What propelled you into the entrepreneurial space? And what do you enjoy most about being a founder?

The ability to impact youth and help them marry their passion and purpose to careers is what propelled me into the entrepreneurial space. I love being able to directly impact young people, and I love seeing where that impact takes them in terms of the amazing things they accomplish in their careers and their lives.

Tell me about an experience you had as an entrepreneur or in starting your company that exemplified one of Camelback's core values: "Belief in Mission + Vision"; "Unafraid of Failure"; "Constant Learner"; "Humble + Hungry"; and "Give First."

[Constant Learner] When COVID first appeared in the U.S. in late January/early February of 2020, we anticipated that it might last well past the summer of 2020. We envisioned what a 100% virtual summer camp experience might look like. We had no idea if it would actually work or if we'd fall on our faces, but spent a weekend assessing what that pivot might look like and even put up an MVP website to see if anyone would be interested in signing up. The following Monday, we got our first call from an executive director telling us that all of their face-to-face summer programming had been cancelled and asking if we had any 100% virtual offerings.

Combining both her academic passions and her gaming background, Dr. Jakita Thomas is working to transform the future of esports.

Pharaoh's Conclave, a non-profit she started with her husband Erich, has set a goal of placing 500 Black and Brown youth in esports career opportunities over the next two years through a combination of "online skills-building platform, league, and our apprenticeship program," Thomas tells Hypepotamus."

To help reach that goal, Pharoah's Conclave was recently named as a recipient of Google for Startups Black Founder Fund.

As Pharoah's Conclave grows, Thomas answered our questions about the organization's origin and how building a more diverse esports workforce can help move the industry forward.