Felix LaHaye

Felix LaHaye is an internationally recognized digital media entrepreneur whose illustrious career is defined by his innovations in gaming, esports, and digital and influencer marketing. LaHaye founded the current leading esports marketing organization, United Esports, as well as the first influencer marketing company: InstaBrand/Open Influence. He is an active shareholder and executive in half a dozen digital media and esports organizations - including championship team Talon Esports (Hong Kong), Beastcoast (Peru+NYC), Kappa Meltdown esports bars (Paris) and Kore Meltdown esports bars (North America). LaHaye’s organizations now consist of over 250 employees combined.
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 some of the top brands on the path to growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences through gaming media (Procter and Gamble, Nestle, Hard Rock Cafe, Konami…).
Felix’s award-winning vision and creativity within the gaming ecosystem have generated hundreds of millions of views and produced content loved by gamers all over the world. Recent notable achievements include a nationwide partnership with Hard Rock Café to bring esports to their legendary locations, the continuation of the partnership with Procter & Gamble, and delivering unparalleled results to brands like Tampax and Aussie. Leveraging his background in music, LaHaye and United Esports co-produced an original album for one of Thailand’s biggest gaming streamers, Gamtoh, blazing the trail for creators to achieve complete creative control over their content by integrating IP ownership to the music they play while streaming.
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 for Tampax, in 2020 and 2022, with 2022 seeing the highest ad recall lift in recent brand history.
Previously, LaHaye was the first to identify the potential of influencer marketing in 2012 when he founded InstaBrand (now known as Open Influence), and led its global expansion to offices in 5 countries around the world, thus igniting the now multi-billion dollar industry. His initiatives leading 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, headlining 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.
==Education==
LaHaye 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.
==Career==
Before embarking on his corporate career, LaHaye signed his first recording contract at 19 years old as a songwriter and performing artist, leading him to play over 200 shows internationally. He then served as the founder and managing director of a recording and live event production company. Previously, LaHaye also served as a Consultant at Analytica International, a global research and strategy consulting firm and as Director of Strategy at Groupe CHCR a broadcast group serving the Montreal radio market.
LaHaye utilized his past expertise in creating corporate development and international go-to-market strategies to create a leading influencer marketing platform, Open Influence (formerly known as InstaBrand). The company was one of the first to tap into the power of social media influencers to organically boost brand products and awareness. His initiatives leading the influencer economics and dynamics, growth and business strategies led him to be featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30, 
Currently LaHaye is the Founder and CEO of United Esports, a leading esports media organization which offers brands the ability to push the limits within the gaming space. His career is defined by his thought-leadership and innovations in the world of digital and influencer marketing, gaming and esports.
Inc.’s 30 Under 30, and in Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America.
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 in the path to growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences through gaming media (Procter and Gamble, Nestle, Hard Rock Cafe, Konami…). Additional esports ventures include co-ownership of Meltdown Esports Bars, as well as ownership of esports teams, Talon Esports, Archmage Esports and BeastCoast. Felix also serves as the founder and CEO of Kore Meltdown, the US based branch of Meltdown esports bars, in partnership with Hard Rock Cafe, the internationally recognized, world-class hospitality brand, to provide exciting esports activations and entertainment at some of Hard Rock Cafe’s most popular locations including Hollywood, Seattle, Atlanta and Chicago.
As an active member in the esports community, LaHaye also contributes investments to organizations in the space that align with moving the industry forward and bolster the recognition of the still emerging space.
==In the media==
<youtube width="300" height="300">tO1d45k3OVY</youtube>  
<youtube width="300" height="300">ro7vygViqHw</youtube>  
<youtube width="300" height="300">b68xiEj9iyc</youtube>
==References==
==External Links==
* 
* 
Category:1988 births
Category:Canadian businesspeople
Category:Entrepreneurs
Category:Canadian entrepreneurs
Category:Canadian company founders
Category:Video game companies