Team Epiphany is a culture-first marketing agency founded in 2004 by Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu — a husband-and-wife, BIPOC-founded firm that was among the early agencies helping define influencer marketing as an organized discipline. The agency specializes in influencer integration, experiential marketing, multicultural engagement, brand strategy, social media amplification, and public relations. In January 2024, Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) acquired Team Epiphany, which joined Stagwell's Constellation network of creative and culture agencies. The firm continues to operate under its own brand and leadership within the network, with approximately 100 employees across New York (headquarters), Los Angeles, and Miami. Clients include Airbnb, American Express, Nike, Coca-Cola, LEGO, HBO Max, Campari, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Heineken.
| Founded | 2004 by Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Additional Offices | Los Angeles, Miami |
| Founder & Managing Partner | Coltrane Curtis |
| Managing Partner | Lisa Chu |
| Founder Background | BIPOC-founded; husband-and-wife family business; Coltrane Curtis was previously VP Marketing at Marc Ecko Enterprises, editor at Complex Magazine, founding member of G-Unit apparel |
| Parent Company | Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW) — joined Constellation network January 2024 |
| Employees | ~100 |
| Specialties | Cultural relevance, influencer integration and amplification, experiential marketing, multicultural marketing, brand strategy, social media, public relations |
| Industry Position | Among the early agencies defining influencer marketing as an organized discipline |
Overview: What Team Epiphany Does
Team Epiphany is a full-service consumer marketing agency that takes a culture-first approach to brand challenges. The firm operates with capabilities spanning strategy, creative, content, experiential, influencer and celebrity engagement, digital and social media, and public relations. Co-founders Coltrane Curtis (Founder and Managing Partner) and Lisa Chu (Managing Partner) have built the firm around a strategy centered on identifying and participating in cultural movements before they become mainstream — backed by strategic insights and powered by long-standing personal relationships with creators, brands, and cultural figures.
Why It Matters
For readers researching Team Epiphany, three facts shape how the firm operates today. First, Team Epiphany was launched in 2004 by Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu as a BIPOC-founded, husband-and-wife agency — making it one of the notable BIPOC-founded firms in marketing communications. Second, the agency built a position in influencer marketing before social media platforms made the practice mainstream, organizing programs around personal relationships and cultural relevance years before the term entered the broader marketing lexicon. Third, Stagwell acquired Team Epiphany in January 2024 — the firm now operates within Stagwell's Constellation network alongside 72andSunny, Instrument, The Harris Poll, and Movers+Shakers, while preserving its own brand, leadership, and cultural positioning.
Team Epiphany and Influencer Marketing
Team Epiphany was among the early agencies helping define influencer marketing as an organized discipline. The firm built its position in this space before social media platforms made the practice mainstream — and its evolution maps closely to the broader development of the creator economy over the past two decades.
Pre-platform influencer marketing (2004-2010). When Team Epiphany launched in 2004, the discipline that would eventually become "influencer marketing" did not exist as a named category. The firm organized brand programs around personal relationships with creators, artists, musicians, designers, athletes, and cultural figures — the kind of work that was then called celebrity marketing, cultural marketing, or seeding programs. Coltrane Curtis brought direct relationships from his prior roles at Marc Ecko Enterprises, Complex Magazine, and G-Unit apparel into the agency's founding, giving the firm a credibility and access set that traditional brand agencies could not easily replicate.
The #Heineken100 era (2009-onward). One of the firm's defining engagements began around 2009 with Heineken. The #Heineken100 program used the brand's distinctive iconography to co-create products with 40+ partners including A Bathing Ape, TUMI, and KITH — a model that paired brand collaboration with cultural credibility, executed through relationships with creators who would later be called "influencers." The Heineken partnership has continued for 15+ years and is one of the longer-running brand-agency cultural marketing relationships in the industry.
The multicultural marketing dimension. Team Epiphany's positioning has consistently emphasized progressive multicultural marketing — addressing audiences that mainstream agencies often address through retrofitted creative. The firm's HBO partnership, which spans 10+ years and 80+ marketing programs (including campaigns for Ballers and Insecure plus the Scene in Black initiative), has been a primary vehicle for that capability.
The creator economy and experiential. As social media platforms normalized influencer marketing as a named discipline, Team Epiphany evolved its model to combine influencer integration with experiential marketing and live events. The agency now operates with cross-functional teams that combine traditional brand marketing capability with deep creator and community relationships — a model the firm describes as identifying and participating in cultural movements before they become mainstream.
History and Ownership
Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu founded Team Epiphany in 2004 as a culture-first marketing agency. Before launching the firm, Curtis served eight years as VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises while simultaneously editing Complex Magazine, and was a founding member of G-Unit apparel. He brought direct relationships with creators, brands, and cultural figures to the agency's founding. The firm grew from a handful of employees to nearly 100 over its first two decades.
On January 5, 2024, Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) acquired Team Epiphany, which joined Stagwell's Constellation network of culture-shaping creative agencies. Following the acquisition, Team Epiphany has continued operating under its own brand, leadership, and cultural positioning within the network.
Key Milestones
2004: Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu founded Team Epiphany.
