College athletics has crowned its newest It Girls—and they’re rewriting the rules of athlete influence in real time.
Meet Bergen Reilly (165,000 followers) and Andi Jackson (300,000 followers), two of the most electrifying stars in NCAA volleyball, whose impact extends far beyond the court. Represented exclusively by RENEGADE TALENT MGMT, Bergen and Andi are redefining the power of women in sports marketing and becoming the gold standard for what brand partnerships in the Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) era can achieve.
Bergen Reilly: Calm. Collected. Commanding.
Named the 2023 Big Ten Setter of the Year as a true freshman, Bergen Reilly has quickly emerged as one of college volleyball’s brightest talents. Known for her laser-focused leadership, elegant precision, and quiet intensity, she led Nebraska through an undefeated regular season while exuding confidence well beyond her years.
Her Team USA credentials and national media attention have made Bergen a natural fit for wellness, lifestyle, beauty, and performance-focused brands looking for a face that blends substance with serenity. Her social presence reflects her real-life personality: poised, intentional, and incredibly influential.
Andi Jackson: High Energy. High Impact. Highly Marketable.
Where Bergen brings the calm, Andi Jackson brings the fire. A human highlight reel and one of the most dominant middle blockers in the NCAA, Andi is known for her explosive athleticism, fierce spirit, and infectious charisma.
With a vibrant personality and bold sense of style, Andi resonates deeply with Gen Z audiences and young athletes who crave confidence and realness. She’s tailor-made for athleisure, Gen Z beauty, sports nutrition, and activewear partnerships—a walking (and jumping) campaign in motion.
“Bergen and Andi are the future of NIL,” says Christina Brennan, President of RENEGADE TALENT MGMT and one of the top female sports talent managers in the country. “They’re elite athletes, high-character women, and total naturals on camera. Brands love them not just because they win—but because they connect and inspire. They’re relatable, aspirational, and built for this moment.”
These athletes don’t just bring star power—they bring storytelling power. Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson are:
Authentic — Their personalities shine as bright as their stats.
Media-Savvy — They perform on court and on camera.
Culturally Relevant — They’re inspiring the next generation of female athletes.
Engaging — With rapidly growing social followings, their audience is loyal, young, and deeply invested.
Whether you’re a brand in wellness, skincare, clean nutrition, sportswear, or lifestyle, Bergen and Andi offer a rare opportunity: elite Gen Z athletes who actually convert.
From viral TikToks to national campaigns, the It Girls of NIL are just getting started—and brands looking to build meaningful, high-impact partnerships in the college sports space won’t want to miss this.
To collaborate with Bergen Reilly or Andi Jackson, please contact Christina Brennan at christina@celebexperts.com.
Follow @thedigitalrenegades to keep up with the next generation of athlete-creators.
Do you know what’s really in the food on your breakfast table?
After rapidly growing her platform with iconic food combinations and recipes, as well as starring on The Food Network, Licensed and Registered Dietitian, Samar Kullab (840,000 total followers) appeared on a segment of Mornings in America to speak about how to better balance your meals. In this segment she discussed the findings from two shocking studies; one suggesting a potential association between niacin added to breakfast cereals and heart disease, while the other one indicates that excessive protein consumption could have detrimental effects on heart health.
Too much of any vitamin or mineral isn’t healthy, too little isn’t healthy either. You want to find that perfect middle ground, which is why consuming foods in moderation is so important. For example, “when eating a complex carb such as bread or pasta,balancing it out with a source of protein and a healthy source of fat.”
Samar says that we should absolutely not be cutting anything out, and emphasizes how important it is to still indulge in the foods we love. However, when we are eating something like a bowl of cereal, we don’t just want to eat that on its own; we might want to put it in a parfait or have it with milk and fruit so that we are getting all the different nutrients needed.
Samar is also the Queen of snack and breakfast boxes. She comes up with healthy alternatives and creative combinations to make eating intuitively fun, easy, and enjoyable. Recently she has been making all sorts of boxes from protein pancakes, fresh fruit, and deviled eggs, to smoked salmon, and light cream cheese paired with bell peppers, whole wheat crackers, and blueberries.
