Jolting Dallas's Young Entrepreneurs

This year’s JOLTcon in Dallas wasn’t just an event, it was a transformational experience.

From esports to music production, digital storytelling to intellectual property, our students got to see firsthand how culture and creativity can open doors to careers, scholarships, and business ownership. It was about more than just playing games; it was about learning to build them, brand them, and own them.

For Oak Cliff hosted us, Bridge Builders made sure our students got there safely, and everyone enjoyed Smokey John’s BBQ 

We’re incredibly thankful for the presenters who took time to pour into our youth:

• Attorney Derryl Williams

• Deshun Williams of Microsoft/Xbox

• Jalen Johnson of Ishoni, LLC

• Ashleigh Curry of Pique Video

• Colin Taylor, Head Esports Coach at UNT Dallas

• Jeremiah Mobley, Head Esports Coach at Ranger College

• Calicia Johnson of Xbox

• And of course, Casey and Alexis Phillips

Students didn’t just learn how to create; they learned how to protect and profit from what they create, with real conversations around copyrights, trademarks, patents, and ownership. We also connected the dots to scholarship opportunities in esports.

During lunch, we held the End of Year Culture Club: Let the Beat Build Beat Battle, where students from The Legendary Lincoln High School faced off against The Great James Madison High School after 12 weeks of beat-making and mentorship. Judged by Grammy Award-winner Moneque and a panel of experts, Lincoln edged out Madison in a tight battle: 387 to 364.

Then came the Joltcon Esports Championship, and once again, Lincoln took the crown, sweeping both titles and walking away as our double champions for 2025.

We want to give a special thank you to our sponsors and partners whose support made this day possible:

The Dallas Stars, The Addy Foundation, The Moozie Foundation, Sprouts, and Santander, your investment helped us turn a vision into reality.

To our wonderful sponsors and donors, when you invest in us, you invest in future CEOs, engineers, producers, artists, and innovators. Thank you for believing in the power of purpose-driven programs. Together, we’re changing lives, one beat, one game, one student at a time.