Talia Arnold named ADWEEK Agent of Change 2026
Updated: Oct 8
Talia Arnold, co-founder and managing partner of Exverus by Brainlabs, was honored as an ADWEEK Agent of Change, presented by Empower, on October 8, 2026 for her success building a multimillion-dollar, independent agency by prioritizing work-life balance.
While many companies today lose talented women and working parents, or scale back inclusive hiring practices, Exverus has retained many of its original employees for over a decade thanks to remote work, flexible schedules, and a genuine appreciation for various perspectives in the room. Flexibility is an investment that pays off exponentially; rather than being a cost or a sacrifice, it’s been an enormous growth strategy for Exverus. See ADWEEK's full Agents of Change list.
"Women aren’t leaving the workforce because they’re failing to manage it all. Women leave jobs because most companies still expect them to work like they don’t have kids," says Arnold. "The system isn’t set up for them to be able to stay."
Per ADWEEK:
Talia Arnold and her co-founders built Exverus around a radical idea: People shouldn’t have to sacrifice family, health, or ambition to succeed in advertising. Twelve years later, that philosophy has become a competitive advantage for the full-funnel media agency.
The leadership team is over 70% women and people of color, while flexible schedules, three months of paid family leave, unlimited PTO, and just one weekly office day for Los Angeles staff help working parents meet all of their obligations—and advance. Twice-yearly retreats bring remote employees together, while bonuses reward ideas that make it into client media plans.
Under Arnold’s leadership, Exverus grew into a multimillion-dollar independent agency before joining Brainlabs, where its people-first culture will remain in place.
Arnold's colleagues can confirm:
“Because I don't have to fight for the right to make a school pickup or stay home with a sick kid, I can give my family the attention they need when they need it. Talia fosters a working environment of trust that gives me full clearance to come in and out of work as I need to and as a result, enables me to feel more fulfilled as both a professional and parent. This, to me, is a real investment in families, and it pays back in loyalty, morale, and trust long after the workday ends.”
- Tasha Day, VP of Media Planning & Strategy, Exverus
With 22 years in advertising, media planning, and entrepreneurship, Arnold has democratized data-driven measurement for midsized brands, launched in-house programmatic and retail media divisions, and sold to Brainlabs in 2025. For her effectiveness and creativity, Arnold was named a 2025 CampaignUS Inspiring Women in Media and a 2024 ADWEEK Media All-Star. Follow Talia Arnold on LinkedIn.
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