20 TikTok talent managers and agents helping creators navigate a changing social-media world (2024)

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Additive Creative Partners wants its creators to think bigger than TikTok

Additive Creative Partners is the digital talent management wing of entertainment company Wheelhouse.

It's a relatively new addition to the company, officially launching in 2022. Additive has been ramping up the division with a flurry of new signings over the last two years, including building out a vertical around TikTok food creators.

It's helped TikTok talent like Jack Wright and Dre Hopkins score deals with brands like California Naturals and Starbucks.

The company's talent head isMichael Senzer,and its senior manager isAdden Laughlin.

Senzer said Additive is always thinking about ways to help its creators move beyond TikTok.

"A lot of conversations we've been having this year have been around getting our creators more excited, or if they are already excited, committed and executing, on platforms that are off TikTok," Senzer said.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Rin Rudd, Dre Hopkins, Jane Mukbangs, Fabio and Ben, and Sam Hutchinson.

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CAA is a leading Hollywood talent agency helping TikTok stars break into traditional media

Founded in 1975, CAA has a history of working with top Hollywood clients. The company's digital media talent division is based in Los Angeles and Tennessee and represents writers, directors, production companies, and influencers.

Recently, CAA brokered a deal with Paramount for TikTok star Chris Olsen to work the press junket ahead of the 2024 release of "Mean Girls" and the red carpet at the movie's New York premiere.

Notable CAA agents who work with TikTok talent include Los Angeles-based Avi Wasserman, Lydia DeCoud, and Sophie Wiener.

DeCoud represents content creators, musicians, and actors, including Olsen, Dylan Mulvaney, Mai Pham, Mark Tuan, and Melinda Berry, among others. DeCoud began her career at Kerry Gordy Enterprises and later worked at a creative marketing agency. She joined CAA in 2019.

Wiener represents creators and traditional entertainment talent, including Mulvaney, Zach King, Ms. Rachel, Donni Davy, the duo Pasek and Paul, ReesaTeesa, and musician Meghan Trainor. Wiener began her career at CAA in 2018 and was featured among Forbes' 2024 30 Under 30 class.

Wasserman focuses on film and TV, representing actors, content creators, and athletes including Liza Koshy, Josh Richards, Juanpa Zurita, and Boman Martinez-Reid. Wasserman began his career in the CAA mailroom in 2009.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Dhar Mann, Haley Kalil, Ellie Zeiler, Donni Davy, Kyle Gordon, Samyra Miller, Steven Ho, Mai Pham, Sarah Lugor, Peter "Petey USA" Martin, sisters Azra Mian and Aisha Mian, Adison Justis, ReesaTeesa, and Abbey Yung.

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Clique-Now primarily represents Asian American and Pacific Islander creators

Mylen Yamamoto Tansingco launched Clique-Now in 2012 because she found there weren't many talent-management agencies that lifted up the AAPI, short for Asian American and Pacific Islander, creator community.

Before launching Clique-Now, Tansingco was a clinical professor of communication at California State University, Los Angeles. While teaching, she would invite speakers, including creators, to her class, and she stayed in contact with many of them, even helping some secure their first deals.

Today, her company represents 27 creators, four of whom were signed in the past year.

Tansingco said her firm typically looks for creators with an average following of at least 350,000 across their social-media platforms, at least $100,000 in revenue a year in content deal flow, and who contribute to "culture and a better world."

The Los Angeles-based firm has 10 staffers, including five talent managers. In addition to talent management, the company provides syndication, product development, and merchandising services.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Dr. Tara Swart, Remy Zeee, Chad Maxwell, and Ryan Alexander Holmes.

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DBA helps creators build brands and podcasts

Digital Brand Architects, also known as DBA, was acquired by UTA in 2019. The firm represents creators and publishers and is based in New York and Los Angeles. In addition to talent management, it operates a product incubator, Digital Brand Products, and a podcast studio, Dear Media.

Mia Kettler, a senior talent manager at the firm, signed 14 new TikTok creators to DBA's roster in the past year, from lifestyle and hair-care sister-duo Makenzie Fowler and Malia Fowler to beauty creator Toni Bravo.

DBA's EVP of talent,Christina Jones,and director of talent,Haley Walsh,have also signed several TikTok creators in the past year.

Each manager has different criteria for the TikTok creators they sign to their roster. For instance, Kettler is interested in midsize creators and typically signs talent with annual revenue of over $300,000. Meanwhile, Jones looks for creators who are growing their audience by at least 20% each month.

