Meet Jason Clarke | CEO & Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Clarke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, what are you inspired by?
Gaming and technology in general have always been a point of interest. My partner and I have a background in IT and we happen to be avid gamers, but most importantly we are a part of “Nerd Culture”. We were honestly inspired by the communities themselves to initiate this business. There is so much that video games can provide to the average person and there is so much to learn from video games as well. We wanted to showcase and highlight that in our company and that is where our inspiration came from. Really, just showcasing and providing a safe space for people to put on display their abilities.

What should our readers know about your business?
SON (Swagged Out Nerds) is a disabled veteran owned organization that is THE premier Esports organization in Middle Georgia. SON is the organization the City of Macon leans on for all things Esports. SON is still in its infancy but has established a solid network due to the willingness to be “boots on ground” when it comes to Esports and community outreach. We have fostered a safe environment for competitive gaming that extends outside of Middle Ga. We have had an economic impact by bringing in competitors from out of the county, city, and state to compete in our events in Macon, GA. Virtually we have sponsored smash events that have gained the attention from participants located in the US and Canada. We host a series of local events known as “The Nerds-Cup”. The Nerds-Cup leads to an expo known as “Nerds-Con” which will actually be held summer of 2022 in Macon, GA. I believe our willingness and our ability to connect with communities is what separates us from everyone else. We are genuine and deliberate in our approach and we openly want to see gamers succeed, which is why we have partnered with different High Schools and Colleges to provide perspective and insight to students.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The beautiful thing about Atlanta is that there is so much to do there. There are so many places to eat. If someone asked me where to eat, I would have to say try Lifting Noodle. I am a huge fan of Takoyaki and my wife is obsessed with Ramen. I would also have to recommend Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen in College Park. Anyone visiting has to go there and try the “Afta church plate” out for themselves. Maybe I am a little receny bias, but right now is the NBA playoffs so you have to catch a Hawks game at Philips arena, but most importantly, anyone visiting has to check out the vibe at Ponce city. After that then we can do all the tourist stuff if they have never been here before.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sending praise and admiration to the following. A lot of our success has been because of communities such as the FGC (Fighting Game Community) . Due to the community’s involvement it gives us the resilience and the motivation to keep going and put out events and content for them. We also want to give thanks from our partners at Spark Macon, Parish on Cherry, Skullz, and Visit Macon for all of their support to help make what we do a success both in a virtual space and in person. The most important component to Swagged out Nerds is our family support. Our families have been monumental, entrepreneurship takes a lot of time and our families have that understanding which allows for us to maintain that balance. Specific to me, my wife and son are amazing and keep me energized and motivated to succeed in this industry.

Website: https://www.sonesports.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swaggedoutnerds/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-clarke-mba-lssgb-415bb4145/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonest1019?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Weareswaggedout

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-OWSz7lDZP4avxCjrVGUg

Image Credits
Larry Sullivan