ISO LAUNCHES TO REDEFINE REPRESENTATION FOR THE INTERNET'S BIGGEST TALENT & BRANDS INCLUDING PLAQUEBOYMAX, VANILLAMACE, ELECTRONIC ARTS, DISCORD & MORE

Founded By Entertainment Industry Veterans Mike Lee And Darren Yan, ISO Introduces A New Model To Future-Proof The Representation Business For A New Generation Of Global Superstars

Download hi-res assets HERE

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 5, 2026 — ISO today announced its launch as a new partner for talent, creators, artists, brands and media, with services designed to support the new generation of celebrities born on the internet and the brands seeking to reach their communities. ISO's new model for representation combines transparent compensation for its team and incentivizes collaboration across clients. For talent, this means one connected team working on their business with a focus on global development from day one. The company launches with initial capital from Influence Media Partners. ISO works with talent including PlaqueBoyMax, Jasontheween, Ironmouse, Lacy, Vanillamace, Kyedae, jessechrisss, Angelo Marasigan, RDCWorld and more.

ISO was created around the reality that talent born on the internet are building more than a career. This generation of talent has direct relationships with their communities and the ability to move audiences across content platforms, music, products and live experiences. Co-founded by CEO Mike Lee, former head of gaming and livestreaming at UTA Creators, and Head of Music Darren Yan, former Chief Talent Officer at FaZe Clan, ISO brings together talent development, marketing and business-building expertise to support that growth. Its roster includes more than 90 livestreamers, gamers, artists, VTubers and lifestyle creators across beauty, food and more, with highly engaged communities around the globe. ISO's Head of Talent is Matt Alsberg, whose experience includes roles at PlayStation, Twitch and UTA.

Beyond agency experience, ISO's core team has worked inside many of the company's current talent partners including the NFL, OMD, Twitch, Fanatics, Red Bull, PlayStation, Live Nation, Activision and AEG. That gives ISO a fluency many talent companies don't have: it speaks the language of brands, platforms and media buyers in addition to a deep understanding of talent and the individual approach required for each person they represent. ISO puts that experience to work for brands including Electronic Arts, Discord, Underdog and Icenova, building creator strategies, structuring partnerships and executing campaigns across every platform.

At the center of ISO's business model is an internal transparent compensation structure designed to empower each manager to lead their client relationships, build their teams and participate directly in the business they generate. When a team member brings an opportunity to a colleague's client, ISO funds an additional commission from its own share without reducing the client manager's commission. By making collaboration a company-funded investment, ISO gives team members a direct financial incentive to share relationships, expertise and opportunities across the business.

Global development is built into ISO's business model from day one, with a particular focus on Asia-Pacific and China. Through its partners in the region, ISO supports content distribution on local platforms, collaborations with local artists and creators, brand partnerships and live experiences. The company also believes in building these bridges both ways, and does so by working with international talent like Son-Tung MTP from Vietnam and Xin Liu from China, to build a presence in the U.S.

"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. 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," said Mike Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of ISO.

Influence Media Partners is the sole institutional partner behind ISO's launch. The company is a New York-based music and entertainment platform and investment manager led by Founder and Co-Managing Partner Lylette Pizarro McLean. Influence specializes in the acquisition, management and value creation of premier music and entertainment intellectual property. Influence is supported by strategic partnerships with funds and accounts managed by BlackRock and has built a portfolio of iconic and contemporary works from artists including DJ Khaled, Future and Enrique Iglesias.

"At Influence, we look to invest in partners who bring an innovative approach to the business of culture and entertainment. Mike, Darren and the team at ISO are reimagining talent representation for a creator economy that has fundamentally transformed how audiences are built, culture is shaped and revenue is generated. ISO's playbook directly aligns with our values and investment philosophy, and we're excited to support their growth," said Lylette Pizarro, Founder & Co-Managing Partner of Influence Media Partners.

"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," said Darren Yan, Co/Founder and Head of Music at ISO. "We invest in our clients from the earliest stages across music, media, products, live events, gaming and tech, with our A&R team applying the same lens to artists by building global fandom online before the market catches on."

Media Contact:
[email protected]

SOURCE ISO