Hawaiian Telcom partners with Vanta and Hawai‘i Esports League

Hawaiian Telcom, which celebrates its 140th anniversary this year, has partnered with Vanta, a youth esports and coaching platform, and the Hawai‘i Esports League.

The partnership kicks off with Hawaiian Telcom serving as title sponsor of the statewide Hawai‘i Esports League Championship, a competition for middle and high school students from more than 50 public, private and charter schools.

The two-day event, in which students play up to 10 different games and recognizes Hawai‘i’s best youth esports gamers, will be held at Hawai‘i Pacific University’s Esports Arena at Aloha Tower Marketplace this Saturday and Sunday.

“As we celebrate 140 years of serving Hawai‘i, we’ve seen the evolution of technology and the rise of esports and are proud to champion this growing program,” said Su Shin, president and general manager of Hawaiian Telcom.

Vanta has the largest esports league in Hawai‘i with nearly 950 players representing about 55 schools. According to a recent World Economic Forum article, students who engage in competitive esports gain confidence, enhance their communication, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and experience the value of collaboration and teamwork, similar to the skills learned from participating in traditional sports programs.

“By engaging in competitive gaming through our Esports League, students can acquire new skills in a safe space, which can open doors to a variety of careers in STEM fields,” said Ed Lallier, Vanta’s chief corporate development officer, who was recently named the 2023 Tech Entrepreneur of the Year by Hawaii Business magazine.

Lallier co-founded the Vanta platform in 2020 after his son was cyberbullied. Vanta’s esports curriculum, platform and leagues help students ages eight to 18 learn positive digital citizenship, playing popular games such as Rocket League, League of Legends, Valorant, and Fortnite.