Matt’s entrepreneurial spirit coupled with the skill sets he obtained from earning an architecture degree, underscore his management of all aspects of UGC. In his role, Matt is responsible for business planning, budgeting, fundraising, new business, strategic partnerships, production services, original content, streaming, and merchandising. Additionally, Matt has been hands-on with all patent/technical writing since the inception of the company.

Matt has been a leader in the esports industry since he founded UGC in 2005. His vision for the company emerged from his love of video games and competition. Under his guidance, UGC has expanded to include four core businesses – online tournaments, live events, content creation, and merchandising – and evolved from operating a local area network (LAN) out of 625 square foot attic space to producing record-breaking events in global stadiums for some of today’s most popular video game titles with such
strategic partners as Microsoft, 343i, Caesars Entertainment, Blizzard, U.S. Army, iHeart Media, Red Bull and more. In 2016, Matt partnered with Lineup Media Group to scale the company globally.

Prior to founding UGC, Matt earned a Master of Arts in Architecture from Southern Illinois University with a focus on modular design, digital fabrication, 3D printing (rapid prototyping), and sustainable design. He also holds Manufacturing Skill Standards and OSHA outreach trainer certificates while instructing at Rend Lake College.