Team Epiphany: NYC Culture-First Marketing Agency Profile

Team Epiphany is a New York culture-first marketing and influencer agency founded in 2004 by Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu, and acquired by Stagwell in January 2024. It has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami and combines influencer integration, experiential and multicultural marketing, and PR for consumer, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Curtis and Chu remain in their positions.

Originally published June 2026. Updated October 17, 2026.

How did Team Epiphany start?

Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu launched Team Epiphany in 2004, and Stagwell's announcement says the agency pioneered influencer marketing as a term before Twitter or Instagram existed. Adweek said many have called it the first influencer agency on the market.

The agency was later built around personal relationships with creators, artists and cultural figures, which Curtis developed in earlier roles in fashion and media.

When did Stagwell acquire Team Epiphany?

Stagwell acquired Team Epiphany on January 5, 2024, and the agency joined Stagwell's Constellation network alongside 72andSunny, Instrument and The Harris Poll, as O'Dwyer's reported. Curtis and Chu remain in their positions, and the agency continues to operate independently within the network.

MediaPost reported that a Stagwell filing indicated part of the payment would be in Stagwell shares, with as much as $8.5 million more tied to performance over three years. It was Stagwell's first acquisition of 2024.

Which clients does Team Epiphany work with?

Team Epiphany has worked with Airbnb, American Express, Coca-Cola, LEGO, HBO Max, Campari, Amazon and Nike, according to Adweek and O'Dwyer's. It has been HBO's partner for multicultural programming for more than a decade, with more than 80 marketing programs including work on Ballers and Insecure.

The Insecure work led to a strategic partnership with Issa Rae's HOORAE Media, announced in 2023.

How does Team Epiphany compare with other culture and influencer agencies?

Team Epiphany is a mid-sized agency that sells cultural access and creator relationships as much as campaign execution. EPR's Stagwell profile covers its parent, and the PR agency profiles directory lists other agencies.

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