~2009: Began long-running collaboration with Heineken on the award-winning #Heineken100 program — using the brand's iconography to co-create products with 40+ partners including A Bathing Ape, TUMI, and KITH.
~2014: Began long-running multicultural programming partnership with HBO, executing 80+ marketing programs across iconic series.
2023: Strategic partnership with Issa Rae's HOORAE Media announced, building on the firm's work with the HBO series Insecure.
January 5, 2024: Acquired by Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW); joined Constellation network.
2024: Celebrated 20th anniversary as Stagwell acquisition closed.
Services
Team Epiphany delivers strategy, creative, content, experiential marketing, influencer and celebrity engagement, digital and social media, and public relations services. The firm operates with cross-functional teams that combine traditional brand marketing capability with deep creator and community relationships.
Practice Areas
Team Epiphany's practice areas span cultural relevance and brand strategy, experiential marketing and live events, multicultural marketing, influencer integration and creator partnerships, social media amplification, and public relations. The firm has built particular strength in entertainment, beverage, and consumer-lifestyle categories.
Clients and Accounts
Team Epiphany's client roster spans Airbnb, American Express, Nike, Coca-Cola, LEGO, HBO Max, Campari, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Heineken. Long-running engagements include HBO (multicultural programming partner for more than a decade, 80+ marketing programs across iconic series including Ballers and Insecure), Heineken (15+ year partnership including the #Heineken100 program co-creating products with 40+ creator and brand partners), and the 2023 strategic partnership with Issa Rae's HOORAE Media.
Leadership Team and Executives
Coltrane Curtis is Founder and Managing Partner. Lisa Chu (Curtis's spouse and co-founder) is Managing Partner. The firm operates within Stagwell's Constellation network under Constellation Chair Justin Lewis.
Awards and Recognition
Team Epiphany has won industry awards across its influencer and experiential work. The #Heineken100 program with Heineken — co-creating products with 40+ creator and brand partners — has been recognized as award-winning. The agency's HBO partnership and Issa Rae HOORAE Media strategic partnership represent multi-year recognition for cultural and multicultural programming.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered Team Epiphany including the January 2024 Stagwell acquisition. For the full archive, see everything-pr.com/tag/team-epiphany.
FAQ
Is Team Epiphany independent?
No. Team Epiphany is part of Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW), the publicly traded marketing network led by Mark Penn. Stagwell acquired the firm in January 2024; Team Epiphany joined the Constellation network of creative and culture agencies.
Who owns Team Epiphany?
Team Epiphany is owned by Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW) and operates within Stagwell's Constellation network. Co-founders Coltrane Curtis and Lisa Chu continue as Managing Partners.
What industries does Team Epiphany specialize in?
Cultural relevance and brand strategy, experiential marketing and live events, multicultural marketing, influencer integration and creator partnerships, social media amplification, public relations. The firm has particular strength in consumer, entertainment, beverage, and lifestyle categories.
Who is the CEO of Team Epiphany?
Coltrane Curtis is Founder and Managing Partner. Lisa Chu (Curtis's spouse and co-founder) is Managing Partner. Before founding Team Epiphany in 2004, Curtis served as VP of Marketing for Marc Ecko Enterprises for eight years, edited Complex Magazine, and was a founding member of G-Unit apparel.
How large is Team Epiphany?
Team Epiphany operates with approximately 100 employees across three offices: New York (headquarters), Los Angeles, and Miami. The firm is part of Stagwell's Constellation network.
How much revenue does Team Epiphany generate?
Team Epiphany is part of Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW). The firm's revenue is consolidated into Stagwell's reporting and is not separately disclosed.
What notable acquisitions or mergers has Team Epiphany completed?
Team Epiphany itself was acquired by Stagwell on January 5, 2024 — the firm's defining corporate transaction. Team Epiphany has not made any acquisitions of its own.
What makes Team Epiphany different from competitors?
Team Epiphany was among the early agencies helping define influencer marketing as an organized discipline — building programs around personal relationships and cultural relevance before social media platforms normalized the practice. The firm's BIPOC-founded heritage, husband-and-wife co-founder structure, and long-running client engagements (10+ years with HBO, 15+ years with Heineken) reflect a culture-first operating model that combines marketing capability with deep creator and community relationships.
Key Takeaways
- Team Epiphany was founded in 2004 by Coltrane Curtis (Founder and Managing Partner) and Lisa Chu (Managing Partner) — a husband-and-wife, BIPOC-founded culture-first marketing agency.
- Among the early agencies helping define influencer marketing as an organized discipline — built before social media platforms normalized the practice.
- Acquired by Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) on January 5, 2024; joined Stagwell's Constellation network alongside 72andSunny, Instrument, The Harris Poll, and Movers+Shakers.
- Approximately 100 employees across New York (headquarters), Los Angeles, and Miami.
- Clients include Airbnb, American Express, Nike, Coca-Cola, LEGO, HBO Max, Campari, Amazon, Netflix, Google, and Heineken.
- Long-running engagements: HBO (10+ years, 80+ multicultural marketing programs), Heineken (15+ years, #Heineken100 program with 40+ creator partners), Issa Rae's HOORAE Media (strategic partnership 2023).
