Self-Made: From Student Pianist to Fortune 500

From a young age, Tony Chen, CEO of Channel Factory, always aspired to make an impact. After moving to America at the age of nine, Tony began playing the piano to inspire those around him through the art of music. He loved playing so much that he decided to major in classical music in college, with the hope of one day becoming a famous pianist.

To help achieve his dream of fame and fortune as a classical artist, Tony began uploading videos of his performances onto YouTube. Although, he quickly learned that people aren’t going to watch a video if they don’t know it exists. In an effort to increase his own YouTube channel views, Tony hit the books and taught himself the science of algorithms, data optimization and media buying, which ignited a new passion: digital advertising.

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While he still plays piano, Tony has become more popularly known for his success in building Channel Factory, a global advertising firm which helps Fortune 500 companies – like Apple, Disney and Samsung, among others – amplify their brands through the power of video and content optimization. The company, which was able to expand its operations with financial help from East West Bank, was named one of the fastest growing businesses by Forbes in 2017 and is currently working on a new ‘Conscious Project,’ which aims to evolve the content ecosystem to be more inclusive for minorities through positive, value-driven advertisements. These efforts aren’t only part of Channel Factory’s personal commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion in the digital space – they’re actually what consumers want. According to the company’s recent survey, nearly 70% of consumers would prefer to buy from brands committed to socially conscious causes – creating a win-win for both advertisers and consumers.

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