17129: Diverse Advertising Agency Ownership Thwarted By White Advertising Agency Ownership.

 

Advertising Age published a perspective advocating for diverse advertising agency ownership—which is an oxymoron of sorts. And a pipe dream for sure.

 

The author opened by stating, “Diverse ownership in advertising isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a business necessity.”

 

Sorry, but that pronouncement has historically and consistently failed to initiate even performative progress.

 

Diverse ownership—and diversity in general—will unlikely happen unless it becomes a legal mandate enforced with significant financial penalties.

 

Diverse agency ownership is essential to advertising’s future

 

By Samantha Choi

 

Diverse ownership in advertising isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a business necessity.

 

At a moment of cultural upheaval, shifting consumer values and rapid technological disruption, the industry cannot afford to keep running on the same playbook that has long excluded women, nonbinary creatives and people of color from positions of real power.

 

Representation in the ownership suite drives better results through inclusive strategy, deeper resonance and long-term relevance. Yet, even today, the people at the top making the decisions that shape our culture through creative work rarely look like the audiences they serve.

 

Less than 1% of advertising agencies in North America are owned by women or nonbinary individuals, according to the 4A’s and the Ownit initiative. A woman of color, especially Asian-American, in an ownership role? The percentage shrinks to a fraction of a fraction.

 

Despite making up more than 60% of the advertising workforce, women hold only 37.5% of leadership positions and an even smaller share of ownership. This isn’t just an oversight, but a structural failure.

 

Diversity in advertising can’t begin and end with the faces we see in front of the camera. It has to include the people shaping the narrative: those writing the briefs, approving the budgets, directing the creative and steering the ship. Real inclusion means the redistribution of power across creative, finance and strategy.

 

Getting there requires hurdling many barriers. Lack of access to capital. A deficit of mentorship. Industry norms that reward the loudest voices, the longest hours and the most “traditional” leadership styles. Women, especially women of color, often face a double bind: expected to be collaborative, empathetic and flexible, but penalized when those same qualities are perceived as soft or indecisive. The emotional intelligence, lived experience and cultural nuance that should be seen as leadership strengths are instead treated as liabilities.

 

But when diverse creatives are empowered to lead, they build differently. They challenge assumptions. They identify blind spots. They connect with audiences who’ve long been misunderstood or ignored. When you’ve grown up feeling like the “other,” you learn to see what others overlook. That ability to read between the lines and understand the unsaid? That’s not just empathy, but strategy, vision and the heart of great storytelling.

 

Good creative work begins with listening and asking better questions. Notice the gaps in the narrative and fill them with honesty, complexity and care. And the data backs it up: Companies with more diverse leadership teams consistently outperform their peers on innovation, problem-solving and financial returns.

 

But change won’t happen if we keep waiting for permission. It happens when new voices take the mic and when those already in power make space at the table.

 

Visibility, access, mentorship and funding matter. And so does the courage to build something even when the odds aren’t in your favor. When others won’t bet on you, bet on yourself.

 

At a recent industry event, a young Asian-American woman approached me to say how much it meant to see a Korean name on the lineup—my name. That simple moment of recognition, especially when I never saw it growing up, hit me hard. It served as a reminder that while representation alone doesn’t fix broken systems, it signals what’s possible. It reminds those starting out that they belong in the room.

 

Right now, the ad industry is being forced to rethink itself. AI is reshaping how we work. Audiences are demanding more authenticity and honesty. Brands are struggling to maintain trust. And at every level, we’re reckoning with who gets to lead, who gets heard, and who gets left out.

 

I used to keep my head down. It’s in our culture. Korean families often teach us to show up by working harder than everyone else. No complaints or shortcuts, just relentless hustle, and people will see it. For years, that was my default setting. But I’ve come to realize that staying silent in the face of inequity doesn’t help those coming next. If anything, it makes the climb harder for them.

 

Now is the time to make room for new voices, not just at the table, but at the head of it. Here’s how we start to fix what’s broken:

 

• Build infrastructure, not just for visibility. Pair representation with real support, including mentorship and sponsorship for layers of long-term growth. 

 

• Redefine leadership. Champion collaborative, empathetic leadership styles, not just the loudest, homogenous voices in the room.

 

• Introduce reverse mentorships. The way we continue to grow is from the bottom up. Listening and learning from fresh young minds brings a different frame of reference. 

 

• Fund diverse ownership. Direct budgets and investment toward agencies/projects led by women, nonbinary creatives, and people of color. Money talks, so use it to shift power.

 

Change doesn’t come from good intentions. It comes from where we place our bets. Let’s start betting on a future that actually looks like the world we want to live in.