Gaming is a larger platform than film, TV, and music, forming a powerful media channel and opening vast opportunities for retail media and advertising. In this episode of The Garage, hosts Dan Masamino and Evan Hovorka sit down with Greg Carroll, general manager of gaming experiences at Microsoft Advertising, to explore the nexus of gaming […]
Gaming is a larger platform than film, TV, and music, forming a powerful media channel and opening vast opportunities for retail media and advertising.
In this episode of The Garage, hosts Dan Masamino and Evan Hovorka sit down with Greg Carroll, general manager of gaming experiences at Microsoft Advertising, to explore the nexus of gaming and retail media.
They explore the world of gaming advertising, showing how brands can create authentic engagements with audiences while preserving the integrity of the gaming experience. Take a deep dive into the potential of Microsoft’s ecosystem, which reaches over 3.4 billion gamers worldwide.
From sharing stories about small-town origins to exploring how to turn offline data into actionable insights, this episode of The Garage offers a clear look at how hyperlocal advertising can create new opportunities for brands, agencies, and retailers.
Episode highlights:
[05:26] The Evolution of Gaming — The evolution of how people interact with gaming and its relationship with advertisers, retail media, although new compared to films and TV has introduced the monetization of the industry. Greg discusses how he leverages different things to bring retail media to focus in this space while protecting the gamer. He shares how his expertise in advertising technology and passion for gaming merged to birth his journey.
[09:04] The Delicate Balance of Gaming Experience for Brands and Users — Enrich the experience and unlock something that people are passionate about and love. Greg describes the gaming space as one closest to sports. This strategy ensures the halo effect for brands and retailers and any disruptions to this experience can have negative consequences for both users and brands. Greg adds that the alignment of passions always creates a win-win situation.
[15:43] The Future of Gaming Marketing — Greg shares the importance of a multi-platform approach and the effectiveness especially in a mid-to-lower marketing process and how it helps brands reach gamers in relevant ways across board, highlighting The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases these interactive branded experiences. He explains that Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem offers a diverse range of interaction channels that optimize advertising performance and aligns messaging with gaming context and platform. He highlights The Prada Candy Crush partnership as one that showcases the effectiveness of interactive branded experiences.
[26:34] How Gaming Influences Community Building — The Covid-19 lockdowns validated how important gaming was as an escape, allowing gamers not just to associate but also socialize. Social gaming platforms recorded a massive surge in participation – it was an absolute boom for gaming according to Greg. The platform creates meaningful connections between people as well as shared experiences and this has transformed gaming. He says that with the engagement levels comparable to traditional sports, gaming communities require a nuanced understanding and respect to ensure successful marketing integration.
In this College Football 26 Dynasty Guide for Beginners, we want to show you the ropes of CFB 26’s biggest mode. This year, the developer added real coaches to the game, but you can still create your own coach (or coordinator) from scratch. Dynasty will test your skills on and off the field as you […]
In this College Football 26 Dynasty Guide for Beginners, we want to show you the ropes of CFB 26’s biggest mode. This year, the developer added real coaches to the game, but you can still create your own coach (or coordinator) from scratch. Dynasty will test your skills on and off the field as you seek to win games, recruit valuable players, and build the ultimate program. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
College Football 26 Dynasty Guide For Beginners – What is Dynasty Mode?
Dynasty Mode serves as the Franchise Mode of College Football 26. Overall, the main goal is to lead your college program to glory by performing well on the field, while recruiting talented players. Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that, so let’s start from the beginning.
Rosters & Dynasty Settings – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
College Football 26 offers players the choice of creating an offline and online league. As the names suggest, an online league lets you play with friends, and CFB 26 now features Cross-Play in Dynasty. Additionally, you can only use Team Builder Teams in an Online Dynasty.
But with an offline league, you don’t need to be connected to the internet to play. So when the game’s servers eventually shut down, you’ll still be able to play the game.
