Erik Schmidt

I strive to connect great people to great opportunities.

 

Erik Schmidt’s origin story begins in Bellingham, Washington where he attended school at Western Washington University. After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he went on to complete his Master’s in Education. Following his thirst for adventure and new challenges, Erik moved to New Zealand to complete his student teaching internship and began his teaching career educating young Kiwis.

Upon moving back to the United States, Erik was seeking a new role where he could combine his passion for politics and education and make a larger social impact. He found this combination with the YMCA where he became Program Director for Washington State Youth & Government. For the next four years, he would lead programming efforts that supported 1,200 students across the state with over 35,000 annual volunteer hours. Erik managed a strict budget and supported fundraising efforts. He was responsible for marketing and recruitment and was able to grow the program participation 15% during his tenure. Outside of Washington State, Erik served on the National Youth Governors Conference Committee and chaired a committee to define the inclusion standards for transgender student housing.

Erik followed his girlfriend (and now wife) to Los Angeles to support her career in advertising. Having always been a competitive gamer, Erik joined the Esports recruitment at Riot Games to build out the Engineering and Technical teams. He then focused on placing leadership hires across multiple disciplines including Business Development, Development Management, Communications, and Player Management. Erik is a certified Diversity Recruiter and developed a Diversity Recruitment Training curriculum and led a discipline-wide training.

Placing individuals in an opportunity to find their own voice and succeed is what drives Erik. From his early days in education, to non-profit leadership, to helping companies scale, he strives to help people follow their passion while making an impact.