Our Story

Royal Braun's founder, Ben Duhl, launched the business in 2014 combining two professional passions: creative production and scouting for talent.

From his very first venture—a traveling theater company at Oxford University—Ben has built creative teams for entertainment studios, new media platforms, global e-commerce brands, and boutique branding agencies.

At the birth of YouTube, he founded the new media division of commercial heavyweight HKM, producing “viral” and fashion films and winning an MTV Award for Best Pop Video. Before Instagram, he assembled an agency for Nike Sportswear made up of artists and influencers representing NYC’s downtown creative scene.

Prior to Royal Braun, Ben was instrumental in growing The IdeaLists—an online marketplace that connected brands and agencies with creative talent, which was acquired in 2014. Royal Braun is based in L.A., where Ben spends his time running and cycling the fire roads from Fryman Canyon to Ojai.