Let’s get rid of the stigma that eating right is boring and challenging. Follow Samar on all socials @chicago.dietitian to stay up to date with her healthy choices and recommendations, and contact her manager christina@celebexperts.com for any partnership inquiries!
Campaigns around sports gambling are dominating social media platforms
Since the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, 30 states have since legalized sports gambling with New York being one of the more recently legalized states. In doing so, sports-books recognized New York as one of the largest new populations to target in getting the public to join their wagering apps, and took several different approaches in looking to capture this new share of the market. While many books took a promotional approach by creating incentives for placing your first bet (such as awarding them credit to bet with), advertising efforts surrounding this industry have exploded since New York’s legalization this past January.
While the industry first looked to promote their brands through television advertising for awareness and to encourage new users, a deal between Sportradar and Adomni in late 2021 reinvented the way these books could market to the public. The deal allowed for books when showing an advertisement in the middle of a sports game to include live betting odds for the game being shown, at that exact point in the game. Here, books changed their way of advertising not solely to acquire new users, but to further promote active users to consider betting on the game they’re currently watching.
The most popular advertisement utilizing the live odds feature is by bet365, which is led by celebrity actor Aaron Paul (known largely from Breaking Bad). Here, he poses the question “Why aren’t you on the world’s greatest sports-book?” in which he then dives into the live-betting features where he shows the live odds for that particular game.
Aaron Paul’s commercial with bet365
While the use of Aaron Paul was extremely effective in generating buzz for bet365 advertisements, other sports-books have utilized celebrity endorsements as well. Sites such as BetMGM have Jamie Foxx while Caesar’s Sportsbook uses J.B. Smoove and Halle Berry, however several books have begun shifting to marketing through social media influencers as well.
Brands in all industries have recognized the impact influencers can have on raising brand’s awareness and creating loyal customers, as top influencers generally have a very engaged audience. Sportsbooks is no exception to this, with FanDuel leading the charge in signing Pat McAfee. McAfee is a retired NFL punter, who since has become much more famous for his past relationship with Barstool and his podcast where Pat analyzes sports in a unique way that you won’t hear anywhere else.
Since the legalization of online wagering, users have taken to their social media to post their bets in hopes of sharing their “winning picks” with their followers, which has led to a new genre of influencers. TikTok has been arguably the most dominant platform with these influencers, as @bookitwithtrent has quickly rose to over 340k followers through sharing his daily bets, despite losing almost every one. As ironic as it may seem, whoever Trent bets on somehow loses, which has led to people coining him the “Fade God”. PrizePicks recognized this opportunity and immediately partnered with him, as Trent is just one of the many avid sports fans turned gambling influencers.
DraftKings took a very unique influencer approach in promoting their book however, through partnering with the Official Grillmaster of the Buffalo Bills Jack Mancuso (@chefcuso). Cuso’s content differs much from that of McAfee and Trent’s videos, as Jack’s page is populated with delicious grilling videos with a comedic twist to his dishes, however is an avid sports fan as well as is his audience.
Jack Mancuso (@chefcuso) posts a TikTok in partnership with DraftKings
With the next few weeks of sports being filled with the ending of March Madness, NBA and NHL playoff races finishing up their regular seasons, as well as with the unexpected trades occurring in the NFL offseason, be prepared to see more sports book influencer campaigns.
To book a celebrity or influencer for your next campaign, contact RENEGADE TALENT MGMT via email at renegade@celebexperts.com
Saturday February 12 2022, 6.00pm GMT, The Sunday Times
Pete Davidson with Ariana Grande in 2018 and with Kim Kardashian in Beverly Hills last monthKEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES; HAKOP ARSHAKYAN/BACKGRID
Pete Davidson had mayonnaise to sell and news to spread that could help him do it.
Sandwiched between pressing questions about his role in an advert for today’s Super Bowl and his thoughts on a particular brand of doughnuts came a moment when the comedian and actor deftly combined several viral ingredients to whip up a social media storm (and boost mayonnaise sales).
