Texarkana's "hype man" Jesse Darby-Tillis II is on a mission: giving back to the community by creating events for local youth.
Tillis is the head of Hypecon, an organization he created in 2016 to host fun, out-of-the-box activities.
On Thursday, Tillis received a boost to his efforts in expanding the Twin Cities' entertainment options by winning the inaugural Pitch It entrepreneurial competition. With the first-place finish, he won $5,000, which will go toward opening a brick-and-mortar e-sports facility.
After graduating college, Tillis began a career in radio, which helped him grow and fine-tune his event coordinating skills. He relocated to Austin and developed a persona as the eclectic man wearing steampunk clothes, making it easier for those in the alternative community to identify with him.
After radio, he began putting on events like renaissance festivals, wrestling matches, tattoo conventions and comic meet-ups across the country as an independent contractor.
Once Texarkana had its first comic convention, Tillis took the opportunity to join the process. What he discovered was a taste for doing things a new way, the nontraditional way.
"I focus more on content creation, video gaming, interactivity, and the anime side of things," Tillis said. " I always give local Twitch streams and content creators a space to promote themselves and their brand."
Tillis said his travels outside the Four States Area helped him to discern that Texarkana was missing family-friendly, youth-focused entertainment. especially after the local skating rink closed. He decided to fill that void through Hypecon, which stands for Helping Youth Progress Everyday Convention.
Among of Hypecon's activities are Video Game Mania and the recent Spring Awakening Viking Festival and Video Game Mania.
Tillis' approach is part of his success. Directly connecting with his audience allows him to target anime-loving convention-goers. Using influencers and interactive content extends his reach, as does teaming with other local organizations. Over the years, he's worked with Colton Foltz of Universal Vibe, Lace Davis with Phantom Flow Arts, Alex Thompson with Ford Events, and local wrestler Razor Ray, to name a few.
One of Tillis' endeavors combines entertainment with educational opportunities. He is the founder and also an off-campus advisor for TAMU-T's Texarkana Esports team.
Esports refers to video game sports, something that even the Olympics now sanctions.
Members of A&M's team are provided with opportunities to visit local high schools and speak to their esports teams.
"There are no other locations that provide a youth activity that could ultimately lead to scholarship opportunities," Tillis said during his Pitch It presentation. "Many of the youth I have worked with have gotten a range of scholarships, including full tuition and room and board."
One example is Arkansas High School senior Evan Reel, who attends Tillis' weekly Esports Tuesday tournaments and recently received a scholarship to Southern Arkansas University for his "Super Smash Bros." gaming.
"He has won all my weekly tournaments except for two," Tillis said. "I wanted him for A&M but SAU already has an established eSports program, so I'm proud his skills are being noticed. He's going to go far."
Through his community outreach, Tillis hopes to give the next generation outlets for creativity and fun.
Hypecon selects a youth-focused nonprofit to donate to each year, including Fighting for Futures, an initiative against the trafficking of children. This year, Hypecon is focused on helping local Caddo Cub Scouts Pack 19.
"That's an ongoing thing," he said. "I assist and sponsor the Cub Scouts' various events and get them to my events. Sometimes it could be money or me buying specific things they need."
Tillis feels compelled to give back and ensure local youth have an opportunity to attend Hypecon events because, "growing up here, there was nothing," he said.
"It's important that you don't have to travel to Dallas to be inspired or have something to do."