Ahmad Corner(he/him)

Ahmad Korner is the founder and CEO of YP Group, a marketing and digital agency based in Seattle that helps businesses of all sizes — from scrappy startups to Fortune 500 companies — figure out how to reach their audiences and grow. His work spans social media strategy, email marketing, SEO, web design, and what he calls 'go-to-market strategy': basically helping a company figure out who they're selling to and how to get in front of them. He also co-runs Access2, a staffing agency focused on connecting underrepresented people with real opportunities. Ahmad's path was anything but a straight line. He started college thinking he'd be an architect, then pivoted to pre-law, worked at a law firm, realized law wasn't for him, and then stumbled into entrepreneurship by starting a networking organization called Young Professionals of Seattle when he couldn't find an affordable, inclusive one to join. That organization grew to 16,000 members and, along the way, taught him everything he needed to know about digital marketing — through curiosity, experimentation, and paying attention to the numbers. One of the most powerful parts of Ahmad's story is how he built his expertise outside of a traditional classroom. He learned marketing by running his own community organization, got into tech through sales and business development, and eventually turned those real-world skills into a consulting and agency career. He's a big believer that a four-year degree isn't the only path — and points to companies like Microsoft removing degree requirements as proof that the rules are changing. For students of color, Ahmad's story hits different. He talks openly about experiencing microaggressions in professional spaces — being told 'I didn't expect you to be so articulate' — and how he's learned to channel that exhaustion into fuel. His mom raised him with the mindset that he'd have to advocate for himself, and that early lesson became the foundation for everything he built. He leads with community, purpose, and hustle — and his career proves that all three can coexist in one path. His advice to young people is simple but real: don't overthink it, fail fast, build your network before you need it, and start now. He's the kind of mentor who'll tell you to shoot your shot on LinkedIn, vet your idea with people you trust, and then go — because waiting costs you more than failing ever will.