WHAT STARTED out as an initiative to support esports in the academe has become a force in the Philippine esports scene.
And though AcadArena is still in its startup stage, its influence in supporting the local industry is undeniable.
The organization has partnered with more than 600 schools, covering 100,000 students, and even raised $3.5 million (around P183 million) for funding.
And now their efforts have led them to be included as part of the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2022 list under the Consumer Technology category.
Forbes Asia honors AcadArena founders
In the wake of the Forbes announcement, one of the founders, Justin Banusing, reminisced about his humble beginnings on a Twitter thread. He even revealed that before he was announced to be in the official list, he joked about being a part of Forbes' prestigious list.
Perhaps this already proves that jokes are half-meant.
Looking back at his youth, Banusing was told that his passion for gaming would never get him anywhere. Eventually he was given the chance to work within the gaming industry across numerous fields.
By the time he was 16 years ld, he started his first company, centered on events. Some of his high school peers attacked him, with some accusing him of cheating as he still managed to get school awards while running his business.
Afterwards, he took a huge risk and started a new life in the United States. He initially struggled as he felt homesick. Eventually, he was able to overcome the hardships of staying abroad.
And then the pandemic happened, where he was forced to let go of organizing gaming conventions, like Conquest. He tried his luck in internship roles.
Out of desperation, he set up AcadArena with the other founders Ariane Lim and Kevin Hoang. He admitted that it was difficult to balance his life as a student and entrepreneur, but he managed to overcome the hurdles he endured.
Now he is on the verge of committing full time to AcadArena as his college life is about to end.
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