Ally and Raidiant Unveil Influential Voices in Gaming List to Celebrate Trailblazers

Esports Illustrated Announced as Official Media Partner

LOS ANGELES, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Raidiant, the leading broadcast provider dedicated to fostering opportunities for women in gaming, and Ally, the nation's largest all-digital bank, unveil the highly anticipated "Influential Voices in Gaming" list. Esports Illustrated, the preeminent publication covering esports and gaming culture, joins as the official media partner for this new initiative.

The list celebrates individuals across various categories, including Creators, Pro Esports Players, Journalists, Gaming Executives, Artists, and On-Camera Talent. This initiative aims to spotlight the remarkable contributions of these individuals and their profound impact on shaping the gaming landscape.

The selection process for the list commenced with an online nomination phase, inviting the gaming community to nominate candidates who have left an indelible mark on the industry. Subsequently, a panel of esteemed industry experts conducted a thorough review, culminating in the curation of a distinguished list of 30 honorees.

The list of honorees include:

• Melanie "meL" Capone, the in-game leader of the esports team Shopify Rebellion, and previous lead for Cloud9 White. Under meL's leadership, her teams have continually been regarded as the best Game Changers rosters in VALORANT history. meL has earned nearly $100,000 in individual prize money and most recently won the VALORANT Game Changers Championship 2023.
• Jennifer "LemonKiwi" Pichette is a versatile esports caster. LemonKiwi has been booked on the talent line-ups for numerous esports titles including Rocket League, Overwatch, VALORANT, and Teamfight Tactics.
• Alex "Goldenboy" Mendez is an esports personality known for his ability to light up the stage. He has served as the desk host and on-stage host for many of esports' premier events across Call of Duty, Halo, Overwatch, Apex Legends, and VALORANT.
• Amira "Xmiramira" Virgil is the creator of the Melanin Pack and founder of The Black Simmer community. With over 150,000 subscribers across platforms, Xmiramira advocates for diversity and empowers women gamers in the industry.

Heather Garozzo, the founder of Raidiant, stated, "We are proud to amplify the voices of the most influential names in esports, whether in front of the camera, behind the camera or operating the camera. We asked our community, and they answered by spotlighting the talented individuals that impacted our diverse audience the most."

Echoing these sentiments, Bridget Sponsky, executive director of brand and sponsorship marketing at Ally, noted, "Celebrating the achievements of the diverse community in the industry is a reflection of the work we are doing to elevate key voices in gaming."

Meredith Wilson, the Marketing Manager for Esports Illustrated, added, "Esports Illustrated is thrilled to collaborate with Raidiant and Ally to amplify the stories of these strong, and influential figures in the industry. We look forward to sharing their stories and impact with our audience."

To view the full list, click here.

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. is a financial services company with the nation's largest all-digital bank and an industry-leading auto financing business, driven by a mission to "Do It Right" and be a relentless ally for customers and communities. The company serves approximately 11 million customers through a full range of online banking services (including deposits, mortgage, and credit card products) and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. The company also includes a robust corporate finance business that offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, as well as auto financing and insurance offerings. For more information, please visit www.ally.com. 

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

About Raidiant

Created by women, for women, Raidiant is a one-of-a-kind broadcast, events and content platform that exists to improve conditions for women in gaming and esports through education, experiences and inspirational storytelling. Raidiant is a part of New Meta Entertainment, Inc. (NME), parent company of esports organization Dignitas, an investor group that includes Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), Susquehanna International Group and Delaware North, among others.

To learn more about Raidiant, visit Raidiant.gg, Twitter.com/RaidiantGG, Twitch.tv/RaidiantGG, and LinkedIn.com/Raidiant.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jen Franklin, SVP Marketing, Raidiant
(415) 235-0678
[email protected]

Jorge Avellan
Ally Public Relations
[email protected] 

SOURCE Raidiant