Joey Hilton has been operating several businesses for the past few years, but he is celebrating the launch of his new NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) company, The Hilton Sports Marketing Agency, which specializes in assisting athletes with building their brands from the ground up.
Since the official launch in the summer of 2023, Hilton has signed 24 athletes from various colleges and universities, including Marshall University, University of Cincinnati, Cal State Dominguez, Allen University, Benedict College, Clemson University, Western Carolina University, University of Southern Indiana, University of Illinois, NC State University, as well as two high school students. His focus is on brand building, intellectual property, NIL education and career readiness.
Hilton obtained his bachelor’s degree in digital media from South Carolina State University in 2007. He also earned his MA and MFA degrees in graphic design from the Academy of Art University.
One of his career highlights was being voted “Graphic Designer of The Year” for the state of South Carolina in 2010 (Niche Carolina Magazine / SC Music Awards).
Hilton has been working alongside internXL for the past few years connecting his students with the platform to help with their future career success. internXL provides students access to paid internships, career development, and networking and mentorship opportunities. Hilton met internXL team members at the SXSW Conference in 2022.
Since then, he has been able to connect 1 0 0 + students to the platform. internXL has been a great resource for Hilton and his students. Currently, through internXL,
Hilton has students at various companies around the country. One of the highlights of working with internXL was conference sponsorship for students and himself for the 2023 AfroTech Conference in Austin, Texas.
Hilton is also working alongside history-making Tronus, the first sneaker company owned by a female
athlete on several initiatives, including designing recovery slides for college athletes. With the help of Tronus, Joey hopes to bring flag football to HBCU campuses around the country.
Between juggling design projects, Hilton finds a way to focus on his true passion, educating college students in art, media and graphic design.
