The Build Phase

Early Roots of ESTA (feat. Megan Van Petten)

In Episode 4 of The Build Phase, we’re joined by Megan Van Petten, founder of the Esports Trade Association, to explore the early beginnings of the organization and the spark that led to its creation. This conversation dives into the inspiration behind building a unifying body for the esports industry, the gaps it was meant to address, and the vision for creating stronger alignment, advocacy, and long-term sustainability across the ecosystem. Rather than focusing on competition alone, the episode centers on community, structure, and the belief that esports grows best when the industry grows together.

Developing Complete Players (feat. Tao Thoma)

In Episode 3 of The Build Phase, we’re joined by Tao Thoma from Respawn Youth to explore how esports can be used as a vehicle for personal development across every level of play, from youth programs to the collegiate pipeline and even the professional scene. Rather than focusing solely on skill progression, this conversation centers on developing players with intention, emphasizing character, accountability, communication, and long-term growth, and how coaches, organizations, and ecosystems can use gaming to help shape better competitors and better people at the same time.

Approaching Esports Infrastructure (feat. Shubber Ali)

In Episode 2 of The Build Phase, we’re joined by Shubber Ali from Omnic.ai to discuss the current infrastructure in the esports scene, covering key areas such as tournament and league operations as well as long-term scalability. We take a high-level look at how competitive ecosystems are structured today, where challenges emerge as the industry grows, and what needs to evolve to support esports at scale.

Our Story & DFW Esports (feat. Saurabh Aggarwal)

In our pilot episode, we share how The Build Phase began, the story behind our team, and our perspective on the DFW esports landscape. This episode sets the foundation for the discussions we want to bring forward as we work to help grow the DFW esports sector and support the scene’s continued development.