Heart and Brain Info Teams

What Heart and Brain Info Teams does

Heart, Brains & Nerve is a privately held, boutique talent representation firm founded in 2010 by Nathan Skillicorn and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company curates a roster of ten production companies and creative studios — spanning live action, animation, VFX, and design disciplines — and connects them with advertising agencies and brands seeking production talent for commercials, branded content, and music videos. The roster includes Believe Media, Madre, Group Thrpy, Superlative, Electra Productions, Whiskey Bear, Seed, Little Saint Media, Fellow, and State, several of which hold Emmy, Cannes Lions, Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW recognition.

The firm's core function is intermediary representation rather than technology product development; its own technology footprint is explicitly described as not applicable, with no proprietary platform, app, or API. Business value is created through founder-led, direct relationships with agency holding companies and major brand advertisers (including M&Ms, McDonald's, Cadillac, Pepsi, Visa, Burger King, and Ford), and through the curation discipline that differentiates the agency from mass-market rep shops.

Heart, Brains & Nerve generates revenue through placement and representation fees on deals between roster production companies and advertising clients, operating as a B2B professional services intermediary. The firm is founder-owned with no institutional investors, no disclosed subsidiaries, and no observable M&A or funding activity. Its marketing approach is relationship-driven and sales-led, relying on a professional website that showcases the roster and on direct outreach by the founder.

Name

Heart and Brain Info Teams

Legal name

Heart, Brains & Nerve

Website

https://heartbrainsandnerve.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heart, Brains & Nerve is a Chicago-based boutique talent representation firm founded in 2010 that curates a roster of ten production companies and creative studios, connecting them with advertising agencies and brands for commercial and branded content projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Talent Representation Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Agency & Representation Services (HSACAHAK)

Keywords

• Talent representation
• Commercial production
• Advertising production
• Production company roster
• Creative talent agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Talent Representation Services: The company generates revenue by representing production companies and creative studios to the commercial advertising and entertainment industries. Revenue is derived from placement and representation fees, likely through contractual arrangements with roster companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Boutique talent representation firm that curates and represents a roster of approximately ten commercial production companies for advertising agencies and brands. Founded in 2010 and based in Chicago, IL, the firm connects clients seeking commercial video production with vetted directors and production houses such as Believe Media and MADRE.

Product overview

Heart, Brains & Nerve is a talent representation agency founded in 2010 that represents unique and innovative global talent for the commercial advertising and entertainment industries. The company curates a roster of production companies organized into two categories: Live Action production companies (Believe Media, MADRE, Group Thrpy, Superlative, Electra, Whiskey Bear, Seed, Little Saint Media) and Animation/VFX production companies (Fellow, State). This portfolio approach allows the agency to offer clients comprehensive solutions spanning visual storytelling, automotive, comedy, content, design, animation, photo-real CGI, character animation, VFX, and AI-driven capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Production Company Talent Representation Representation service that connects advertising agencies and brands with a curated roster of commercial production companies and directors, including production houses such as Believe Media and MADRE. The service includes roster curation, pitching, and facilitating production engagements on behalf of represented companies.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Believe MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld-renowned woman-owned production company specializing in strong visual storytelling. Certified WBENC since 2009. Offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Specializes in fashion, automotive, and music visual storytelling.
• MadrecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction company bringing fresh perspective from Latin gaze, delivering flair, attitude, and cutting-edge creativity. Home to ESTUDIO animation studio. Focus on excellence of craft bathed in culture.
• Group ThrpycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative production company specializing in authentic human stories with distinct visual style. Offers production, direction, post-production, and creative development services.
• SuperlativecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles-based Emmy, Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, AICP, and One Show Pencil award-winning creative production company. Specializes in high-end commercial and creative content.
• Electra ProductionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative nexus based in Los Angeles harmoniously bringing together visionary storytellers and innovative brands. Focuses on transcending traditional boundaries in visual storytelling.
• Whiskey BearcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLos Angeles-based creative production studio established in 2021 specializing in commercial, film and television production, creative development, and post production.
• SeedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFull-service creative studio based in Brooklyn, New York. Commercial production company representing world-class talent for commercials and branded content.
• Little Saint MediacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProduction company led by director John Grammatico. Has directed hundreds of films for major brands including M&Ms, McDonalds, Cadillac, Pepsi, Visa, Burger King, and Ford.
• FellowcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerForward-thinking production company led by Marcelo Petrella and Vincent Wauters. One-stop creative studio focused on live-action, design, animation, and VFX.
• StatecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal voice in design and animation space, focused on creativity, innovation, and community. Delivers holistic, creative solutions for high-impact brand content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Prettybird: Commercial production company and creative representation firm representing directors and production talent globally. Operates the same intermediary model as HB&N between production talent and advertising agencies/brands.
• MJZ: Iconic commercial production company with in-house talent representation that places directors with agencies and brands for global campaigns. Highly comparable roster/representation model to HB&N's boutique approach.
• Radical Media: Long-established commercial and content production company with integrated talent representation. Competes with HB&N for directing talent rosters and direct relationships with BBDO, WPP, and other major agency holding companies.
• Park Pictures: Boutique commercial production company representing a curated roster of directors for advertising and branded content. Closely comparable in scale, curation philosophy, and agency-facing GTM motion to HB&N.
• Epoch Films: Boutique commercial production company and director representation firm serving agencies and brands. Overlaps with HB&N in the curated live-action commercial production representation space.
• RSA Films: Ridley Scott Associates' commercial production arm, representing a roster of directors to agencies and brands globally. Comparable to HB&N in delivering world-class directing talent to the commercial advertising market.
• Anonymous Content: Los Angeles-based production company and talent management firm that represents directors and production talent for commercials, films, and branded content. Directly comparable to HB&N as a hybrid production/representation business serving the same advertising-agency buyer set.

Broad incumbents

• CAA (Creative Artists Agency): Global talent agency with a commercial/directing representation division serving major agencies and brands. Operates at vastly greater scale than HB&N but competes for the same agency-brand production placements.
• WME (William Morris Endeavor): Major global talent agency representing directors, writers, and production talent across entertainment and advertising. Represents the incumbent alternative to boutique firms like HB&N for agency and brand production sourcing.
• UTA (United Talent Agency): Global talent and literary agency with a commercial division representing directors and production talent to agencies and brands. Competes in the same representation category as HB&N, with broader scope and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-brains-nerve

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heart and Brain Info Teams