Regardless of which type of league you create, you need to select the active or default roster. The former allows you to use the most updated rosters in the game. Check out our guide on how to update your rosters in the game.
After that, you have the option to start your league right away. But before we begin, we recommend editing some of the settings before you start. You can always change them later on, but it’s good to set these up ahead of time.
These settings range from difficulty, quarter lengths, gameplay sliders, injuries, and much more. Furthermore, you have the ability to edit the league’s structure. Some things you can customize include:
Divisions & Division Names
Number of Conference Games
Conference Championship game location
Selecting a School – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
Feel free to select whatever school you want to play as. In an online league, feel free to import your Team Builder team, if you created one. If you don’t know how, check out our Team Builder Guide on how to create and import your team.
The only thing we want to suggest before picking a school is to look at their school grade. Each School is graded on 14 different criteria, all of which determine their Team Prestige. These grades include:
Playing Style – Seasonal stats determine this rating
How to improve: Check Playing Style in the My School Menu to see which players are at risk of transferring unless you play them
Proximity To Home – Unique to each recruit based on where they live
Championship Contender – Likeliness of your school winning the national championship
How to improve – Increase your poll ranking & quality of your roster
Program Tradition – Success of your school based on their history
How to improve – Increase appearances in National Titles, Playoff Games, Conference Championships, and Bowl Games. Furthermore, Heisman winners help improve this grade too.
Campus Lifestyle – Student experience between games on campus
Stadium Atmosphere – How much home field advantage your school generates
How to improve – Increase home winning percentage, home game attendance, and earn winning streaks while improving prestige
Pro Potential – Likeliness of your player going pro
How to improve – Have several players on your team become projected draft picks in the NFL. 1st round players greatly increase Pro Potential
Brand Exposure – How much attention your school receives relative to the rest of the nation
How to improve – Playing more in Playoff, National Championship, Game of the Week, Streamed, or National TV game
Academic Prestige – Academic success
Conference Prestige – Strength of conference relative to the rest of the nation
How to improve – Average team prestige in the conference must be high. There’s a couple things you could do to improve this:
Improve your team
Use the “Force Win” option on CPU schedules, helping your conference rivals win meaningless games to make the conference look good.
Coach Stability – Organization’s confidence as well as Coach’s experience in the league
How to improve – Increase job security, accept long contracts, and keep coordinators with you for the long run.
Coach Prestige – Quality of Coaches
Hire good coordinators and exceed statistical expectations
Athletic Facilities – Overall quality of Football Facilities
How to improve – Increase Team Prestige
Playing Time – How soon your recruit will hit the field
How to improve – Based on depth chart and graduating class. For example, a QB prospect may not want to play on your team if you have two promising Sophomores
Some My School Grades can’t be changed, like Proximity to Home, or Academic Prestige. However, most grades can be improved, which in turn, improves your Team Prestige.
Conference Prestige is technically another one you can’t control directly. However, you can “force” your conference rivals to win more games. But doing this also means you need to watch out for them taking your spot in the polls.
Overall, Team Prestige represents the composite value of all school grades. Therefore, the better your grade, the better your Team Prestige. Remember all of this, as it’ll help you recruit talented prospects.
With all that in mind, select the school of your choice. Fortunately, the game allows you to use whatever playbook you want. For example, you could be the head coach of Florida, and use Oregon’s offensive playbook.
Now it’s time to pick a Coach!
Coach Background – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
Another thing you’ll need to do before beginning is selecting or creating your own Coach. Dynasty allows you to play as a Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Defensive Coordinator. If this is your first time playing Dynasty, we recommend starting as a Head Coach. You’ll be able to manage every aspect of the team.
If you do decide to start as a coordinator, you can still earn a Head Coaching Opportunity down the road. However, you’ll only be able to manage one side of the team, as opposed to the entire program.
Furthermore, you can use a real coach, or create your own. CFB 26 features over 300 real coaches, including big names like Kirby Smart and James Franklin. These coaches already come with pre-determined backgrounds and abilities. So for the sake of this guide, we’re going to assume you created your own coach.
