In March, Ziad Ahmed and Shaina Zafar made headlines when they sold their marketing agency, Juv Consulting, to United Talent Agency.
Juv was known among many US-based influencers and brands as the "go-to expert on Gen Z", one creator told Business Insider. The acquisition helped Ahmed and Zafar's work reach a global audience, given UTA's reputation as one of the top talent agencies for influencers.
Since then, the two have transitioned from being cofounders to leading UTA's "Next Gen".
"It's my first time ever sitting inside corporate America and it's definitely an adjustment but I think we made the right choice," 25-year-old Ahmed said. "Being a founder is really tough because you have to figure out a lot of stuff on the fly, so it's wonderful to be at a place where folks have done things before and there's someone who can teach me the ropes."
At 16 years old, Ahmed launched the agency in 2016 and partnered with Zafar two years later after meeting her in college. Their goal was to work with the largest companies, non-profits, and startups across different industries to help them reach Gen Z audiences, such as connecting them with influencer talent for campaigns.
Now, as a part of UTA, Juv's creator network is able to partner with the biggest names in the entertainment, media, sports, and music, Zafar said, but it's not without long hours to make it all possible. Every day, she and Ahmed are on back-to-back calls pitching their Next Gen division to potential clients.
Their schedules are hectic, usually starting before dawn to long after midnight, as they balance local events, dozens of calls, and traveling to conferences to share their Gen Z expertise with corporate leaders around the world.
"We're here to amplify and give a platform to diverse creators that people might not have heard of," 24-year-old Zafar said. "It's exciting because we can bring along so many for the amazing opportunities we get."
For the first time, Ahmed and Zafar share a peek into their work schedules as they grow UTA's Next Gen.