Will Esparza and Kelli Robertson launched Hyphenated in early 2020 with a clear sense of geography and purpose. Esparza grew up in Pico Union, a heavily Latino neighborhood east of downtown Los Angeles. When it came time to choose a location for the agency, he didn’t follow the Westside cluster of Venice and Santa Monica. Instead, Hyphenated set up shop on Pico Boulevard in Mid City—a through-line that connects East LA to the coast, capturing every aspect of the city along the way.
The agency’s first client was the LA Rams, a partnership that came about through a conversation with Ronalee Zamorano, a connection Esparza had from his days at R/GA. “We said, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it,'” Robertson recalls. “Sports became this beautiful discovery for us.” That first relationship taught them something crucial: attention gets you three seconds, but relationships build resilience. While other agencies chase viral moments, Hyphenated plays the long game. They’ve built a reputation for provocation with purpose, challenging clients to do bold work through respectful, hard conversations that push toward excellence.
From R/GA to Pico Boulevard
Before Hyphenated, Esparza and Robertson both worked at R/GA in Los Angeles. Esparza reflects warmly on that time, noting that Bob Greenberg and Nick Law gave them room to experiment and push boundaries. But when private equity acquired the agency, the dynamics shifted. “We had an asterisk on our independence at that point,” Esparza explains.
So they left and built something of their own. Hyphenated officially launched in January 2020—terrible timing for a new agency, but they pushed through. The choice to locate on Pico Boulevard wasn’t random. For Esparza, it represented a homecoming and a statement about who they wanted to serve and how they wanted to build.
What Hyphenated is known for: provocation with purpose
Hyphenated is known for challenging the brief. They don’t accept client requests at face value. “We will come in and push and provoke and challenge in a respectful way,” Robertson says. “We will always have the hard conversations because that’s how you get somewhere excellent.”
That willingness to question the ask itself sets them apart. They’re not confrontational for its own sake. They’re strategic provocateurs who understand that the best work often requires rethinking the initial problem. Their client list includes the LA Rams, Nike, Opendoor, Guayaki, TaskRabbit and others—brands willing to be challenged and do something bold.
Three things Hyphenated does differently
1. They hire “off the streets, not from the industry.” Hyphenated looks for talent outside traditional agency circles. They want people who could do anything else—creatives, strategists, builders with diverse backgrounds. “Hyphenated people are undeniable,” Esparza says. That philosophy extends to how they think about identity and representation. They’re not interested in performative diversity. They hire talent that brings a perspective the industry usually overlooks.
2. They build long-term relationships over short-term attention. Sports marketing taught them this. While other agencies chase three-second viral moments, Hyphenated focuses on sustained relationships. “Attention is relevance today, relationships are resilience tomorrow,” they explain. That’s how they approach the LA Rams, World Cup opportunities and other sports partnerships. They’re thinking years, not campaigns.
3. They’re challenging the dominant LA agency narrative. Most LA agencies cluster on the Westside. Hyphenated deliberately chose Mid City, on Pico Boulevard—a street that connects East LA to the coast. That geographic choice reflects their philosophy: they’re tapping creative brilliance from East LA and surrounding communities the industry overlooks. “We’re not here to be the biggest,” Robertson says. “We’re here to do the most interesting work with the most interesting people.”
Independence without investors or asterisks
Hyphenated is fully founder-owned with no outside investors. Esparza and Robertson built the agency to grow laterally, expanding influence without sacrificing autonomy. At R/GA, Esparza notes that Greenberg and Law let them experiment. But once private equity money entered, even with good intentions, the dynamics changed.
At Hyphenated, there’s no asterisk. They have final say on partnerships—who, how and when. Independence allows them to be provocative without layers of approval. That willingness to question the ask itself requires independence. “The last thing the world needs is another agency,” Robertson says, “but the industry desperately needs more of what we’re doing.”
Why brands should work with Hyphenated
Brands come to Hyphenated when they want to be challenged. The agency doesn’t just execute briefs. They rethink problems, push clients toward bolder solutions and build long-term relationships instead of chasing viral moments.
Their sports expertise is a differentiator. Starting with the LA Rams, they’ve built a track record in sports marketing that focuses on sustained relevance rather than fleeting attention. They understand how to build campaigns that last beyond a single moment. For brands willing to have hard conversations and do excellent work, Hyphenated is built for that partnership.
Why talent chooses Hyphenated (and Mid City)
Talent chooses Hyphenated because of how they hire and where they’re located. The agency actively recruits outside the traditional agency pipeline. “We hire off the streets, not from the industry,” Esparza explains. They’re looking for people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills—people who could do anything else but choose to build with them.
The Mid City location matters too. It’s not the Westside cluster. It’s on Pico Boulevard, a street that captures the full breadth of Los Angeles. For Esparza, who grew up in Pico Union, the location represents both a homecoming and an intentional statement about tapping into the creative brilliance of East LA and surrounding communities that the industry has traditionally overlooked. Freelancers and full-time staff appreciate working with an agency that doesn’t follow the typical LA playbook.
Hyphenated people are undeniable
When asked about being “weirdos, misfits or underdogs,” Esparza and Robertson push back on the framing. “I think hyphenated people are undeniable,” Esparza says. The agency was built by and for people who exist in multiple spaces—Latino, creative, strategic, from neighborhoods the industry overlooks.
They’re not positioning themselves as scrappy underdogs. They’re positioning themselves as an agency that taps into communities and talent the industry has historically overlooked. “We’re not misfits,” Robertson clarifies. “We’re intentional about who we are and what we’re building.”
That intentionality extends to their exit strategy—or lack thereof. Hyphenated was built to gift or sunset, not to sell. “We’re not building this to flip to private equity,” Esparza explains. “We’re building this to hand off to the next generation or to close on our own terms.” That philosophy shapes every decision they make, from hiring to client selection to their approach to growth. Hyphenated is playing a different game entirely.
Learn more
Hyphenated
Will Esparza LinkedIn
Kelli Robertson LinkedIn
Hyphenated LinkedIn
Contact: wi**@********ed.co | ke***@********ed.co | (213) 309-3733
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