All he did was use the word “girlfriend” for the first time to describe his long-rumoured romantic partner — one of the most famous women in the world.
“I don’t have Instagram or Twitter or any of that stuff,” the 28-year-old star of Saturday Night Live told the presenter of People (The TV Show!) when she asked how fame affected him. “So, like, most of my daily life is getting into cars and showing up to a set. Or, if I’m off, I just either hang with my friends or chill with my girlfriend inside.”
Condiment marketing was not the only thing at stake here. Davidson — a heavily tattooed comedian from New York’s least glamorous borough, whose aesthetic appeal could most kindly be described as unconventional — had just cemented his status as Hollywood’s hottest Casanova.
He already had a string of famous exes, including the pop star Ariana Grande, Cindy Crawford’s model daughter, Kaia Gerber, and the British actresses Kate Beckinsale and Phoebe Dynevor, from Bridgerton. Now, by confirming his romance with the 41-year-old reality-TV star, billionaire entrepreneur and mother of four Kim Kardashian, Davidson had thrust himself to the top of the global A list.
“As long as his relationship with Kim continues to grow, he is going to go on a global tour with her, as her partner, that will expose him to a global audience that will fall in love with him,” said Evan Morgenstein, chief executive of CelebExperts, a celebrity booking service. Morgenstein worked as a motivational speaking agent for Kim’s stepfather, Bruce Jenner, for a decade, before Jenner transitioned to become Caitlyn.
Taking in the tennis at Wimbledon with Phoebe Dynevor, one of the stars of BridgertonKARWAI TANG/GETTY IMAGES
“People are going to see him and see that he’s not a pompous ass. People are looking for that. That’s a hero, sadly to say. It’s the celebrity you can engage with — it’s where the market is.”
There is plenty more to keep dedicated celebrity-watchers interested. The Super Bowl ad shows that the comedian is able to laugh at himself, especially when millions of dollars are involved.
A picture of Davidson and Kardashian holding hands emerged in October, prompting Kanye West, whom the reality star is seeking to divorce after nearly seven years of marriage, to say that he wanted to “beat” his replacement for her affections. In the ad Davidson jokes that he is indeed “very hittable”.
As his stock rises, there are rumours in Hollywood that Davidson will be named as the host of next month’s Oscars ceremony.
“If he does the Oscars, Kanye is in the audience and he does a Kanye joke, he’s going to become the icon of all icons, that’s how it works,” said Morgenstein.
“All award shows are dying on the vine — TV numbers are historically low. If he’s there, and they start dropping stories that Kanye’s going to be there, it’s perhaps the highest ratings we’ve seen for ever.”
While having Kardashian on his arm is no doubt good for his career, Davidson is a star in his own right, especially in America.
In 2014 he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, one of America’s best-loved shows, at the age of 20. Two years ago his compelling past became the focus of a semi-autobiographical film, The King of Staten Island, which he co-wrote and starred in.
He has spoken in the past about his mental health struggles and his periodically heavy use of marijuana to cope with Crohn’s disease, which he has had since he was about 17. In December 2018 he was contacted by New York police after posting on Instagram that he was contemplating suicide, an episode that led to him leaving the platform.
Davidson, left, joined the cast of Saturday Night Live at the age of 20WILL HEATH/NBC/GETTY IMAGES
Until recently he lived with his mother in New York. His father, a fireman, was killed in the World Trade Centerf attacks on September 11, 2001, when Davidson was seven. He has his father’s firefighter’s badge number, 8418, tattooed on his left arm.
He also has a tattoo of Hillary Clinton, who acknowledged his fame and influence in 2017 when she joked, “This makes it significantly less awkward that I’ve had a Pete Davidson tattoo for years.”
Davidson is funny, largely self-deprecating and often acerbic. Sometimes his comedy has landed him in hot water.
In 2018 he joked that Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican and former US Navy Seal who was then running for Congress, having lost an eye in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, looked like “a hit man in a porno movie. I’m sorry. I know he lost his eye in war, or whatever.”
The joke tanked, he received death threats and a week later Davidson publicly apologised to Crenshaw.
