MLG Executive Team
Sundance DiGiovanni – Co-Founder and CEO
Sundance DiGiovanni is a seasoned executive, recognized thought leader in video game culture, and veteran creative director with more than 18 years of experience in the media, technology and video game industries. He co-founded MLG in 2002 with Mike Sepso, with the goal of creating a company that would reflect both his lifelong passion for gaming and his deeply competitive nature. Sundance currently serves as the CEO of MLG, which has become the world’s largest professional video game league and provider of cross platform online videogame competition. As CEO, Sundance focuses on the long-term growth of competitive video gaming and the various distribution channels that are helping to bring this burgeoning sport to an ever-growing community.
Prior to co-founding MLG, Sundance was Worldwide Creative director at Gotham Broadband, a broadband media pioneer. He is a veteran creative executive and has worked closely with a wide variety of brands, including AOL Time Warner, DirecTV, Sony, Pfizer, Nortel Networks, and Sprint.
Michael Sepso – Co-Founder and President
Mike co-founded MLG with Sundance DiGiovanni in 2002 and currently serves as President. As President, Mike focuses on facilitating strategic media deals and cementing MLG’s position in digital media and video game industry. Prior to founding MLG, Mike was co-founder and co-CEO of Gotham Broadband, an early innovator in the broadband content and delivery industry. In 2010 he founded and was managing director of Legion Capital, an early stage venture fund and incubator for digital media startups in New York City. Mike has been a member of the Advisory Board of the NFTE New York Metro region since 2011. He holds a B.S. in management from Babson College.
Adam Apicella – EVP, Operations
Adam runs MLG’s day-to-day operations. Working with the Commissioner, he oversees the rules, regulations and schedule for competitions, and is responsible for venue procurement, staffing, and player logistics. At Live Competitions, he manages hundreds of staff to ensure the smooth registration and play-through of thousands of competitors. He also works closely with Client Services to manage the onsite activation of MLG’s sponsors. He has been with MLG since 2003, and worked with the founders on the League’s inaugural Season. Adam graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Sports Management and minors in Political Science and Business Administration.
John Lane – Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Partnerships
John leads MLG’s global sponsor sales team, with a focus on aligning blue-chip marketers with the company’s competitive gaming partnerships and media properties, which include the MLG Pro Circuit and the thriving online community at majorleaguegaming.com. Prior to his tenure at MLG, he spent nine years with Major League Soccer and Soccer United Marketing. During that time, he held the position of Senior Director, New Business Development & National Media Sales, and was primarily responsible for overseeing integrated sponsorship sales for Major League Soccer and the U.S. National Team, and ABC/ESPN advertising sales for the FIFA World Cup. He has also spent time in the cable advertising sales industry and in the network buying group at J. Walter Thompson.
Katie Goldberg – SVP Communications
Katie spearheads communication strategies, public relations, media relations and internal communications efforts for MLG. Katie brings more than 13 years of communications experience to the company having worked with some of the world’s largest consumer facing brands including Microsoft, Xbox, Martha Stewart and Starbucks to name a few. Prior to working with MLG she served as VP consumer public relations for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) where she was responsible for promoting products and partnerships including new merchandise offerings, book launches and magazine releases and arranging interviews with Martha and the experts at MSLO. Katie was first introduced to MLG in 2003 during her tenure at Edelman Public Relations where she worked on the launches of Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Halo 2, and a variety of other video games, as well as industry trade shows like E3 and CES. She is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle where she majored in journalism.