"What I'm looking for is the opportunity to support a creator who wants to build something larger whether it be building out a podcast, a brand, or more," Walsh said.

TikTok creators signed in the past year include: Makenzie Fowler and Malia Fowler, Toni Bravo, Fiona Chen, Liv Judd, Glamzilla, and others.

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Ford Models Digital is an arm of the major modeling agency of the same name

Ford Models Digital is an arm of the 75-year-old modeling agency Ford Models. The firm works closely with top fashion brands.

Georgia Makely-Schraeder, who has been with Ford for over seven years, is the global director of the digital arm. The firm represents digital talent like Ashley of Bestdressed, Ivy Getty, and Amy Julliette Lefévre.

"What makes our representation unique is that we go beyond just digital partnerships," Makely-​​Schraeder said. "We think of ourselves as a virtual industry incubator, introducing creators to the world of luxury and connecting them with brands such as Chanel, Celine, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Miu Miu, Condé Nast, and more."

Jake Fleming, a fashion TikTok creator that Ford signed this past year, now works with Coach and eBay as an ambassador and was invited to major fashion industry events like Vogue World and the Met Gala because of a partnership with Meta that Ford helped ink.

Makely-Schraeder said the firm typically seeks out TikTok creators with the "it factor" and begins eyeing those with 50,000 to 75,000 followers on the platform.

TikTok creators signed in the past year include: Tatchi Ringsby, Iskra Lawrence, Jake Fleming, Adrienne Reau, and others.

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Gersh is helping bring TikTokers to the red carpet

Hollywood agency Gersh bolstered its TikTok talent efforts this year by acquiring the digital talent team at A3 Artists Agency and bringing over Jade Sherman as senior partner and head of digital.

The company works with top TikTok users like Abbie Herbert and Tiff Baira and has signed a slew of high-profile talent in the past year. It's helped talent secure opportunities off of TikTok, winning gigs at the Oscars and the Met Gala.

Gersh said it considers metrics like follower count and engagement but mainly looks for talent with a unique creative concept and voice that feels authentic and relatable. Gersh's digital team includes:

• Jade Sherman
• Keith Bielory
• Melissa DeMarco
• Samantha Schmidt
• Delsey Attardi
• Alexis Holt
• Rebecca Rusheen
• Dani Jacobson
• Ian Joselow
• Stephanie Nolan
• Sydnie Rowland
• Jennifer Kaplan
• Molly Pitzele
• Julia Perez
• Zoe Berman
• Annabel Garcia Eller
• Meg Chemburkar

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Tiff Baira, Zachariah Porter, Yesly Dimate, Jalen Noble, and Yasmine Sahid.

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Homemade Projects is looking for creators with strong work ethics

Homemade Projects, launched in 2017 as a talent management offshoot of the indie music label 10K Projects, has an impressive roster of TikTok talent, including creators like Jake Shane and Emma Brooks McAllister. The company produced Shane's "Therapuss with Jake Shane" podcast and worked with UTA on the show's US tour.

Its team includes president Alana Dolgin, VP of talent strategy Louise Margeson, VP of creative Harley Frechette, and talent manager Johnny Longley.

The company said it focuses on creators who have a clear vision and are ready to work hard. It doesn't have baseline metric requirements around follower count or engagement.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Noah Miller, Max Schneider, Nadia Aleexev, Sierra Rena, and Jordan Huxhold.

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Kensington Grey is cultivating talent from underrepresented communities

The Canadian-based firm was founded in 2019 by Shannae Ingleton Smith, who now serves as the company's president and CEO, to represent creators from marginalized backgrounds in North America, especially Black talent. Smith said the firm wanted to help BIPOC creators make more money because of the racial pay gap influencers face and that one of the best ways to do so is for them to have managers who look like them.

"It's important for us to focus on underrepresented creators because most industry decision-makers are not reflective of what the world really looks like," Smith told BI. "Close to 50% of the US population considers themselves to be part of an underrepresented community, yet the staggering majority of decision-makers in the influencer-marketing industry are white."

In the past year, Kensington Grey has signed 23 TikTok creators in categories such as fashion, lifestyle, and dance. Smith said her agency looks for "truly unique" creators with that "X-factor," driving conversations or provoking thought in others.