The first thing you’ll tasked with is selecting your backstory. Overall, the game offers three:
Motivator – Unlocks Motivator Skill tree, influences player ratings and composure
Recruiter – Unlocks Recruiter Skill tree, influences player recruitment
Tactician – Unlocks Tactician Skill Tee, influences schemes
Personally, we prefer the Recruiter backstory. This backstory gives you instant access to the Recruiter Skill Tree. Upgrading these Skills helps give you an edge when recruiting players.
After you finish creating your coach, you’ll sign your contract and begin your career!
Understanding The Menus – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
When you finally begin Dynasty, you might feel bombarded by all the different menus and things you need to do. Have no fear, as we’ll break down each menu and explain what each contains.
The Actions Menu lets you Play Games, visit your Recruiting board, check out the top stories, and even set up a custom schedule. Keep in mind that you can only create a custom schedule before the season officially begins. Afterward, this option disappears until the following year.
Furthermore, you must play 12 games in a season. Furthermore, you do not have the option of editing conference games. As for the Recruiting Board, check out our full Recruiting Guide to acquaint yourself with the system.
The Members menu lets you create more characters. So if you want to make more coaches or coordinators, feel free to do so.
The CFB Menu lets you see information regarding rankings. From preseason polls, to team schedules, to bowl projections and more, the CFB menu is where you’ll find information on the season, except for stats.
In the Coach Menu, you can upgrade your Coach Abilities, check out your XP goals, look at your contract, and edit your coach or his scheme.
The Team Menu lets you customize your depth chart, roster, Auto Subs, and more. Furthermore, you can even view injuries here, practice, and Redshirt players. Check out our guide on how to Redshirt players in College Football 26.
Stats & Records sounds exactly like it does. Look at season stats, career stats, team stats, Coach Stats, Records, and even the new CFB History Room. Furthermore, you can also view your Trophy Room from here.
Lastly, Dynasty Central lets you edit the league’s settings, XP and Gameplay Sliders, User settings, and league members. Additionally, this is where you can retire, if you wish.
Coach Abilities & XP – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
Throughout your journey, you’ll earn XP. And when you earn enough XP, you level up, earning Coach Points to spend on abilities. Depending on your backstory, you can only upgrade that tree from the beginning. However, as you keep playing, you’ll unlock new skill trees with even more abilities to unlock.
To unlock these new trees, check out the Coach Abilities Menu and go over each locked tree to see what’s required. Furthermore, you can even unlock elite abilities after completing even more challenges in each tree.
Recruiting – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
Check out our Recruiting Guide for a more extensive explanation on how the process works. However, we’ll still mention the important points below for those who want something more condensed. TLDR – You have a dedicated amount of hours every week to spend on recruits.
You can spend these hours on scouting new players, researching them, or Selling them about your program. All sorts of factors play into recruitment, like your Team Prestige, School Grades, and how much time you put into a player. Overall, it’s broken up into a few phases.
Adding Prospects to your Recruitment Board
Scouting, Researching, and Pitching to your Prospect
Scheduling visits with your prospect
Offering scholarships
Recruiting – College Football 25 Dynasty Guide
We covered Recruiting in our extensive Recruiting guide. However, we still want to label a few important points for those who want something more condensed. Therefore, we listed below the main points of recruiting:
You have a dedicated amount of hours every week to scout and recruit players
To scout a new player, you must visit the Prospect List and select them
Each prospect has their interests, which you’ll need to learn about via scouting and influencing. Your school grade may impact a recruit’s interest in your school.
You can spend up to 50 hours per week on recruiting a new player. There are multiple ways to influence a player, including:
Searching Social Media (5 hours per week)
DM the Player (10 hours per week)
Contact the player’s Friends and Family (25 hours per week)
Send the House (50 hours per week)
Offer a Scholarship (5 hours per week, Limited!)
