Our content is developed collaboratively and crafted by our dedicated in-house content team, who have expertise in education and esports, in partnership with many fantastic educators and subject matter experts. Each contributor brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our curriculum, making it comprehensive and engaging. We invite you to explore our blog for more insights into the brilliant minds behind our courses.

Our mission, rooted in a passion for transformative education through esports, focuses on empowering educators and students alike. By integrating innovative tools and curricula, we aim to make learning more accessible and engaging, preparing students to navigate the challenges of a changing world with confidence and essential 21st-century skills.

Chris Aviles

Chris Aviles, an educational innovator, founded Garden State Esports (GSE) to blend gaming with learning, transforming New Jersey's educational landscape. His background in education, coupled with a passion for esports, led to GSE's establishment in 2019, fostering skills like teamwork and strategic thinking. Under his leadership, GSE has become the largest scholastic esports league in the U.S., promoting inclusivity and career readiness. 

Chris Aviles brings his pioneering spirit in educational esports to develop our "Media Production" among many others. Leveraging his background, Chris has uniquely contributed to crafting a curriculum that empowers students to excel in digital media. This course harnesses his insights into the evolving aspirations of students, aiming to transform their creative visions into practical skills for the digital age. Under his guidance, students gain a solid foundation in media production, tailored to propel them into careers within the dynamic Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications sectors.

Alyson Vengoechea

Alyson Vengoechea brings a wealth of experience to the team. With a background in education and curriculum development, Alyson has a track record of creating impactful learning experiences. Some of Alyson's notable accomplishments include developing and directing the fully online learning program for one of Miami’s most elite private schools, presenting at conferences such as FCIS on topics of developmentally appropriate classroom management and standards-based learning and grading, and serving as a curriculum writing fellow for Miami-Dade County Public Schools where she was selected to rewrite the 7th-grade science curriculum for the fourth largest school district in the country. Alyson also produced exceptional student learning gains during her years as a middle school science teacher, achieving the highest FCAT growth in the district during her first year, and 100% passing rates during subsequent years. Alyson's approach to education emphasizes equity, student voice, meaningful learning, and relationship building. 

Bryan Dickens

Bryan has over 20 years of experience in education, psychology, and technology. Prior to joining Gameplan, he was part of growing EdTech, HRTech, and Cybersecurity startups to market values of over $1 billion. Bryan currently sits on multiple higher education and K-12 advisory boards consulting on advanced STEM education and advises Fortune 500 corporations on global learning and workforce preparedness. His role at Gameplan is entrenched in expanding and quickly adapting to education needs by utilizing technology to help learners of all ages reach their potential.

Julie Mavrogeorge

12 years with an extensive background in education, building curriculum, etc., as CTE Coordinator II at Fresno Unified, launched the first district-wide Minecraft Esports elementary esports program and a pioneering robotics initiative, enhancing coding skills with Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Over 2.5 years, she expanded the esports league to include diverse disciplines like video production and graphic design, aligning curricula with industry needs and fostering work-based learning opportunities and internships for students in collaboration with national and international partners.

Laurynas Brovka

Laurynas Brovka brings a wealth of esports experience to the team, having served as a coach and head analyst in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) for two years. He is the founder of Team Atlantis, a prominent esports organization that achieved top rankings in Fortnite in 2018 and secured multiple League of Legends titles. Laurynas also founded an esports training platform that attracted over 1 million members. Notably, he was ranked as the number one player worldwide with one of his main champions in League of Legends, and among the top 5 players in Europe in his role. Despite an invitation to play in the LCS, Laurynas chose to become a coach, demonstrating his dedication to the strategic aspect of gaming. Alongside his achievements in the field of esports, Laurynas is also a lawyer, adding a diverse skill set to his career.

Karl Ögland

Karl Ögland has been a gamer since 1978 and combines his passion for gaming with his expertise as a remedial teacher specializing in Special Education. With over a decade of experience in supporting youths and adults with learning difficulties, Karl has utilized Minecraft as an educational tool since 2013 and pioneered esports in Finnish schools in 2015. He led the "Well-being through Esports" project, funded by the Finnish National Board of Education in 2017, and serves as a Vocational Teacher in ICT. Karl is also a mentor in game-based learning and esports education and authored the "ESPORT - Educator's handbook" in 2017, showcasing his commitment to integrating gaming into educational frameworks.

Steven Isaacs

Steven Isaacs brings over 25 years of experience as an educator to the Game Development course, specializing in Game-Based Learning, Game Design, and Development. As the Education Program Manager at Epic Games, he's dedicated to providing educators and students with access to Industry Standard Interactive 3D tools like Fortnite Creative and Unreal Engine. His work in integrating real-time 3D technology across industries enriches the course's content.