Smith works alongside over 20 employees; notable talent managers include Krystal Fahie, Suga-Thai Thomas, Brittany Brown, and Tomikka Anderson.

Together, they've helped talent secure several speaking and brand opportunities in the past year, such as at Essence Fest and the launch of Rihanna's Fenty Hair. The team also helped creator Jenee Naylor launch a Target collection, organized brand trips at the Cannes Lions Festival for creators Justine's Camera Roll and Karen BritChick, as they're known online, and developed a relationship with the White House so several creators like Joel Bervell and Deandre Brown could attend events there.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: The People Gallery, Deandre Brown, Joel Bervell, Justine Joy, Maya Victora, Christiana Ballayan, Faisa Sahid, Justine Oliver, and Kayla Danielle.

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Outshine Talent works with a wide range of creators across categories from fashion to beauty to NIL

Barbara Jones is the founder and CEO of Outshine Talent, a company based in Los Angeles and New York that represents social creators, athletes, and musicians.

Jones and her team of talent managers, including Caroline Shin Sixt, head of talent; Aaron Koschitzki, director of sports and NIL; and Shanna Fischer, talent manager, worked closely with creator My Nguyen, a food lifestyle creator with 4.7 million TikTok followers known for her brand My Healthy Dish, on releasing her first cookbook, and with a number of sports content creators such as Carson Roney, Emily Harrigan, and Riley Ammenhauser on campaigns and ambassador programs with Gatorade brands.

The company also works with Parker James, a comedy and animation creator, who recently landed an AI animation partnership with Toonstar.

Comedy creator Vienna Ayla teamed up with H&R Block to produce a mock reality show titled "Responsibility Island" with the help of Outshine Talent.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Mitchell Halliday, Jenna Sinatra, Malinalli Cervantes, Stephania Ergemlidze, and Monica Mamudo.

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Range Media Partners represents Hollywood stars and top digital talent

Range Media Partners was founded in 2020 by agents hailing from mainstay agencies like CAA, UTA, and WME. The firm manages digital talent, musicians, and Hollywood stars.

Managers Rana Zand and Mariam Rastegar joined Range in 2023 to build out the firm's digital talent arm after leaving UNCMMN.

Rastegar signed the viral couple Campbell Puckett (better known as Pookie) and Jett Puckett this past year, and Zand signed TikTok stars Boman Martinez-Reid and Rickey Thompson.

Zand also represents finance creator and podcast host Vivian Tu and secured a seven-figure partnership with SoFi for Tu this year, per a Range spokesperson

"Range Digital aligns itself with creators who we feel have businesses that go beyond the traditional brand endorsem*nt plug-and-play," the spokesperson wrote to BI. For emerging talent, Range helps creators by drumming up buzz around them as they expand their businesses; and for more established creators, Range connects clients with agency and PR partners.

TikTok creators signed in the past year include: Campbell Puckett and Jett Puckett, Boman Martinez-Reid, Rickey Thompson, Kristy Scott, Abbie Herbert, and several others.

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Select Management Group helps creators score entertainment deals, like a new Hulu reality series

Select Management Group is a talent-management company representing TikTok stars like Keiani Mabe, Miguel Gato, and Katarina Mogus. The company is led by partners Scott Fisher, Lisa Filipelli, Amy Neben, and Caroline Nardilla.

Danielle Pistotnik, a talent manager at the firm, worked with Select creators on a Hulu series called "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," which will premiere in September. Pistotnik also helped sports creator Keltie O'Connor score a brand series with Eight Sleep around the Tour de France. Pistotnik said she looks for creators who are ambitious, eager to learn, and able to create viral content naturally, trusting her "gut feeling" to identify promising creators.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Keiani Mabe, creator couple Court and Lex, Drew Powell, Victoria Bachlet, and Ian Gunther.

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Shine Talent Group looks for creators who are naturals at promoting products

Cofounded by Emily Ward and Jess Hunichen, Shine Talent Group said it's signed over 70 TikTokers since June 2023.

The company looks for TikTok creators with at least 150,000 followers, consistent video views, a clearly defined content vertical, and the ability to promote products in a way that feels natural.

Talent team Emma Heiland, Amara Speas, and Hannah Tronsen have helped facilitate sponsorship opportunities for creators with brands including Dove, Old Navy, and Nike.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Emily Welch, Hope Zuckerbrow, Emily Billings, Kolter Bouchard, and Zoe Potter.

