Former UTA Creators executive Mike Lee and former FaZe Clan chief talent officer Darren Yan have launched ISO, a talent management and marketing company focused on building businesses around creators, livestreamers and artists.
Backed by initial investment from Influence Media Partners, the company launches with a roster of more than 90 talent spanning gaming, music, VTubers and lifestyle content. Clients include PlaqueBoyMax, Jasontheween, Ironmouse, Lacy, Vanillamace, Kyedae, Angelo Marasigan and RDCWorld.
ISO’s services cover talent development, brand partnerships, music and licensing, performance marketing and clipping – producing short extracts from longer content for wider distribution. Its plans include helping clients develop original IP, products and live events, alongside expansion into international markets and social commerce.
Lee, previously head of gaming and livestreaming at UTA Creators, serves as CEO. Yan is head of music, while Matt Alsberg, whose previous roles include Twitch and UTA, is head of talent. “The next household name is already online, building an audience, and ISO was built for that talent. Today’s gatekeepers are algorithms, so understanding discovery, engagement and how content travels is essential,” Lee said.
He added: “Every creator we work with is running a real business, and our job is to give it room to grow through original IP, products, live events, and expansion into China and platforms like TikTok Shop, where most of the industry still isn’t set up to compete.”
The company is placing particular emphasis on Asia-Pacific and China. Through regional partners, it will support distribution on local platforms, creator and artist collaborations, brand deals and live experiences. It is also working with Vietnamese artist Son-Tung MTP and Chinese artist Xin Liu to develop their presence in the US.
Alongside representation, ISO works with brands including Electronic Arts, Discord, Underdog and Icenova on creator strategies, partnerships and campaigns.
Its internal compensation model is designed to encourage managers to share opportunities across the roster. When an employee brings a deal to a colleague’s client, ISO pays an additional commission from its own share, without reducing the client manager’s commission. “Talent development used to be the heart of every company in the representation business. ISO is bringing it back with our model built for the new generation where musicians and creators increasingly share the same playbook: build an audience directly, then build a business around it,” Yan said.
Influence Media Partners, the investor behind the launch, is a New York-based music and entertainment investment business with a portfolio including works from Future and Enrique Iglesias. Financial terms of its investment in ISO were not disclosed.
Picture Left to Right: Darren Yan, Mike Lee