*Schedule a Visit
You can also spend that time Pitching your school to the player if you know their interests. However, you can only pitch to the player when you’ve entered their top five schools.
Soft Sell – 20 hours
Hard Sell – 40 hours
Sway – 30 Hours
When you receive a Verbal commitment, you’re more than likely to sign that prospect
If a prospect doesn’t want you, you’ll be locked out of recruiting them
There are Two Signing days:
Early Signing Day – Bowl Season
National Signing Day – 7 weeks after National Championship
Scheduling visits does not take time away from your 50 hour maximum on a single recruit. However, it does take time off your total hours for the week. So if you really want a certain prospect, schedule an early visit, Send the House, and offer a scholarship ASAP.
When do you schedule a visit, try to set it for a tougher matchup. The risk/reward is greater, but very much worth if it you win. Feel free to customize your schedule if you want to play the top teams in the league.
Transfer Portal – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
The Transfer Portal works very similarly to the regular recruiting process. However, it runs for a very limited amount of time, acting as a “micro-recruiting” process.
You don’t have much time to influence Transfers, so if there’s someone you really want, spend everything you can on getting them, Transfers are great if you still have a position need to fill but you don’t want a low-star recruit.
Conversely, you need to watch out for players who are at risk of transferring. You receive an update of which players are at risk. But you can also check to see which players need what on the My School Page in your Recruitment board.
Wear & Tear – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
Wear & Tear returns to College Football 26, and the system works the same in Dynasty. Essentially, every hit your player takes, every snap they take puts some level of tear on their body.
Fortunately, you can check out your player’s Wear & Tear levels in several ways:
Player Reticle
Depth Chart
Coach Vision
Play Call Menu
Dynasty Player Card
& More
There’s no shortage of ways to find out how your player is doing in terms of health. The colors of wear & tear range from yellow to red (Yellow being minor, red indicating serious levels of damage). Typically, you want to sub out players often to ensure everyone stays healthy during a game.
Some players possess abilities that make them more durable. But for the most part, you often need to rest your players. However, you can also turn this option off, or even customize the levels of Wear & Tear.
Fortunately, College Football 26’s rosters are much larger than the 53-man roster in Madden. You could have five RBs and use all of them in a single game. A good rule of thumb is to bench your players when you have a strong lead.
Thankfully, CFB 26 implemented a new Subs menu. By pressing up on the D-Pad, you can swiftly change who’s coming in on the next play and beyond. Make good use of this new feature, but keep your eye on the clock, too!
Tips & Tricks – College Football 26 Dynasty Guide
For those who want a more relaxed experience, here are a few settings to make your life easier:
XP Sliders – Adjusts how much XP you receive per week. Boost the XP gain to receive more Coach Points in a season.
Gameplay Difficulty – Play on Freshman or Varsity if this is your first time playing CFB
Gameplay Sliders – Adjust sliders for both your team and the CPU.
Lastly, for more gaming and NCAAF news, visit ClutchPoints. Furthermore, subscribe to our gaming newsletter for more weekly info.
Modern Digital Spaces Are More Than Screens — They’re Business Engines
From university labs pivoting to esports, to gaming lounges chasing seamless experiences, to retailers installing interactive kiosks — managing digital spaces today is more complex than ever. This said, the edtech market continues to expand, with global education software projected to reach $404 billion by 2025. We sat down with Sergiy Purish, CEO of Enestech, […]
From university labs pivoting to esports, to gaming lounges chasing seamless experiences, to retailers installing interactive kiosks — managing digital spaces today is more complex than ever. This said, the edtech market continues to expand, with global education software projected to reach $404 billion by 2025.
We sat down with Sergiy Purish, CEO of Enestech, to explore what’s driving this evolution, the hidden headaches owners still face, and how unified approaches are helping businesses stay ahead.
Q1. Sergiy, you’ve helped hundreds of venues build or upgrade their digital environments. What stands out to you about how schools, gaming lounges, and retail spaces have changed?