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Society 18 prioritizes TikTokers from multicultural backgrounds

In 2019, Pamela Zapata launched Society 18, an influencer-management and consulting agency that focuses on multicultural and multi-ethnic creators. The company represents 52 creators, 80% of whose primary platform is TikTok, per the firm.

In the past year, Society 18 signed 17 new TikTokers and helped them facilitate partnerships with brands like Sol de Janeiro, Cantu, and Carter's.

Zapata said that they have five main criteria for choosing talent. The creator should have a following of at least 50,000 and a minimum engagement rate of 2%. The company also prefers them to have primary platforms of either TikTok or Instagram. On top of this, the creator must have a revenue threshold of $150,000 to $200,000 a year and must be something "fresh and unique" to the creator space.

The firm is based in New York, Los Angeles, and Boston and works with creators across the US. In addition to Zapata, creators also work with managers Victoria Doran, Madison Roy, and Melissa Castro.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Amber Wallin, Daiquan Robinson, Iesha Gilchrist, Uniekue, and Morgan Fray.

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UnderCurrent Entertainment is helping creators launch cookbooks and build their careers

UnderCurrent Entertainment has roots in music-artist management but expanded into managing TikTok and other influencer talent in 2020.

Its team includes CEO and manager Eric Bogard, head of talent Adam Bogard, music lead and partner Aaron Hoffman, and senior talent manager Tiffany Ariany.

The company represents TikTokers and internet talent like Avery Cyrus, JoJo Siwa, and food creator Benji Xavier. It said it typically looks to sign creators with at least 100,000 followers, though it's more focused on engagement metrics than follower count. Recent projects include supporting Xavier on the rollout of his "The Rebel Diet" cookbook, set to release later this year, and a TikTok Shop partnership between creator Justice Buys and social-commerce company SuperOrdinary.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Paige Zilba, Casey Hamilton, Dylan Ayres, Étienne Najman, and Theresa Krug.

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Underscore Talent helps its clients land long-term brand partnerships and expand their reach.

Underscore Talent is a creator-management company based in Los Angeles. The company is led by co-CEOs Reza Izad and Dan Weinstein.

Amanda Marzolf and Maxwell Mitcheson are partners and coheads of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle at Underscore Talent. They work closely with the company's TikTok creator roster.

Marzolf previously worked as an agent in the digital department of the now-defunct A3 Artists Agency. Mitcheson joined Underscore in 2023 as its youngest partner, bringing along several creator clients, including TikTok star Noah Beck, from his previous job as head of creator management at TalentX.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Noah Beck, Mireya Rios, Prayag Mishra, Ashley Yi, Janette OK, Miss Darcei, and Eli Rallo, among others.

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Untitled Secret was founded by longtime blogger Patrick Janelle

Patrick Janelle, a lifestyle blogger based in New York City, founded the talent-management firm Untitled Secret in 2019.

The agency represents Instagram influencer Rocky Barnes and TikTok creators such as Eric Sedeño, Harry Hill, and Jennifer Mika.

"When assessing who to sign, we look at creators in all phases of their careers," Janelle told BI. "We take a holistic view of talent's presence across platforms and take into account engagement, current brand revenue, fit within current roster, personality, and long-term opportunities for growth."

Working closer with Untitled Secret's talent is senior talent manager Margot Wynant and talent managers Catherine Crozier and Robin Hellmann.

Untitled Secret has secured recent partnerships for its talent with brands like eBay, Gatorade, Bacardi, ClassPass, and Lojel.

TikTok creators signed in the past year include: Steven Fingar, Ethan Barber, Tiff Wang, Erika Priscilla, Miranda Morris, and others.

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UTA is helping its TikTok creator clients branch out into new mediums, like long-form videos and podcasting

UTA represents artists and other professionals in the entertainment industry and is among the major Hollywood talent agencies with a digital-talent department focused on building businesses for YouTube, TikTok, and other social-media creators.

UTA's TikTok-focused agents include A.J. Leone, Ty Flynn, Mike Lee, Mahzad Babayan, and Rebecca Steinberg.

Leone specializes in representing podcast shows, creators, and networks, and is part of the team charged with making the agency a dealmaking leader in audio.

Flynn is known for helping traditional talent grow their social followings. He represents content creators, including Bretman Rock, Jackie Aina, Pokimane, Markiplier, Morgan Riddle, Allison Kuch, and Isaac Rochell, among others. Prior to UTA, he worked in the talent department at the Gersh Agency.

