Andre Jones said he did not see himself represented in mainstream media growing up.

“When I was watching TV, I wasn’t watching The Brady Bunch,” said Jones, a UCLA alumnus. “I was watching Black Hollywood.”

Now, as a digital talent agent for William Morris Endeavor, a talent representation company, he said he strives to represent the communities and voices he grew up watching. Jones was selected for the 2025 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for his work in growing social media partnerships for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ content creators, according to Forbes. He was previously on the Associated Students UCLA Communications Board, which is the Daily Bruin’s publisher.

The Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list, published annually, features individuals under 30 years old who have made significant impacts in their respective fields – such as sports, social media and healthcare, according to Forbes.

While studying political science at UCLA from 2013 to 2017, Jones said he took an interest in redlining and housing inequities for people of color. Inspired to address historical inequities, he now strives to support storytellers from marginalized backgrounds by representing them in their contract negotiations and ensuring fair compensation in their salaries, he said.

Jones represents content creators such as podcasters, TikTokers and YouTubers in his role. He said he seeks to find social media talent at early stages in their careers and helps them build a business around their content creation.

Jones views his work as a contribution to promoting social change, he added. The pay gap between white social media influencers and influencers of color is 29%, according to NBC News.

“I really wanted to focus on how to represent people of color, how to represent queer people – ensure they’re getting a fair stake and also ensure their careers are being guided in the right direction,” he said.

Jones’ journey, however, in the entertainment industry was filled with challenges. As a first-generation college student raised by a single mother, he said he noticed nepotism – that he did not receive – while working in Hollywood.

Jones worked his first job in a mailroom at United Talent Agency for $13 an hour.

“You have to come from a certain family – your dad’s a producer, your mom’s a lawyer,” he said. “I had none of that, so it was really on me to succeed and push myself.”

Jones said he was working his first job in the UTA mailroom when he met Nigel Meiojas, a talent agent and current partner at UTA. Meiojas said he thought Jones was the perfect candidate for his assistant because of his drive and passion.

“I thought he was very smart, showed huge interest and had an insatiable appetite to learn,” Meiojas said. “I was more than thrilled to offer him the position on my desk.”

Geoffrey Suddleson, a partner and co-head of unscripted television at UTA, said he was impressed by Jones’ curiosity when they met at Bruin Woods – a Lake Arrowhead camp run by UCLA student camp counselors.

Suddleson, a UCLA alumnus himself, said he helped Jones land his first interview at UTA the next week after meeting him. He added that he felt a sense of pride when he heard Jones made this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

“He’s a proven case study that if you work hard, and you follow the trends and you listen and see how things are going – it doesn’t matter where you come from and what you look like,” he said.

Jones said other people within the industry told him not to “pigeonhole” himself into representing Black and Brown content creators and artists. He added that he, however, stayed true to himself and his interests as they aligned with a broader audience, in spite of the advice he’d been given.

Jones said being recognized on the Forbes list legitimized his success in a way many outside of Hollywood might not understand – as he added that the work of digital creators is rarely understood or respected by the wider industry – and validated his role as a representative for creators of color.

“If you have a personal belief in your career – in your future – you’re going to be happier doing it than if you go and do something you don’t want to do,” Jones said.