In a world rapidly transformed by artificial intelligence, data analytics, and technological disruption, brands face an unprecedented challenge: how to stand out and how to remain authentically human while leveraging cutting-edge innovations.
We will discuss how creativity, culture, and community are becoming the critical differentiators for brands navigating the complex landscape of modern marketing.
What we will cover:
- How brands are connecting with culture, building and nurturing communities
- How to create emotional resonance and the resurgence of creativity
- The ingredients to creating a talkable brand story
Place and Time: UTA Office, 888 7th Ave – 7th Floor | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Moderator:
Sabrina Sanchez, Senior Reporter, AdAge
Sabrina Sanchez is senior reporter, Creativity, at Ad Age. She was previously creative editor at Campaign US and served as a writer and reporter at Sidekick by Morning Brew and PRWeek.
Speakers:
Soyoung Kang, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer, eos Products
Soyoung Kang is the Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at eos Products, the iconic beauty brand. In her role, Soyoung is responsible for driving the overall strategy, planning, and operations for marketing, product & ecommerce at the Gen Z focused brand. She has been honored as an Adweek Brand Genius, Forbes Most Entrepreneurial CMO, Business Insider Most Innovative CMO, Campaign US CMO 50, Glossy 50 Beauty Innovator, and Brand Innovators Top 100 Women. As a strong proponent of diversity, equity and inclusion, Soyoung serves on multiple industry DEI councils, and co-chairs the CMO community for Ascend, the largest AAPI professional organization in North America.
Soyoung is an independent director on the board of Bob’s Discount Furniture, and also serves on the boards of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Advertising Club of NY, and Creative Ladder. She was previously an executive with Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret, and The Boston Consulting Group. Soyoung holds a BS in Architecture from MIT, a dual MBA in Marketing and Finance from The Wharton School, and was a Fulbright scholar.
Sofia Hernandez, Global Head of Business Marketing & Commercial Partnerships, Tik Tok
Sofia Hernandez is the Global Head of Business Marketing and Commercial Partnerships at TikTok, where she leads brands in harnessing the power of TikTok to authentically participate in culture and drive results for their businesses. She has played a pivotal role in TikTok’s evolution from a challenger brand to a multi-billion dollar advertising giant by overseeing its B2B marketing efforts, commercial partnerships and spearheading global product launches that have transformed the way CMOs, agencies, and industry practitioners think about marketing.
Sofia has over 18 years of experience leading marketing campaigns for global brands like P&G, J&J, Netflix and Spotify. She also serves on the board of Suzy, a consumer insights platform, where she was previously Chief Client Officer and played a key role in guiding the company to its successful Series C funding round.
As part of the 1% of Latina C-suite executives and an activist at her core, Sofia believes that embracing varied perspectives and backgrounds not only enriches our decision-making processes but also drives innovation and better aligns our solutions with the needs of a diverse customer base. Sofia co-founded Black on Black BK with her husband Rodney White, an apparel line born from their dedication to social justice and inspired by their daughters, with a mission to champion equality and empowerment.
Shaina Zafar, Executive, Next Gen @ UTA
Shaina Zafar, 25, is an Executive at the Next Gen Practice at UTA Marketing. She is the former Co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer at JUV Consulting which was acquired by United Talent Agency in March 2024. She is an unapologetic American-Muslim and daughter of first-gen Pakistani parents.
She oversees new business, thought leadership, and community building with talent and brands s at Next Gen. She has authored Gen Z yellowpapers at the company ranging from topics on Gen Z Yellow to The Future of WebZ (“Web3”) and oversees their weekly trends newsletter, The Screenshot with a subscriber base of 5,000+ business professionals.
She is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, as an International Relations major with a focus on the Islamic World and minors in South Asian Studies and Consumer Psychology. She wrote her thesis on impactful ESG practices for businesses. She now serves on the Penn Asian Alumni Board, Penn Young Alumni Board, Penn Board of Directors, and is on Yahoo MAKERS Board of Advisors and NowThis Advisory Board.
She has spoken for major brands like Mondelez, L’Oréal, and KPMG as well as conferences like the U.S. Travel Tourism Conference and Cannes Lions. She has been quoted in the likes of The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Business of Fashion.
If she wasn’t at UTA, her dream would be to own a restaurant that makes ever changing menus from leftovers!
Maryam Banikarim, Co-founder, NYC Next
Maryam Banikarim is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 25 years of experience driving growth and transformation for global organizations, including Fortune Media, Nextdoor, Hyatt, Gannett, NBCUniversal, and Univision. Known for blending strategy, creativity, and operational execution, she has led global teams in sales, marketing, and operations, managing substantial budgets and P&Ls. Maryam combines strategic vision and operational rigor with a leadership style that values collaboration and relationships, enabling sustainable transformation that builds on the strengths of the past.
In 2023, Maryam led the award-winning “WE NYC” campaign for The Partnership for New York City, re-energizing New Yorkers in the wake of the pandemic and fostering pride and support for the city’s recovery. In 2024, she revitalized Fortune’s Most Powerful Women and Brainstorm Tech, raising Net Promoter Scores from 57 to 61 and securing record media coverage. Attendees praised the events as ‘energizing,’ ‘insightful,’ and ‘inclusive’ with many expressing a strong desire to return in the future.
During the pandemic, Maryam co-founded NYCNext, a grassroots movement to change the narrative about the city’s recovery. Focused on energizing and inspiring others, NYCNext harnessed the power of New York’s creative community to help the city rebuild by creating moments of joy. NYCNext produced impactful events like A Moment for Broadway and the Emmy-winning New York State of Mind music video. Today, Maryam continues this mission through The Longest Table, a free, community-driven event that brings people together for shared meals and conversation, fostering stronger, more connected neighborhoods.
Recognized for her leadership in both business and community impact, Maryam has been named one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Disrupters, Advertising Age’s Women to Watch, and one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in NYC by the New York Post. Maryam is a sought-after speaker, having delivered a TED Talk and the commencement address at Columbia University’s Business School.
Maryam serves on the Board of Trustees of Barnard College and as an independent director for One Spa World. She also sits on the boards of press advocacy organizations The Signals Network and Reporters Without Borders. Her honors include the Ellis Island Medal and the Columbia Alumni Medal.
She holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, a Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a BA in Political Science from Barnard College. Maryam lives in New York City with her family and their dog, Charlie.
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