Alex Payne

Alex Payne spent 14 years presenting rugby coverage for Sky Sports and quickly learnt the power of authentic storytelling. His lightbulb moment came when he received a Star Wars‑branded item he had little interest in; he realised that many influencer collaborations were misaligned and wasteful to flip the influencer model: instead of paying for posts, brands offer experiences or products and creators opt in only if they genuinely love them. The Influence Room platform now hosts a community of around 30,000 brands, creators and fans. Alex advocates for authenticity over reach, encouraging brands to build relationships with passionate advocates rather than chase follower counts. He continues to host podcasts and events about sports and entrepreneurship while championing a value‑exchange economy in the creator space.