It’s almost a different world compared to five or ten years ago. Schools aren’t just running “computer labs” anymore. They’re layering in esports, STEM initiatives, hybrid learning — all of which depend on having PCs and content ready exactly when needed. That’s a big shift in expectations.
For gaming lounges, it’s become more than just offering machines. Owners want serious business oversight: airtight revenue tracking, staff integrity, clear reporting. They see transparency as a safeguard for profitability.
Retail is also interesting. Stores are banking on interactive screens and self-service setups to boost sales. But they’re under pressure to keep those systems secure and always-on, or risk harming customer trust.
Q2. What do you see as the biggest operational headaches these venues still struggle with?
It boils down to control and predictability.
Schools often tell us they have a hard time syncing PC availability with lesson schedules. They want students to see only approved educational software. Maybe a design app at 10 AM, a physics simulator at noon. And they need it to just work without constant IT calls.
In gaming lounges, it’s about cash flow and staff accountability. Manual payment handling is slow and prone to errors, and reconciling cash at the end of the day is where many owners lose sleep (and money).
Retail has its own challenges. You’ve got demo devices that visitors freely use, but if they wander off into risky sites or crash the system, it tanks the shopping experience. Plus, you need to update content across dozens of stores without a tech crew traveling everywhere.
Q3. Some might say these are purely tech problems. But it seems there’s a human side too — how do you look at it?
Absolutely. It’s always a mix of tech and people.
Your average venue admin or teacher isn’t a systems engineer. They need interfaces that are intuitive, policies that run automatically, and tech that helps them. Not the other way around.
A smart platform means staff can focus on what actually matters: teaching students, serving players, helping shoppers. It lifts the operational load, so your team isn’t stuck chasing every glitch or manual update.
Q4. You often talk about the value of managing all this through a unified platform instead of cobbling together separate tools. What’s the real impact there?
When everything flows through one system, solutions like SENET platform consolidate device control, content management, and payments into one easy-to-run ecosystem. It means you eliminate dozens of manual touchpoints. No matter if it’s booking PCs, pushing software updates, managing payments, or setting user access.
That means fewer mistakes, tighter security, clearer revenue trails, and a lot less chance for things like staff theft or overlooked content updates. It also gives owners live oversight of their whole operation from anywhere, which is huge peace of mind.
Plus, when you want to scale, be it opening a new campus lab, launching another gaming floor, rolling out more retail kiosks, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.
Q5. Any favorite examples where an integrated approach really saved the day?
I remember a university that was preparing for a huge multi-school esports event. Before, they’d manually prep each lab, and it took days. With a unified system, they cut it to a couple of hours, all remotely.
A gaming venue in Warsaw told us how stressful it used to be balancing cash and checking if admins were being 100% honest. Now, it’s automated, they have daily revenue snapshots, and the owner sleeps a lot better.
And a retail group running weekend product demos in multiple cities shared that they were able to update all displays overnight — no downtime, no staff flying around with USB sticks.
Q6. Finally, what advice would you give to schools, entrepreneurs, or retail managers who are looking to modernize how they run their digital setups?
Start by really mapping out your pain points. Is it scheduling? Content chaos? Lost revenue? Then look for partners who won’t just sell you a dashboard but will actually onboard your team and stick around when questions come up.
Also, plan for growth. Whether it’s hybrid classrooms with esports tournaments, gaming lounges expanding into new cities, or retailers adding smarter demo areas, your tech foundation should flex with you. That’s what ultimately safeguards margins and keeps customers or students coming back.
“In the end, getting your infrastructure right isn’t about screens or software.
It’s about giving people experiences they’ll love — and protecting your business for the long haul.”– Sergiy Purish, Co-Founder and CEO of Enestech, a developer of SENET
Post Malone dazzles fans in Saudi Arabia during Esports World Cup’s kick-off concert
The 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh with a Post Malone concert on Thursday night. The American singer-songwriter opened his performance with the 2019 hit Circles followed by a track list of fan favourites. The crowd revelled in a mix tape of his biggest hits, singing along throughout. Complementing Malone’s […]
The 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh with a Post Malone concert on Thursday night.
