Using Tech to Level Up Esports, Education, and Equity

Today’s guest is Today’s guest is Danielle Rourke, Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist at Dell Technologies.

In the Gamers Change Lives podcast, host Tom Leonard and Danielle Rourke, Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist for Higher Education at Dell Technologies, discuss the role of e-sports in education. They delve into the potential of e-sports to impart skills and provide a sense of community, even in non-coastal regions like Denver and Colorado.

The conversation explores the integration of e-sports into educational programs and the challenges it faces, like online toxicity and technological barriers. Danielle sheds light on Dell's efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in gaming and e-sports, through initiatives like the Girls Who Game and SOAR with Mentor programs.

They discuss expanding gaming clubs for girls beyond North America and offer advice on finding mentors. The episode also touches on the community revival of the Denver restaurant Casa Bonita by South Park creators. Danielle invites listeners to reach out to her on LinkedIn and Twitter for further discussion on e-sports in education.

Episode Webpage: https://www.gamerschangelivespodcast.com/using-tech-to-level-up-esports-education-and-equity

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Featured in this episode:

Danielle Rourke

Danielle Rourke is a Dell Technologies Senior Higher Education Strategist and brings extensive leadership and technology skills, having worked in a variety of disciplines and industries. Prior to joining Dell Technologies, Danielle served as an Associate Director of Information Technology for the University of Colorado Boulder, where she championed new and innovative methods of utilizing technology to make education more accessible to under-served student populations.

A technologist and analyst at heart, Danielle's true passion is helping broker technological solutions to help students, staff, and faculty across the globe engage more fully in the power of education. Danielle has been a gamer her whole life and now brings her passion for games and immersive technology to speaking with schools, clubs, and universities about the ways esports can facilitate social and emotional learning, diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, and help students find career pathways in a growing industry that they are passionate about.

Email: danielle.rourke@dell.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellerourke/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HiEdDanielle

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PRODUCTION:

Creator and host: Tom Leonard (USA) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomeleonard/

Producer: Reginald Nsowah (Ghana) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginald-nsowah-09352929/

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Play Games. Create Jobs. Change Lives.

This is a show about how to build an esports business from literally anywhere in the world where each week we showcase the journey of esports entrepreneurs and others to learn how they solved a particular problem that everyone will ultimately face.

In Season Three our theme is “Building a Business: Esports 101”.

I am your host, Tom Leonard. I have a background in entertainment marketing. After working with many amazing esports entrepreneurs from emerging markets, they inspired me to create a show to tell their stories so that others can be motivated to create their own esports business. Gaming and esports can create jobs tackling the problem of global youth unemployment. Creating jobs from playing games. What could be better than that?

Thanks for listening to The Gamers Change Lives Podcast!