Embark on a journey into the dynamic world of marketing with “Marketing Champions,” where our host connects with media experts from coast to coast every week. Dive deep into compelling conversations that explore the latest trends, groundbreaking strategies, and transformative innovations driving the marketing industry forward. Today our host, Howard Wolpoff, spoke with Jelani Khalfani and Elisabeth Shaner-Flach.
Jelani Khalfani
Founder of Ayan Horizon Advisory
Website Address: https://ayanhorizon.com
Short company description:
Jelani Khalfani launched Ayan Horizon Advisory after recognizing a gap in career support for students who lack the advantages of wealth or top-tier grades. The Los Angeles-based private career consultancy and professional development hub focuses specifically on interns and entry-level workers, offering tools and guidance that Khalfani said he wished he had when starting out.
The consultancy provides tiered advisory maps, 90-day ascent plans, and positioning strategies designed to help early-career professionals convert entry-level roles into long-term career leverage. Alongside one-on-one consulting, Ayan Horizon offers automated resume grading and layout analysis through its platform, giving users objective feedback on how their materials are read by screening systems and hiring managers.
Elisabeth Shaner-Flach
Founder at Athco.io | Athlete Collective, Inc.
Website Address: https://athco.io
Short company description:
AthCo.io | The NIL & Recruiting Platform for Athletes, Parents, Coaches, GM’s, Brands and Agents with everything you need for expert NIL education, brand building, monetization & recruitment! We have served athletes and parents in educating them on how to build a brand (tech included in platform), getting recruited (by being in our coach’s platform) and the ability to integrate mental health/EQ/physical health into their authentic voice as a person, not just an athlete. Our Coaches & GM platform is responsible for 7 active college players in the last year. We launched the beta in early 2026 for 4 university partners with a strong success rate for NIL, RevShare & Recruiting!
How did you get started in your field of work?
Khalfani: Khalfani’s own background includes internships at Complex Magazine, Blavity, and KJLH 102.3 radio station. He has appeared as a lead actor in four global campaigns and two commercials, and one of his films was recognized by the One 10 Film Fest. He has also worked as an independent filmmaker and marketing professional, accumulated over 10 million views on YouTube, and helped a company grow 1000 percent across all platforms in terms of visibility.
Ayan Horizon doesn’t sell courses, we break the ladders and help young professionals find elevators.
Those milestones, Khalfani said, came after a long journey rather than overnight. The idea for Ayan Horizon grew from his own experience of receiving help from others and wondering how many students go without it. He described college as an iceberg, with much of what determines success hidden below the surface. Students without a wealthy family or a 4.0 GPA, he said, are not just falling behind but starting from an entirely different set of assumptions about how to navigate institutions and workplaces.
What separates the consultancy from others in the space, according to Khalfani, is intent. “What makes me different from competitors is that I’m not looking to be famous because that’s easy. What I’m looking to do is help as many people as possible, and become one of the leaders in the community for helping future generations,” he said. As a father, he added, helping younger generations feels natural. “So now it’s just all about putting the plan together.”
Flach: I went to school for Graphic Design and Marketing. Then I self taught my way into digital, tech dev and data. I have evolved with the trends to stay at the top of my game.
What is one tip that you would give when it comes to marketing?
Khalfani: Internships!
Flach: Know who you are & stay convicted to why you started. Do not pivot or deviate b/c of friction.
The biggest change in marketing that you see coming in the next 5 years is?
Khalfani: With the coming of A.I, it really depends on how creative you are. The only thing that was holding me back was graphic desgin and now I can make a flyer in 20 seconds.
Flach: AI vs Reality. There will be a cap on AI and the only thing left will be the OG’s who understand the Principles of Marketing ad Human Psychology to make it make sense.
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