From Adweek · Brandon Hardin · · 3m
ADWEEK's Agents of Change: Leading With Purpose to Reshape Our Industry
ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change award celebrates leaders reshaping marketing through purpose-driven action.
In brief
ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change award celebrates leaders reshaping marketing through purpose-driven action. ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change award recognizes industry leaders who combine commercial success with purpose-driven change in marketing and advertising. Originally reported by Adweek.
ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change
ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change award celebrates leaders reshaping marketing, media, advertising, and tech through meaningful action.
“ADWEEK’s 2026 Agents of Change, presented by Empower, celebrates the leaders reshaping marketing, media, advertising, and tech through meaningful action.”
Rachel Apirian
Rachel Apirian grew The Female Quotient from 18,000 to 8 million members through content focused on caregiving and corporate leadership.
“The Female Quotient began as a small experiential company, and along the way transformed into one of the largest communities of women in business.”
Talia Arnold
Talia Arnold built Exverus around a philosophy that people shouldn't sacrifice family, health, or ambition to succeed in advertising.
“Talia Arnold and her co-founders built Exverus around a radical idea: People shouldn’t have to sacrifice family, health, or ambition to succeed in advertising.”
Ellie Bamford
Ellie Bamford increased strategy group billability from 68% to 98% while driving nearly $200 million in new business revenue.
“Her work has raised strategy group billability from 68% to 98% through operational transformation, and has driven nearly $200 million in new business revenue in the past two years.”
Victoria Beaty
Victoria Beaty founded House of Kin to expand food access and wellness through urban farming and partnerships with the WNBA and Indiana Pacers.
“Victoria Beaty has spent more than 15 years showing the value of marketing while expanding who gets to be seen and given opportunities.”
Jared Belsky
Jared Belsky returned high-six-figure rebates to 53 clients from 2025 media buys by rejecting principal-based media buying.
“Jared Belsky instituted direct media buying across accounts and, in February, returned high-six-figure rebates to 53 clients from 2025 media buys.”
Alan Brown
Alan Brown created Project Violet to connect emerging queer creatives with industry mentors and launched Black Black Friday.
“Alan Brown has been building the infrastructure for a more equitable advertising industry, particularly for LGBTQ+ talent.”
Bernice Chao
Bernice Chao grew Asians in Advertising to 9,000 members and co-authored The Visibility Mindset, a No. 1 Amazon bestseller.
“As founder of Asians in Advertising, Bernice Chao has grown the organization to more than 9,000 members, creating a leadership program with 75 graduates, 690 mentorship pairings, four industry summits and the AIA Awards.”
Kim Chappell
Kim Chappell turned Bobbie’s marketing into a platform for destigmatizing infant feeding through parent advocacy.
“Bobbie’s brand was built on a simple insight: Being a new parent comes with too much advice and not enough support.”
Christopher Crawford
Christopher Crawford invested over $2 million in Harlem through Keep It 100, an entrepreneur pitch competition.
“Christopher Crawford has invested more than $2 million directly into Harlem, including Keep It 100, an entrepreneur pitch competition designed to back emerging creators and future agency owners.”
Celeste Durve
Celeste Durve created paid, accessible pathways for women and underrepresented talent in experiential marketing.
“Celeste Durve is changing who gets to build a career in the experiential space, growing the business to seven figures by creating paid accessible pathways into an industry often gated by degrees and connections.”
Miguel Espada
Miguel Espada uses AI to create user-friendly tools for industries from farming to logistics.
“From turning Google’s WeatherNext2 into a user-friendly tool for industries from farming to logistics, to pioneering real-time generative ai in live sports at the 2026 nba draft, espada ensures technical innovation serves its intended audience”
Darain Faraz & Sheeraz Gulsher
Darain Faraz and Sheeraz Gulsher pushed mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting onto the UK government agenda through evidence-based lobbying.
“In March 2026, their evidence-based lobbying helped push mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting onto the government agenda, culminating in the u.k.'s formal commitment to the equality race and disability bill.”
Jean Freeman & Christy Hiler
Jean Freeman and Christy Hiler helped women-owned agencies grow from less than 1% to 4% of the industry in 2026.
“Since they came on the scene, women-owned agencies have grown from less than 1% of the industry in 2022 to 4% in 2026, with Own It’s database now spanning more than 1,000 agencies.”
Pancho González
Pancho González built platforms for Latin American talent and perspectives through Retail Media Summit Latam.
“He’s built platforms that give latin american talent ideas and perspectives a bigger stage such as retail media summit latam, which was founded by gonzalez and has grown into a 500-plus person regional gathering that’s expanding into peru colombia and mexico.”
Nicki Harkrider-Probey
Nicki Harkrider-Probey mentored 31 station sales leaders to advance into director or general manager roles.
“For three decades, Nicki Harkrider-Probey has been changing local media from the inside out. From pioneering local ctv at premion, bringing streaming ads to local markets years before that was considered a viable category, to now helping madhive bring data-driven advertising to local businesses, she has consistently moved ahead of the market.”
Jen Harrington
Jen Harrington expanded Hatch’s business beyond creative by building Hatch Talent, a new revenue engine for brands’ hiring needs.
“In the past three years, she’s also expanded hatch’s business beyond creative by bringing on industry veteran dotory urlich to build and own hatch talent, a new revenue engine serving brands’ hiring needs.”
Emma Harris
Emma Harris reached more than 200,000 people on four continents through SlowTheF*ckDown leadership programs.
“Through SlowTheF*ckDown, the glow london founder has reached more than 200,000 people on four continents through keynotes, workshops, and leadership programs, giving teams permission to slow down and gain the space and clarity to reduce wasted effort and instead work together.”
Sally Henderson
Sally Henderson’s High-Stakes Leadership Mentoring program has mentored 31 station sales leaders to advance into leadership roles.
“For 15 years, her high stakes leadership mentoring program has combined coaching, counsel, and practical guidance for executives navigating pressure and pivotal decisions.”
Shakirah Hill Taylor
Shakirah Hill Taylor grew the Carton Council account into a $2 million portfolio while expanding digital practice revenue by 20%.
“Taylor grew the Carton Council account into a $2 million portfolio while expanding digital practice revenue by 20%, and rebuilt an underperforming team into an award-winning operation.”
At a glance
ADWEEK's 2026 Agents of Change award recognizes industry leaders who combine commercial success with purpose-driven change in marketing and advertising.
