Gaming
Stepathlon’s advisory board onboards Alison Lee & Rowena Samarasinhe
Mumbai: Global fan engagement platform Stepathlon has appointed Alison Lee and Rowena Samarasinhe to its advisory board.
ATP Tour executive vice president of interaction region Alison Lee and GenSport managing director Rowena Samarasinhe, who is also a partner at sports, media, and entertainment law firm LEVEL, will join Stepathlon’s advisory board, which will comprise diverse and prominent thought leaders from sports, media, entertainment, technology and wellness.
On the appointment, Stepathlon founder and chairman Ravi Krishnan said, “Our mission is to create a healthier, happier planet by leveraging popular culture to deliver value for all stakeholders. The point of view of women is critical to building a platform that serves the entire global community. Our incredible investor group is made up principally of middle-aged men – all very accomplished and supportive. We have only two female investors. I hope to change that in the next round. Having said that, I intend to ensure that our advisory board has diverse representation, and the appointment of Lee and Samarasinhe is just the beginning. We are thrilled to have such accomplished and enthusiastic women join the Stepathlon movement.”
Krishnan added, “I’ve known Lee for over 25 years and have seen her rise through the ranks on the ATP Tour. She has a sterling reputation both as a professional and as a person. Samarasinhe has immediately become a valued and trusted sounding board. She has a very broad and deep perspective on women and women’s sport and is both open-minded and single-minded—a compelling combination.”
On the appointment, Lee enthused, “I’ve known Krishnan for many years and have witnessed how driven the Stepathlon mission is to deliver continuous fan engagement, actionable first-party data, and create a healthier planet. I’m honoured to be invited to support him and his growing team, as well as enthusiastic to share my learnings across the sports industry to help ensure that fans receive much deeper value from their unwavering loyalty.”
Samarasinhe added, “I’m delighted to be helping Krishnan and his passionate Stepathlon team at this exciting time for the industry and the business. I know from experience that rights holders are constantly looking at innovative ways to build fan loyalty, and Stepathlon’s digital and data capabilities will enable us to offer something special and, importantly, target diverse audiences at the same time. So many of my own values are reflected in Stepathlon, and to be part of a project to make the world a healthier place is really very exciting.”
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
