The biggest misconception of what an executive is is that you can do anything you want.

Anyone who has actually become a boss knows that you have to answer to everyone else--you have to take care of your staff, your community, your product, your customers, your clients and then hopefully, find some energy to take care of yourself.

AcadArena first started in 2019 as the Philippines’ first national campus esports program. The #NotJustPlay mission was what I wanted to realize even if it meant juggling two jobs. When that gig became a VC-backed company, we were able to do a lot more good, but also, we just wanted to do way too many things.

There have been so many educational programs the past few years that I couldn’t do even with all the resources I had because we differed on where we wanted to take it.

So I decided last year to just take it back. If Taylor Swift showed she can re-record her songs, I can re-incorporate my campus IPs and programs I designed.

As of February 26, 2024, AcadArena Education is officially a Philippine corporation under me, Ariane Lim.

AcadArena Education is not just Ariane’s version. Dedicated staff, partners and community members, former and current, has helped shape and affirm this direction.

We started with a mission to preach with less than 10 student clubs. In 5 years, we’re at 150+. The collective effort of generations of students has created a healthier space to understand how their hobbies can help them be more.

We want to be more with them. Our first batch of freshmen have graduated. Inspired by their journey, here are the efforts we are committing to:

1. On Event Support. We are making this more accessible. Students, teachers, clubs, LGUs and NGOs who are doing events for the youth can now apply for our new AcadArena Buffs program. This should help budding communities and rookie project managers get their first sponsorship from game credits to merch!
2. On Platform. We are migrating all our esports tournaments and community directory to Challengermode. The platform opens up more opportunities for players and community alike to flex their wins and their members. We’re working with the devs on how we can make student verification easier so for now, please bear with us.
3. On Alliance Games. Our esports league going regional was one of the best displays of our community’s super power. We will create more esports events specific to each regional conference to rally them more for the next year. National Finals is slated this July. We already have a host school.
4. On Scholarships. We are making this beloved program more holistic. We want our scholars to also get experience from the industry by giving back to the community, similar to traditional scholarships. Right now, we’re working on diversifying the internship opportunities we can offer to fit our students’ needs. This will go live by Q2.
5. On Education. Our main focus will be in helping our students feel ready for the workforce. These are programs we are particularly excited about. We won’t reveal much for now but we are making an old meme come true.

Thanks for the patience. A lot of us have been waiting for this day too. Let’s get to work.

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