#SMWLA Preview: Michelle Phan Is Discovering The Next Batch Of YouTube Talent

Michelle Phan is unmatched in her rise to fame in the YouTube beauty community. But her history is far more humble than most people realize. According to Re/code, Phan’s family at one point lived off food stamps. In 2007, the now 28-year-old vlogger was working as a waitress and couldn’t even get a job at a beauty counter because of her lack of sales experience.

Then Phan started putting videos on YouTube, covering topics ranging from makeup tutorials to popular beauty haul reveals. Nearly eight years later, Phan now boasts over 7.7 million subscribers and 1.1 billion all-time video views on her YouTube channel. She has her own book, a Streamy ICON Award, and a beauty subscription company called Ipsy, which has now pulled in $150 million from over 1 million subscribers.

Phan also has her own network within Endemol Beyond

called ICON, which features lifestyle content from various YouTube talent. And the network doesn’t just include content from popular stars; Phan makes sure some up-and-coming names are included, making the ICON network a leader in discovering future digital talent.

Phan will discuss how her ICON network with Endemol is empowering the next generation of YouTube stars in a panel for Social Media Week Los Angeles (SMWLA) on June 12, 2015, from 2:30 to 3:30 PM PST. The vlogger will be joined by fellow panelists Drew Baldwin of Tubefilter, celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, lifestyle YouTuber Anne Le, and Leslie Morgan of Endemol Beyond USA.

If you haven’t already purchased tickets to SMWLA, you can do so here. You can find a complete schedule of panels here.