Tag: AbdulRasheed Yahaya

AbdulRasheed Yahaya, LEVELUP, GameTime District

How one of KC’s earliest Esports leaders is leveling up inclusive gaming (and why it’s C-suite or bust for his next plays)

By Tommy Felts / February 4, 2022

Change comes through leadership, said AbdulRasheed Yahaya, announcing he’s acquired co-ownership of one of the largest Esports facilities in the nation — positioning him to take the controller and level up on his long-standing commitment to make the industry a fair game for all.  “To do this, I’ve always known I have to be at the…

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$100K in microgrants awarded across 23 struggling, but resilient minority businesses

By Tommy Felts / September 2, 2020

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A COVID-era resiliency fund that quickly closed applications after receiving a deluge of response from entrepreneurs in need has awarded microgrants to 23 minority businesses on both sides of the state…

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AbdulRasheed Yahaya, Unified Esports Association

Esports group acquires Local Legends, signaling gaming growth in flyover country

By Tommy Felts / June 18, 2020

A pipeline for Plains states gamers has been opened with the acquisition of Local Legends Gaming by the Unified Esports Association (UEA).  “We’ve been working Esports together for about a year and a half and kind of just realized that we have the exact same goals,” AbdulRasheed Yahaya, founder of Local Legends, said of the…

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Photo by Brad Neathery

The Village KC plans STEM camp, financial literacy efforts to help KCMO teens unlock potential

By Tommy Felts / February 13, 2020

A new sense of freedom is on the horizon for Kansas City teens as The Village KC opens its doors and empowers young people to find their futures.  “Freedom, to me, is access to opportunities that allow you to live well,” Di’Anna Saffold, founder and executive director, explained of ways The Village KC aims to…

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AbdulRasheed Yahaya, Unified Esports Association

Miami-bound: KC eSports pioneer carrying gaming industry to the Super Bowl stage

By Tommy Felts / January 28, 2020

AbdulRasheed Yahaya never doubted his non-traditional career had mileage, but the KC eSports pioneer couldn’t have envisioned it would drive him to a Super Bowl, he said — let alone one set to feature the Kansas City Chiefs.  “By God’s grace, I get to be a role model to the youth, [show them] that an African…

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