The American singer-songwriter opened his performance with the 2019 hit Circles followed by a track list of fan favourites. The crowd revelled in a mix tape of his biggest hits, singing along throughout.
Complementing Malone’s set list were special effects used on stage to bring each song to life.
During Sunflower, from the soundtrack of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Malone approached fans and even some of the VIPs in attendance. Later, he shared a moment with chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, one of the Esports World Cup’s ambassadors.
With the crowd warmed up, it was time for a performance of Malone’s 2018 hit song Rockstar, which got some of the loudest crowd appreciation of the night.
Despite being a short concert, it served its purpose in getting the people of Riyadh, as well as its visitors, ready and excited for the competition about to unfold.
Malone ended his set with a message of good luck to all the competitors at the tournament, and a wish for those attending to enjoy the event.
Entertainment at the opening ceremony
Malone’s set was preceded with a lively performance of the tournament’s official song Til My Fingers Bleed by Dino from K-pop band Seventeen, featuring American rapper and singer Duckwrth, and Telle Smith of metal band The Word Alive.
Before the artists took to the stage, fans flocked into the arena to enjoy various activations. Many watched as Saudi Arabia’s premier esports outfit, Team Falcon, competed in a tournament for the game Valorant. The game was projected on two large screens accompanied by live commentary.
Outside the venue, attendees enjoyed dishes from a selection of food trucks, which served up everything from burgers and fries to ice cream and bubble tea. A DJ also provided a soundtrack of remixed tunes.
The evening sidestepped many of the typical symbolic moves that signal the start of such a tournament, such as a ribbon cutting or speeches from organisers. Instead, the opening ceremony focused on the musical performances.
Running until August 24 in Boulevard City, Riyadh, the tournament is the largest esports event in the world, in terms of games played and prize pool for winners. The 2025 tournament features a $70 million prize pool, the largest in esports history. It surpasses last year’s total of $62.5 million, showing the growth and ambition of the competition.
It will feature 25 tournaments across 24 titles, offering a mix of strategy, shooter, sports, fighting and mobile games. This year, organisers have also set up a fan festival for visitors to enjoy outside of the competition arenas. These areas will host miniature competitions, meet and greets with celebrities and influencers from the world of gaming, as well as a museum dedicated to the history of gaming.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Lerner and Rowe backpack distribution finds home on GCU campus
K-12 students receive backpacks at a past Lerner and Rowe Gives Back distribution event. GCU will be the site of one of those distributions on July 28. Story by Eric Jay Toll With the 2025-26 school year fast approaching, Grand Canyon University is partnering with Lerner and Rowe Gives Back, the nonprofit arm of Lerner […]
K-12 students receive backpacks at a past Lerner and Rowe Gives Back distribution event. GCU will be the site of one of those distributions on July 28.
Story by Eric Jay Toll
With the 2025-26 school year fast approaching, Grand Canyon University is partnering with Lerner and Rowe Gives Back, the nonprofit arm of Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, to supply K-12 students with 1,000 school-supply-filled backpacks.
The giveaway, just one of six events in four states where 6,500 backpacks will be distributed, is slated from 4-6 p.m. July 28 at the university’s business complex on 27th Avenue and Camelback Road.
Lerner and Rowe Gives Back is holding the annual distribution on GCU’s campus for the first time, with the space at the university’s 27th Avenue business complex allowing the community event to grow and have a bigger community impact.
Kevin Rowe, founder of Lerner and Rowe Gives Back and managing partner of Lerner and Rowe, said his team is thrilled to be at GCU this year, “a wonderful college and well-known name in the Valley.
A thousand backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed, first come, first served, at the Lerner and Rowe Gives Back event July 28 at GCU.
