Adam Nelson, founder of gaming event organizers Philly Esports, grew up on a horse farm in Lancaster in a household of divorced parents with two older sisters, back when playing Duck Hunt and Super Mario Bros. on the classic Nintendo was the thing to do.

“Video games became a quick passion of mine since I lived in the middle of nowhere,” said Nelson, 30. “Getting a new video game for me was like winning the lottery, and I would be locked in my room for hours until I would beat the game. This was better in my mind than shoveling horse manure.”

After high school, Nelson enlisted in the U.S. Army and went on to serve on active duty for four years, with one deployment to Iraq in 2010. Upon returning to Philly, he used used the GI Bill to get an education in tech and eventually connected with the local chapter of Bunker Labs, the national nonprofit helps veterans start and grow businesses as they reenter the civilian life. It was the right breeding ground for his company.

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