We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dylan Huey. Check out our conversation below.
Dylan, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts with catching up on emails and making sure I am on top of ongoing projects. As CEO of REACH, I spend most of my time balancing two priorities. One is growing our marketing division by acquiring new clients and making sure our campaigns deliver measurable results. The other is supporting our talent, ensuring they have the tools and opportunities to thrive. REACH started as a student organization at USC and has now grown into a national network across more than 75 universities, with divisions in marketing, talent management, studios, ventures, and a nonprofit side. Because of that growth, no two days look the same, but the constant is making sure both our brand partners and our creators are set up for success.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dylan Huey, and I’ve built my career at the intersection of content creation, technology, and entrepreneurship. I started out as a creator myself under the name Rodin’ Flash, where I grew an audience of over six million across platforms. Along the way, I also managed other creators, including helping Huddy scale from 200,000 to five million followers early in his career. Those experiences showed me both the opportunities and challenges in the creator economy.
Today, I lead REACH, which began as a student organization at USC and has now grown into the first and only national collegiate influencer network, active across more than 100 universities. Under our umbrella, we’ve expanded into four divisions: a full-service marketing agency, a content production studio, a talent management firm, and a venture arm that holds equity in more than 25 startups. What makes REACH special is that it connects student creators with real resources and opportunities, while also helping global brands build authentic and scalable influencer campaigns.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful came when I was 16 and on tour as a creator. At that age, most of my connection with people happened through live streams, where viewers were just numbers on a screen. Meeting them in person changed that perspective. I’ll never forget when a mom came up to my mom and me to say my live streams had saved her daughter’s life. That moment made me realize how real the impact of digital content could be.
Now at 23, I still carry that lesson with me. It shaped the way I think about creating and why I built REACH. At its core, it’s about turning digital numbers into real connections and making sure creators have the resources to make a genuine impact on their communities.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain and started using it as power when I turned to social media. Growing up, I was bullied and felt isolated. At 14, I started posting on Musical.ly as a way to show others that they weren’t alone and that there were people out there who could relate to what they were going through. My following was built on that idea — not just about me sharing content, but about creating a space where people could find each other and feel understood. That shift, from holding everything inside to turning it into something that could help others, is what gave me strength and shaped the path I’m on today.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is the real me. As a creator, my online personality matches who I am offline because I share my world openly with my audience. At the same time, I’m not just focused on my own content — I see myself as a champion for other creators. I like to see them succeed, and I put a lot of my energy into supporting them with the tools, opportunities, and community they need to grow.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When have you had to bet the company?
In many ways, every day feels like betting the company. Being a CEO means constantly making decisions without a perfect playbook, whether it’s choosing which clients to pursue, which creators to back, or which partnerships to prioritize. Each choice comes with risk. For me, it’s about being comfortable with that uncertainty and trusting the vision we’ve built for REACH. The company wouldn’t have grown from a single college chapter to a national organization with multiple divisions if we weren’t willing to take those bets every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dylanhuey.me/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanhuey40/
