Observed Signal · Jul 1, 2026 · Profile / Interview · Source: AdAge · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Zambezi CEO Jean Freeman on Rise of Indie, Women-Owned Agencies
Jean Freeman, CEO of independent agency Zambezi and co-founder of industry group Own It, discusses the growth of independent and women-owned agencies. Over two decades Freeman has helped expand Zambezi from a boutique creative shop into an integrated business covering creative, media and production. She co-founded Own It with Cornett’s Christy Hiler to support women-owned agencies and leaders. The profile, written by Tim Nudd, highlights Freeman’s industry recognition (Ad Age Leading Women, 2025) and emphasizes the importance of risk-taking and independent agency models for growth.
Profiles a prominent independent agency leader and highlights the growth of women-owned and independent agencies — useful industry trend but not a platform-level policy, technical release, or major transaction.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Jean Freeman is CEO of independent agency Zambezi.
- Jean Freeman co-founded the industry group Own It with Cornett’s Christy Hiler to support women-owned agencies and their leaders.
- Freeman helped grow Zambezi from a boutique creative shop into an integrated business spanning creative, media and production over two decades.
- Jean Freeman was recognized by Ad Age Leading Women in 2025.
- The article was written by Tim Nudd and published by Ad Age on 2026-07-01.
Connected Companies & Entities
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