear from you.