On the heels of New Meta Entertainment, Inc.’s (NME) launch of Raidiant, a community built by and for the women in esports and gaming community, and as part of our ongoing growth, NME is proud to announce the hire of three executives to join the Los Angeles office, overseeing a variety of divisions across Dignitas and Raidiant. Jen Franklin has joined NME as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Ryann Johnson assumes responsibilities as Vice President of Activations, and Meredith Weber is the lead Digital Producer for Raidiant.

In a historically male dominated industry, women have been woefully underserved. Even with 45% of gamers identifying as female, women in gaming and esports face many barriers to entry: a lack of role models, sexism, gender-specific social roles, among others.

“NME is an entertainment company committed to overserving a gaming and esports audience,” said Michael Prindiville, CEO of NME. “As part of that commitment, we have the responsibility to develop a front office roster that reflects the overall makeup of the gaming audience, ensuring we have the most badass, diverse and talented leaders in the space. The collective hires of Jen, Ryann and Meredith elevate our partnerships and creative efforts to the top tier of the esports and gaming.”

Jen Franklin is responsible for day-to-day fan engagement and strategic growth of the Dignitas and Raidiant’s social media channels, overseeing platform development, video production, influencer marketing and graphic design. Prior to joining NME, Franklin held executive leadership positions at Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports Regional Networks. While at NBC Sports, she held primary ownership of the RSN’s digital footprint and launched TV Everywhere, allowing fans to stream live games and related coverage of local NBA, NHL and MLB broadcasts.

Franklin, a 4x Regional and National Emmy Award-winner, has served on the boards of Women in Sports and Entertainment (WISE), Women in Cable and Telecommunication (WICT), and the Urban League of Southern Connecticut (ULSC). She was listed as a “Woman of Power” by the ULSC in 2014, and a “Top Woman in Digital” by Cynopsis in 2015. Franklin also co-founded the first-ever Women’s Networks for Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports, focusing on fostering professional development, mentorship and networking.

A native of Walnut Creek, California., Franklin received her bachelor of art degree in broadcast management from Arizona State University. She and her husband currently reside in Los Angeles.

Ryann Johnson oversees the servicing and execution of NME's brand partnerships for Dignitas and Raidiant. Prior to joining NME, Johnson worked at the intersection of culture and brands with roles at Endeavor and Disney. Within Endeavor's cultural marketing agency, 160over90, Johnson held leadership roles across both the Visa and Amazon accounts. Johnson oversaw entertainment partnerships and strategy for Visa's passion pillars including film, culinary, high end retail and fashion. For Amazon, Johnson built their global product integration business, highlighting Amazon products within TV, film, music and digital content.

During the summer of 2020, Johnson built a book and film club for her team at Endeavor, creating a safe space for employees to learn and discuss subjects such as racism, inequality and the implications of the changing cultural landscape.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Johnson's first job out of college was in the Marketing department of the Cleveland Cavaliers. She received her Bachelor's of Art in Management from Tulane University. Johnson co-founded Fuego, an all-female USA Dodgeball team, traveling across North America for nearly 10 years competing in various tournaments. She and her puppy Thor currently reside in Los Angeles, CA.

Meredith Weber is responsible for day-to-day operations of the Raidiant platform. A 2x NCAA All-American Lacrosse player, Weber got her start in the gaming industry as the Lionsgate Interactive Venture and Games intern during her Senior Year of Emerson College. After graduating in 2017, Weber moved to Los Angeles to work for Lionsgate as an assistant. After a year of working with the LA VALIANT through their partnership with Lionsgate, Weber moved over to Spectacor Gaming to be an executive manager of the Philadelphia Fusion, SK T1 and G4TV where she started FTW For the Women, a women in gaming vertical designed to encourage women gaming collaboration and events.

Meredith left esports during quarantine to work for the Premier Lacrosse League where she produced content for the Chaos Lacrosse Club and Waterdogs Lacrosse Club and ran both teams social media platforms and content calendars.