With its latest hire, Underscore Talent is appealing to group of creators who love to get out of the house. The talent management company established by the co-founders of the Studio 71 network has brought on Abe Santos, the former Head of Partner Engagement at YouTube, to lead a new division dedicated to outdoorsy creators.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Santos joined Underscore in July. The former law enforcement officer will manage creators who fall into the “outdoor” category, which covers extreme sports, fishing, and cars, among other topics. Santos will help his charges launch podcasts, establish businesses, and claim opportunities that have not previously been afforded to many outdoor creators. “By bringing Abe into the company, we will be able to provide representation for what has been to date an underserved creator group,” said Underscore Talent Co-Founder Reza Izad in a statement.
At YouTube, Santos worked with several of the most prominent stars on the platform. He provided education, inclusion, and escalation management for notable names like Jake Paul and Jeffree Star, and some of the creators he worked with during that gig will be reuniting with him at Underscore. He will represent the athlete and car lover Tanner Fox, the fishing experts at Googan Squad, and diver Brandon Jordan of Jiggin’ With Jordan, who recently worked with his management team to secure a TV deal.
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“I’m excited for the opportunity to help creators in more aspects of their business, other than just YouTube,” Santos said. “I believe that these creators have an opportunity to make a substantial impact in the creator economy as we develop, manage and guide them to unimaginable heights with the unparalleled expertise of Reza, Dan [Weinstein], and the entire Underscore Talent team.”
Underscore Talent has rapidly added new partners since it was established in January 2021. TikTok stars CelinaSpookyBoo and Gunnar Deatherage linked up with Underscore last year, and the latest additions to the company’s roster include Tati Westbrook and JustaMinx.
