Crain’s Detroit Business has named The Outloud Group CEO Brad Hoos one of its 2026 Notable Leaders in Communications.
Brad, who serves as CEO of The Outloud Group and MuskOx, in addition to being an owner and Board Member at Outloud Talent, has been part of Detroit’s business community since 2013.
Brad grew up in Grand Rapids and after spending years in Chicago, Washington, DC, and Indianapolis, Brad moved back to Michigan. In Detroit, Brad became part of the city’s business and technology community, co-founding the tech training hub Grand Circus before taking the helm at Outloud. Today, he also leads the high-growth men’s clothing brand, MuskOx.
Under Brad’s leadership, The Outloud Group has grown from a start-up agency into one of the largest independent influencer marketing agencies in the country by campaign volume, with a global team of more than 70 people and more than 45,000 brand partnerships completed to date. The agency is also a premier agency partner of YouTube, Meta and TikTok, which reflects the depth of its work across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and podcasts. .
Brad came to influencer marketing with a background in engineering and management consulting, and he has brought that same analytical approach to an industry that has often relied on instinct. He looks at creator partnerships the way an engineer looks at a system, studying which inputs drive results and how brands can plan and measure campaigns with more confidence. That thinking has shaped how Outloud works with Fortune 1000 brands like Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Vinted, AG1, and Chomps, helping each of them build culturally relevant campaigns with creators whose audiences fit their goals.
Brad pairs his analytical rigor with a strong belief in the people he works with, and fosters a culture of autonomy and accountability across Outloud’s global team. That belief is rooted in Brad’s management style, but also in the strong people-centric culture that founder Joel Beckett established at The Outloud Group together with Brad.
“Detroit is the city I chose to build my career in, and it’s where I’ve learned so much about running a business, so getting this recognition here means a lot,” said Brad. “All of this is work I couldn’t do without the amazing team I work with every day. This award isn’t about one person; it’s about the great work from everyone at Outloud and every partner who has trusted us with their story.”
Congratulations to Brad and to everyone in this year’s Notable Leaders in Communications class. You can read the full announcement from Crain’s here:
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/reprints/2026-notable-leaders-in-communications-brad-hoos/
