One of the biggest ways I help founders as the solo GP of SuperAngel.Fund is through the Super Angel Network: the operators, investors and industry leaders who make up our community.
The right introduction at the right time can help a founder raise capital, win a customer or hire a key team member. Our LP Spotlight series introduces you to the people behind that network, sharing their work and perspectives to create more of those connections.
Meet Brian Rappaport, Founder and CEO of Quan Media Group, an out-of-home advertising agency helping modern brands show up in the physical world in creative, strategic and measurable ways.
Before founding Quan in 2019, Brian spent more than a decade in media at Zenith (Publicis) and RapportWW (IPG), where he built and managed out-of-home campaigns for brands including Verizon, Royal Caribbean, Dunkinā, JetBlue and Canada Goose.
Quan has since worked with more than 100 brands, including SKIMS, OLIPOP, HubSpot, Bumble, Ramp and Shopify.
Iām proud to have Brian as an LP in SuperAngel.Fund. His experience helping digital-first companies build awareness in the physical world brings a valuable perspective to our community and the founders we back.
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn, follow him on X @BRappy55 and learn more about Quan Media Group.
Hereās what Brian had to say in this weekās LP Spotlight Q&A š
Tell us a little about your background and what youāre focused on today.
Brian: I never planned on working in media or advertising. I wanted to work in pro sports marketing and PR, but after a year-long temp job at NBA TV (I did the bottom stat ticker!), I found myself following a close friend over to Zenith Media.
I worked across multiple channels before falling in love with out-of-home advertising. That led me to IPGās OOH shop, RapportWW, in 2015, where I ran their NYC office. While my day job consisted of handling OOH buying and planning for IPG sister agencies like Mediahub, I was also building a direct client roster of some of the hottest D2C brands of 2015 and 2016, including Casper, Daily Harvest, Ro and ThirdLove.
Ultimately, I saw a need for an OOH concierge: a team of experts that could blend firsthand expertise with ad tech to create audience-driven campaigns without the bloat of a holding company.
Itās been seven years, and weāre now a team of 15 OOH veterans handling campaigns across North America. Our brands are a diverse blend that includes HubSpot, PrizePicks, Ramp, The Farmerās Dog, SKIMS, OLIPOP and Bumble.
We do it all, from billboards and painted murals to airport advertising and experiential activations. We literally just built a bar out of a street-level billboard for Teremana Tequila!
What motivated you to become an LP in SuperAngel.Fund?
Brian: Iāve fallen in love with the brands I work with and immerse myself in understanding which brands are truly changing their categories for the better.
Over the years, Iāve watched brands like Caraway, Lalo and Bandit burst onto the scene, and I wanted to find a more meaningful way to support them. I truly see the value in what theyāre doing and feel theyāre going to ultimately transform the consumer space.
What qualities distinguish exceptional founders and business leaders?
Brian: Not micromanaging, believing in your people, learning how to delegate and COMPLIMENTING. I donāt think we compliment enough, and building positive morale among your team leads to collective success.
Trust your team, build a smart support system and stay hungry. Thatās how you win.
What advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?
Brian: Age means nothing. What you went to college for means nothing. If you envision doing something that you truly feel will be a success, go for it.
Download a business plan template off Google. Fill it in. Identify the problem youāre trying to solve, how youāre going to solve it and why youāre going to win. Then find the right approach to bringing it all to life.
I never saw myself starting my own business. I never even knew what OOH was in college. Iām obsessed with what I do. Iām not depressed on Sundays or when vacations end, and Iām blessed for that.
What is your favorite app or tool in your professional or personal life?
Brian: Definitely X. I need to vent. I have a stream of consciousness and need to get it out, and X is it for me.
OOH campaigns I love? X. The Yankees lost a game they should have won? X. Just had a great chicken parm? X.
For me, itās been an outlet thatās helped build my personal and professional networks. I love it.
What do you love doing outside of work?
Brian: I have two young children and an amazing wife who shares my passion for the Knicks and Yankees, and I adore spending time with them.
Aside from that, playing pickup basketball is my cathartic release. I love it.
SuperAngel.Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund led by Ben Zises that invests in Consumer, PropTech, & Future of Work š.
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