“It became clear that teaming up with GCU was the perfect opportunity to help uplift and support families throughout the West Valley,” he said. “Our backpack giveaway is about more than school supplies – it’s about showing kids and families that their community is cheering them on.”
In addition to the backpacks filled with supplies, Lerner and Rowe Gives Back gave GCU CityServe a grant of $15,000.
GCU CityServe partners with more than 100 churches, nonprofits and other community organizations to distribute household goods and other items to those who need them. More than $15.3 million of goods, including beds, furniture, heaters, diapers and food have been distributed to more than 74,000 families in the community since 2021.
Noah Wolfe, senior director of GCU Development and Advancement, said the grant helps support the university’s Five-Point Plan to transform the community around GCU. That plan includes serving families in need, making neighborhoods safer, improving home values, supporting K-12 education and creating jobs.
CityServe co-founder Dave Donaldson helps student volunteers sort through incoming merchandise at the GCU CityServe warehouse during the Week of Service in 2024. GCU CityServe received a $15,000 grant from Lerner and Rowe. (Photo by Ralph Freso)
“Together, Lerner and Rowe and GCU are immediately impacting lives in our community,” Wolfe said.
Added Steven Owens, director of Donor Stewardship and Development for GCU, “This generous gift from Lerner and Rowe Gives Back will help enhance the ongoing work of GCU CityServe by expanding our ability to serve families in the West Valley. Support like this allows us to strengthen our distribution efforts – especially for largescale events focused on providing food and other essential items – while continuing to build meaningful connections with our surrounding community.”
The backpack distribution, which is in its 10th year, also will include face painting, balloons, free giveaways, popcorn and an ice cream truck.
Backpacks will be given first come, first served, to students who attend in person and are accompanied by an adult. Families are advised to line up early, as the distribution goes fast.
The event also will feature other community partners, such as Phoenix Raceway’s Zoom Crew, which will bring a branded vehicle, local influencers, and Somos Dental, which will be setting up appointments for free X-rays and dental exams.
Other backpack distribution sites in Arizona will be in Tucson, Yuma and Bullhead City. Lerner and Rowe Gives Back also will be giving away backpacks in Albuquerque, Las Vegas and Chicago.
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Information: Click here.
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Related content:
GCU News: Alumnus’ nonprofit finds a new partner in GCU CityServe
GCU News: GCU’s laptop initiative computes with the community
GCU News: More than 1,000 volunteer opportunities highlight GCU’s Week of Service
MTSU adds esports courses – Main Street Media of Tennessee
The Level Up Arena, located on the second floor of Middle Tennessee State University’s Student Union Building, opened last fall and is open to students across campus and will be used as a learning lab for students in the new esports concentrations offered beginning in the fall of 2025. SUBMITTED Middle Tennessee State University is […]
The Level Up Arena, located on the second floor of Middle Tennessee State University’s Student Union Building, opened last fall and is open to students across campus and will be used as a learning lab for students in the new esports concentrations offered beginning in the fall of 2025. SUBMITTED
Middle Tennessee State University is offering two new esports concentrations this fall that will teach students about aesthetics, ethics, marketing and technology needed to create gaming-related content and streams.
Esports and Gaming Content Creation is housed in the College of Media and Entertainment and Esports Coaching is offered by Leisure and Sport Management in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.
“Students will have the opportunity to learn about the variety of skills needed in the esports industry and learn specialized skills in areas in which they want to focus,” said Richard Lewis, esports and content creation coordinator associate professor. “There are hands-on experience opportunities working with the MTSU Esports club and a number of community organizations while earning their degree.”
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a job in the esports industry in the United States is $156,348 a year. Jobs can range from a professional player, content creator, influencer, broadcast manager, social media manager, talent manager, team publicist, coaching, assistant coach, events manager, general manager, game analyst and commissioner.
Lewis said the MTSU concentrations will provide esports players with skills in creating content and revenue streams. Students will also choose from minors to give them specific skills within their professional interests.