Felix LaHaye

Felix LaHaye is an internationally recognized digital media entrepreneur, having founded the current market-leading esports marketing organization, United Esports, as well as co-founding the first social influencer marketing company: InstaBrand/Open Influence. A true pioneer in the media and marketing space, LaHaye has cultivated a successful career defined by his innovations in gaming, esports, and digital and influencer marketing. LaHaye currently serves as the founder and CEO of United Esports, the American market leader in esports marketing. The agency is a creative-led marketing organization offering proprietary marketing products, owned media properties, and agency services to the world’s largest and most innovative brands on the path to growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences through gaming media (Procter and Gamble, Nestle, Hard Rock Cafe, Konami…). Among LaHaye’s notable contributions to the esports space, he was the first to recognize the marketing power of women in gaming, a previously untapped market representing close to 50% of young gamers in the Americas. United Esports leveraged their access to tens of millions of American gaming fans, which resulted in the highest-performing campaign of 2020 for Tampax, as well as 2022, with the latter seeing the highest ad recall lift in recent history. Previously, LaHaye was the first to identify the potential of influencer marketing in 2012 when he co-founded InstaBrand (now known as Open Influence), and led it to open offices in 5 cities and countries, and was the spark that ignited the now multi-billion dollar industry. His initiatives leading the influencer economics, growth and business strategies led him to be honored on Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Inc.’s 30 Under 30, and in Inc.’s 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America. Before embarking on his corporate career, LaHaye signed his first recording contract at the age of 19 as a songwriter and performing artist, leading him to play over 200 shows internationally. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in managerial economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) and Political Science, as well as a Master’s of Science in Strategy and from LSE with Yale University. LaHaye is an active shareholder and executive in half a dozen digital media and esports organizations - including market leader Talon Esports (Hong Kong), Beastcoast (Peru+NYC), and Kappa-Meltdown esports bars (Paris).