Often, though, he has shown surer judgment.
When asked on Saturday Night Live in 2019 about the 20-year age gap between him and Beckinsale, Davidson did himself no harm in pointing to the number of famous men who have much younger partners.
“Apparently people have a crazy fascination with our age difference,” he said.
“But it doesn’t really bother us. But then again, I’m new to this, so if you have questions about relationships with a big age difference, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Disick, Dane Cook, Derek Jeter, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn and whoever the president of France is, Mel Gibson, Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, Kelsey Grammer, Larry King, Larry King, Larry King, Rod Stewart and Donald Trump.”
Davidson won fans after he was questioned about the age gap between him and Kate BeckinsaleJD IMAGES/REX
Those who have watched his progress say Davidson has navigated the journey to tabloid notoriety without losing touch with his roots in Staten Island, a solidly working-class area of New York. But it was his former fiancée Ariana Grande who perhaps did most for his reputation. Until then, the rest of the world could have been forgiven for assuming that it was Davidson’s wit, charm and sense of humour that had persuaded so many famous women to date him.
A now deleted tweet from Grande revealed another possibility, with the singer apparently blurting out that her former beau was rather generously endowed. “I think she’s just tiny,” shrugged Davidson when the inevitable questions followed (Grande is just over 5ft tall). “I think I have an average-sized penis and she’s tiny. Everything’s big to her.” — Alistair DawberWashington Correspondent
The Social Media sensation appeared in a video article on how the pandemic is changing packages
Digital Renegade Mariyah May, aka mooyayah, is one of the most beloved lifestyle and comedic influencers on TikTok. Her content ranges from cosmetic videos such as makeup and nails, to comedy skits, art, and everything in between.
With her wide range of content, Mariyah has amassed 5M followers on TikTok including more than 240M likes. Most recently, her audio was used in Shelby Holliday’s video for the Wall Street Journal, which discusses the effects the pandemic has had on the shipped package industry.
As has been seen across social media, recently many people have been receiving products they ordered online in a much larger box than what is necessary, to which many find is very wasteful. Shelby takes a deeper dive into the reasons behind this mysterious pattern, and uses Mariyah’s audio to express the feeling one might have when receiving a larger than necessary package.
See the WSJ video here, and Mariyah’s original TikTok here!
The cause of this is due to the spike in e-commerce retailers experienced during the pandemic. With people confined to their homes, everyone turned to online shopping for goods, whether that be cleaning supplies, clothing, makeup or items to improve their home. As a result, cardboard boxes were in extremely high demand, causing the prices of cardboard boxes for retailers to soar. Now, companies are looking to accelerate and optimize their packaging and shipping costs.
Here are some of the changes in packaging you may notice in the future:
More Mailers – These are lighter than cardboard boxes, cheaper, and easier to pack. They additionally are much easier to recycle.
Minimization of Boxes – Companies are shifting toward Amazon’s “Frustration Free Packaging” technique. They are hoping to stray away from shipping boxes inside of boxes as it is sent from the manufacturer to the retailer through offering third parties incentives for being more efficient with her packaging. This also helps the retailer save money, however will not affect the prices of the products you order.
Skip the Shipping – Many sites are pushing customers to travel to the store to pick up their order as opposed to having the products shipped to the buyer. They often incentivize this by offering coupons or even discounts. This further has led to many companies partnering with Happy Returns, which allows consumers to drop goods off without being packaged, which has led to a drastic increase in returns.
So now comes the big question: how will retailers make the unboxing experience exciting with no box? A huge trend throughout social media has been influencers unboxing products from certain companies, and sharing with their followers an honest review on the product.
Unboxing content not only helps grow an influencer’s audience as well as engagement, but further allows retailers to advertise their products to a wide audience in a more genuine and authentic way as opposed to commercials.
While retailers are moving towards a more efficient as well as environmentally friendly way of packaging goods, it’s going to be interesting to see how they will take action to further improve the unboxing experience so many look forward to in anticipation of a delivered package. Industry leaders such as Amazon are leading the charge with some of the techniques described above, and it will be interesting to see how their packaging continues in the future.