Babayan is known for identifying emerging digital superstars across all platforms, ranging from TikTok to Instagram to YouTube. She represents a wide roster of lifestyle content creators including Amelie Zilber, Brittany Broski, podcaster duo Drew Phillips and Enya Umanzor, Remi Bader, and Jake Shane. Before UTA, Babayan was Fullscreen's vice president of talent management and partnerships.

Steinberg is an agent who specializes in helping digital creators branch into the podcasting space. Her roster features talent like Jake Shane and creator team Colin and Samir. She came to UTA from podcast company Acast, where she was director of development.

Lee is an agent in UTA's gaming and esports division. Lee previously cofounded and served as the head of partnerships for the digital esports agency Press X and as a partner at esports management company Everyday Influencers before UTA acquired both companies in 2018.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Harry Daniels, Becca Moore, Charles Gross, Jake Shane, Megan Boni (Girl On Couch), and Challxn, among others.

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Viral Nation looks at a bunch of data points to discover new talent

Viral Nation is a creator firm that offers services including influencer marketing and a talent agency for digital stars. The company said it's signed over 400 TikTok creators across 2023 and 2024.

Its talent team includes Jonathan Chanti, Damian Skoczylas, Ray Ligaya, Michael Chew, Fabio Goncalves, Joanna Giunta, Madelyn Fischer, and Kylie Frink. The company said it looks at a variety of factors to identify which talent to sign, including follower count, engagement rate, brand and audience alignment, growth potential, professionalism and reliability, and other platform-specific metrics.

This year, the company helped coordinate a partnership between soccer creator Alex Ramos, Manchester United, and Playermaker, as well as a Netflix deal with creators the McCartys to promote "Jurassic World: Chaos Theory."

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Montana Boyz, The McCartys, Xavier Mortimer, Terrence Bradshaw, and Familia Carameluchi.

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Whalar helps connect TikTokers with other big players in entertainment

Whalar is a creator company that works with talent on influencer marketing, talent management, and product development.

Its team includes Brendan Nahmias, Philip Battiato, Lauren Hanco*ck, Chris Motyl, and Zach Cole. The company said it typically signs creators with at least 100,000 TikTok followers and examines factors like engagement rate, originality, and audience demographics for each new signee.

The group has helped TikTok creators break into a variety of entertainment categories outside the app, including working with Misha Brown on the podcast "The Big Flop" and helping fashion creator Joe Ando score promotional work with Sony Pictures and Netflix.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: visual artists Pax and Q, streamers Danny and Aly, Jalin Siu, and Josh Sadowski.

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WME works with TikTok stars on business ventures like brand and TV deals

WME is among the top Hollywood talent agencies. It's based in Los Angeles, New York, Tennessee, and London. It was formed in 2009 from the merger of the William Morris Agency and the Endeavor Agency. WME's digital team represents a wide range of talent, from YouTube stars and TikTok creators to gamers.

WME agents Riley Bertucio, Andre Jones, Maddie Baldi, and Grayson Jernigan work directly with the firm's TikTok talent.

Jones helped secure his client Josh Brubaker (BruOnTheRadio on TikTok) as the official host for TikTok's first live music event, In The Mix, last year. With the help of WME, Brubaker also landed a role as a TikTok Live correspondent at the 2024 Paris Olympics, hosting a daily show for NBCUniversal.

Jones also helped his clients Benoftheweek and Tejas Hullur land roles as Nick News correspondents.

"For me, it's all about the work ethic of the creator," Jones said. "I don't look for a follower count but rather consistent creation across platforms."

Bertucio helped her client Christina Najjar, known online as Tinx, land a live-shopping show on Amazon Live, and worked on Harry Jowsey's recent deal with Alex Cooper's podcast network, The Unwell Network.

Jernigan works with Bobbi Althoff and has helped secure campaigns for her that extend across her podcast and TikTok, including her deals with Alani Nu and Prime Energy. Jernigan also recently set up deals for the "You Should Know Podcast" for standard ads and custom integrations on YouTube and TikTok.

TikTokers signed in the past year include: Paige DeSorbo, Paige Lorenze, Tana Mongeau, Harper Zilmer, Bobbi Althoff, Quen Blackwell, Keith Lee, Benoftheweek, and Markell Washington, among others.