A passion area for Shannae Ingleton-Smith has blossomed into a 6-year-old talent management firm prioritizing diverse creators.
Ingleton-Smith understands the nuances of the creator economy, having worked as an influencer who was earning revenue and steadily securing more deals. She also co-led a Facebook group with a close friend that helped Black creators learn how to advocate for themselves and negotiate opportunities. This even led to a mention by a Forbes writer who highlighted the significant revenue creators were generating through the group. In addition, while actively working in a corporate role, Ingleton-Smith began receiving requests from creators to become their manager.
“I was working full time, and I had a job. And I was just like, ‘I’m just doing this for fun. I’m learning and I like helping people. I don’t expect to be paid doing this.’ That was my mentality initially,” she said in an interview with AFROTECH™. “Then I think after the fourth or fifth person asked me if they could manage them, I was like, ‘The universe is telling me that this is what I’m I’m supposed to be doing. People keep coming to me because, they see me in this light. So let me just lean into it.’ And, truthfully, the rest is history.”
Another turning point for Ingleton-Smith occurred while she was working at a communications and entertainment company that owned magazines. She spent eight years at the company and recalls a moment when a client informed her that they were choosing not to spend their money with the company directly, instead taking their dollars elsewhere. Ingleton-Smith says she recognized a growing trend: Social media was becoming the preferred medium.
“Social media was taking market share away from every medium. They’re the new radio where before there were clearly defined media pillars, whether it was newspaper, magazines, radio, television, film, whatever. Social media just came in and ate everybody’s food… At the time, it was Instagram, but then TikTok came around and took even more people’s attention. And advertising is the business of people’s attention. I knew it was the right bet and that there was gonna be a lot of money in it, and it wasn’t gonna be going anywhere,” Ingleton-Smith explained.
Kensington Grey
For the past six years, Ingleton-Smith’s bet has placed her at the top of her own agency as founder, president and CEO of Kensington Grey, which is a talent management firm that specializes in casting, influencer marketing, creator marketing, social media, and social marketing.
Its roster includes Topicals Founder and CEO Olamide Ayomikun Olowe, lifestyle creator Symphani Soto, and beauty and fashion content creator Aaliyah Jay.
Impact
Kensington Grey has delivered 2,996 brand campaigns and has garnered over 2.4 billion impressions within the past year, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Furthermore, it represents over 140+ BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creators in categories that include fashion, fitness, entrepreneurship, sports, tech, television and on-air, luxury, travel, and more.
“We’ve since expanded to all underserved categories across every intersection of what it means to be considered a minority,” she said. “And we just continue to replicate what we’ve done within the Black and brown community so successfully to all people who consider themselves to be underserved or to be a minority. We wanted to make sure that we would have diverse options for people on the decision maker side.”
6-Year Anniversary
Kensington Grey marked its sixth year in business as of April 16. Reflecting on the journey, Ingleton-Smith says her north star has been determination and a willingness to push through adversity. She cites challenges such as the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and fears surrounding a potential TikTok ban, which was projected to impact small businesses and creators’ monthly revenue with a collective loss of $1.3 billion, notes the Economic Times.
“I just have this inner fire up inside of me that just continues to tell me that you’re gonna be good. Just keep going. Keep pushing. Keep fighting. Keep innovating. And you’ll continue to rise and evolve and innovate and move forward,” she expressed.
What’s Next
Looking ahead, part of Kensington Grey’s next chapter will include a first for the agency. It is poised to expand into film, sports, and entertainment, and it’s also set to launch a proprietary product alongside Jenee Naylor by the Fall 2025 within the accessory space. This would mark the agency’s first creator-led proprietary product.
“We’re super excited to launch it, and that’s really the direction that a lot of creators want to move in. They want to create their own brand,” Ingleton-Smith mentioned. “They love partnering with brands that they love, but there comes a point where you have to make a decision. Do you wanna be the salesperson or the advocate of other people’s brands, or do you wanna start doing your own brand? And there’s a world where you can do both. Even to this day, the Kardashians still do paid partnerships with other brands, but then they have their own brands that do incredibly well. And I think that’s the balance that a lot of creators are seeking to have in their futures.”
