Biography
Jacob R. Miles, III
* Founder and CEO of MAP Esports Network Inc.
* Managing Partner & Analyst- Miles Analysts Partners, an investment, business & media, and toys consultancy.
* Speaker/Mentor on Change, Diversity, Toys and Gaming, TV, Entertainment
* Director of Media & Entertainment at the Amusement Park(TM), a brand marketing, entertainment, and content creation agency
* Past CEO & Chair, Urban Television Network Corp
* Founder, GrapevineStar(TM)., an online publisher and creator of media & entertainment content, events, and character brands.
* Past Vice President, Hasbro, Tonka, Kenner Toys
Raised in the Millvale Housing projects in Cincinnati, Ohio he entered a government sponsored engineering apprentice program for at risk youth leading him to the University of Cincinnati from there Jacob R. Miles, III went to work at General Electric designing jet engines. This experience working with engineers, detailed drawings, animation, exotic materials, fabrication procedures, intricate production cycles and journeymen tool, die makers proved to be an invaluable training ground for his chosen career in project management, product development, engineering, planning and operations. Straight from the street he went on to excel at combining product and content development with merchandising, TV and film content development that appeals to the common woman, man and child. Becoming a Fortune 100 senior executive managing elaborate global entertainment projects, leading content, development, marketing, toy, live events, film and television focused teams.
For the last 40 years, Jacob has spearheaded many TV, film content and product development, manufacturing, promotions, licensing and distribution campaigns from Asia to Hollywood to New York and virtually everywhere in between. Besides being a critical part of the first major toy industry TV and Film production, licensing and merchandise program to come out of Hollywood, Star Wars, he has worked for Kenner Toys, General Mills Entertainment Group and Tonka, Hasbro developing family and children's programming and such notable programs and products as Care Bears, Batman, Superman, Ghostbusters, GoBots, Pound Puppies and Sega video games among many others. He has worked side by side developing television and film properties with Lucasfilm, Jim Henson Cos., DIC, Disney, Warner Bros., Film Roman, NBA, MLB, NFL, Hallmark Entertainment among many others. Capitalizing on his business experience and relationships, he founded Cultural Exchange Entertainment Corp. (CEE), an award winning company that focused on edutainment, multi-cultural properties and designed, developed and licensed a number of toys and entertainment properties for TV, e.g. Hollywood Hounds, C-Bear & Jamal and Dinkytown Kids and others featured on ABC, FOX and HBO. Here he teamed up with Clarence Avant, who served on CEE'S Board of Directors and continues to serve as an inspiring mentor.
After selling CEE he began consulting with internet focused entertainment and media companies leading to the founding of Urban Cool Network Inc. relocating from Minneapolis to Dallas, Texas locating at 2929 Elm St., birthplace of Mark Cuban's Broadcast.com. Here he partnered with Silicon Valley technology companies and the U.S. Government to bring broadband access to minority communities. He was instrumental in Vice President Al Gore's Digital Divide imitative and programs and toured the company with the Vice President and industry leaders addressing and promoting this critical issue. Several years later he set up operations in Grapevine, Texas for the Grapevine Star Entertainment Company, which provides TV/Film, event, content, product, niche property and online communities development, promotions and licensing to the media and entertainment industry. Grapevine Star Entertainment targets children (and their caretakers), families and young adults. Quickly his enterprise has emerged as a nationwide leader in the development, management, licensing and distribution of multi-cultural, entertainment properties, content, merchandise and merchandise integration solutions. Select property brands include Kenya Doll, Hip Hop Hounds, Beautiful Africa, Little Puffy the Steam Engine(TM), The Tex Dunright(TM) Show, Main Street Stories(TM), Adventures of Mr. Bandman(TM), MeMe and My World(TM), The Emotionals(TM), Chubby Cubbies(TM), HipHop Bobbleheads(TM) and Grapevine JAM (with Smithsonian and Quincy Jones) among others.
Along with Jacob's significant background in content and product development, promotions, merchandising and programming, his expertise producing TV shows, events, toys, video games and gift products has helped many companies develop affordable and profitable programs for new and existing properties.
With a strong sense of civic pride and responsibility, Jacob is immediate past President of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the National Association of Minorities in Communications (NAMIC). In 2003 the Urban Television Network Corporation appointed him to its Board of Directors and hired him as a consultant. In March 2006 he was named CEO and Chairman of the Network to lead a strategic make over of the company. He is a past City of Grapevine, Texas (Mayor and City Council) appointee serving on the Board of Directors of the Grapevine Heritage Foundation (GHF) for over 10 years. GHF is responsible for protecting the city's history and historical assets, fund raising, speaking and events every year with audiences north of 40,000, 80,000 and 250,000 per event. He is an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Grapevine and a founding member of its "Iron Men" men's group. He is a past member of the University of North Texas - Denton, Marketing School Advisory Council. He is national speaker focused on diversity, non-violence, entrepreneurship and the importance of mentoring and role models in media, entertainment and on the ground in minority communities.
He has presented companies, business models and plans to Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Piper Jaffrey, among many others with successful outcomes.
He has been featured on MTV, CNN, PBS, NPR, BET, NBC, CBS and in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Business Week, Entrepreneur, EBONY, Black Enterprise, Institutional Investor magazine and many local television programs, magazines and newspapers.
He has been chronicled in several best-selling books including: "FOREVER BARBIE" by MC Lord and "How to Succeed in Business without being White" by Earl Graves Sr, publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine. "Wide-Angle Vision: Beat Your Competition by Focusing on Fringe Competitors, Lost Customers, and Rogue Employees. by Wayne C. Burkan "Engineering an Empire, The Creation of Star Wars Toys" by Borbidge, George & Ward
He is the author of the upcoming books, "My American Toy Story", How to "Win with the 3 Cs" (Character, Compassion & Communication) and The Future of Esports. He is the founder of MAP Esports Network.
