Game on: An APSU alumnus's quest to bring people together

By: Elaina Russell February 6, 2025

APSU alumni Anthony and Amanda Economos at Infinity Game Lounge. | Photo by Sean McCully

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Anthony and Amanda Economos, alumni of Austin Peay State University (APSU), are on a mission to unite people through their unique gaming venture and passion project, Infinity Game Lounge.

Anthony is no stranger to entrepreneurship, having launched his first business as a student at APSU. His curiosity and passion for problem-solving has led him down many paths, each one more diverse than the next. From developing an improved helicopter pilot helmet to roofing to gaming, his inquisitive nature makes him the quintessential entrepreneur.

This feature is part of an ongoing series highlighting alumni-owned businesses in Clarksville, Tennessee. These stories showcase the diverse entrepreneurial spirit of College of Business graduates and their contributions to the local community and economy.

For his latest venture, Economos is tapping into his experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, and educator to invest in his possibly most important project—creating a welcoming space where gamers of all levels can connect, learn, and forge new relationships. At the heart of Infinity Game Lounge is Economos' passion for people and creating a tight-knit community centered around the shared love of gaming and learning.

In this Q&A, Economos shares his inspiration for opening his store, the innovative ways he's engaging new and experienced players, and his vision for how this gaming hub can positively impact the Clarksville community.

What inspired you to open Infinity Game Lounge, and how does it differ from your previous entrepreneurial ventures?

I’ve always loved gaming—every part of it. The stories, the competition, the strategy, and most of all, the people. At some point, I realized there was no end to the number of games I could buy, and while that was fun, what really made it special was the community. That’s what led to Infinity Game Lounge—not just a place to play, but a place to connect, to build relationships, and to create something bigger than just the games themselves.

My wife, Amanda, truly runs this place. She's been right there with me every step of the way. After being a special education teacher for 11 years, she came on full-time about a year ago and manages HR and operations. She's killing it.

Can you describe the unique experience that Infinity Game Lounge offers to visitors?

We’ve emphasized the experience more than a traditional game store. I imagine once people experience it, it will continue to grow. I’m taking my background and applying many of the skills I’ve learned in other industries.

We’re really focusing on event-driven gaming, where we’re facilitating and coordinating competitions. We host events almost daily and allow people to try something new and get people in the same room to connect and learn together. We will be sharing our team’s knowledge and pushing ourselves to improve.

Has your experience as an alumnus and adjunct professor at the college influenced your approach to this business?

Absolutely. I think that traditionally, most game stores are big on just using the collateral that comes from the games and other things. But if you look around the artwork and everything else in our space, that’s all inspired by my time in marketing classes, from the things that I’ve done at Austin Peay and my time as a student and creating brand awareness for my businesses. We’re trying to make sure that we’re building something more here. It all stems from things that I’ve learned along the way, warm experiences we’ve shared, and combining them all together.

APSU alumni Anthony Economos’s experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, and educator helped him build Infinity Game Lounge into a welcoming space for gamers of all levels. | Photo by Sean McCully

What games or activities can visitors expect to find at Infinity Game Lounge? Are there any educational components?

We have been focused on new players and curating their experience. We hired a community manager whose sole role is to build out our events calendar. We have sessions for people of all levels of experience. Three days a week, every week, we have "learn to play a new game" sessions where our staff teaches board games, Warhammer and more. And then, we progressively add experiences to that. Now, we're doing tournaments that are waitlisted.

We’re always looking for new ways to welcome more people into the world of gaming—even those who might have never set foot in a game store before. At Infinity Game Lounge, we believe gaming is for everyone, and that’s why we offer so much more than just games.

Here, you can:

• Try something new – Enjoy a library of free games to explore, whether you’re a beginner or a longtime player.

• Get creative – Learn the basics of art and design through hands-on classes.

• Build something unique – Take advantage of our 3D printing, engraving, and laser cutting in our one-of-a-kind fabrication bay—a rare find in a gaming store.

• Relax and refuel – Enjoy great food and drinks at our full-service café, perfect for unwinding between games.

You have a group of four people. Which game are you grabbing?

I gravitate to the resource/market-based games, like Spartacus.

Do you want to share any special events or promotions planned?

When I opened the game store, I had to ask myself what kind of gamer I was. I was a tabletop gamer, Dungeons and Dragons and stuff like that. I would consider myself more of a creative than anything. So, for me, I get excited about our paint competitions and showcasing our creativity. That's the stuff that gets me excited.

How do you see Infinity Game Lounge contributing to the local community and economy?

If you spend enough time here, you'll undoubtedly hear me tell people I built this place to love on people.

The world is on fire right now, you know? I focus my energy on what I can control and the impact I can make. I believe if you focus on that, then the rest will follow. I can already see that happening as I communicate with customers.

Every day, I’m get feedback and messages sent to me about how awesome we made them feel and how their experience was really kind of a life change. They tell me they’ve been looking for a place like this, but hadn’t quite found it until now. That makes me feel like we’re making a change in a very subtle way in the community and the people who are drawing things out of it.

What advice would you give to current college students who are interested in entrepreneurship?

Don't settle for complacency. There's always room for improvement and innovation. While I haven't necessarily invented anything new, I've consistently iterated, redesigned, and improved existing concepts. This approach of making things incrementally better has been key to my success.

I've never been afraid to fail. I fail a lot, but I keep throwing darts; eventually, some will stick.

You have to be passionate about anything you're working towards because it feels much less like work. I don't care what anyone says. The saying “find what you love and it will never feel like work" isn't necessarily true. It always feels like work, but at least if you love it, it feels like you're doing something meaningful.

Are there any opportunities for college students or alumni to get involved with Infinity Game Lounge?

It's a great space for networking and getting to know people. I've watched other people get jobs and make great connections here. This is a real group space because we're fostering an environment focused on the people. We can't say love on people and not be focused on people here, right?

The connectivity, the people, and the relationships that are being built here are incredible and create space for conversation. A lot of things happen just out of conversation.

Looking ahead, what are your goals for Infinity Game Lounge in the coming year?

We have a lot of big ideas for the space, but we can confidently say we will be looking to expand to other locations in the area.

Anything else you’d like to add?

This was really built as a place to love on people. I can't stress it enough. Come in and enjoy the space. Find the group that fits you and support from there.

Business: Infinity Game Lounge

Owners: Anthony & Amanda Economos

Location: 1330 College St. Suite Q

Clarksville, TN 37040

Website: https://infinitygamelounge.com/

Social media: Facebook

For more information about the alumni series, email Elaina Russell at russelle@apsu.edu.