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Also by Kevin J. Ryan:

Ahead of the Game, February 2022
Hardcover / e-Book

Ahead of the Game
Kevin J. Ryan

The Unlikely Rise of a Detroit Kid Who Forever Changed the Esports Industry

HarperCollins Leadership
February 2022
On Sale: January 25, 2022
320 pages
ISBN: 1400224500
EAN: 9781400224500
Kindle: B08ZMBHTPP
Hardcover / e-Book
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Self-Help

Prepare to be inspired by the story of Delane Parnell, the unlikeliest of CEOs now leading a gaming empire at the center of the booming, multimillion-dollar esports industry.

Delane Parnell is not your typical tech entrepreneur. He was raised in a gang-riddled neighborhood on Detroit’s west side, bouncing between homes as his mother tried to make ends meet. Many of his closest friends and family members ended up in jail or dead.

This makes it all the more incredible that Delane became the 25-year-old founder and CEO of PlayVS, a Los Angeles company that is forever changing the gaming landscape in America. In 2018, esports--team-based competitive video gaming--became an officially sanctioned high school sport, meaning student gamers can now earn varsity letters just like their basketball- and volleyball-playing peers. Delane’s startup is making that happen, providing the infrastructure that hosts the competitions, compiles the statistics, and streams the matches, playoff tournaments, and state championships for tens of thousands of students across the country.

Ahead of the Game is a deeply reported narrative that tells the story of Delane, the motley group of underdogs and hustlers that helped build his several-hundred-million-dollar startup, and the previously overlooked students now participating in America’s growing esports phenomenon. It’s a tale of perseverance, courage, loyalty, race, family, tragedy, and believing you can overcome the odds--no matter how severely they’re stacked against you.

Readers will also:

• Learn how the growing esports industry is changing the lives of students across the country who were previously not engaged in the high school experience.
• Get a glimpse into a successful entrepreneur path unlike any other by following the story of how Delane Parnell created PlayVS in spite of the greatest of challenges.
• Be inspired that there is hope and opportunity available to people who go against conventional paths to realize their dreams.

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