Bronco buoyed by business success boosts next generation of influencers

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Tinashe Chaponda, BS ‘18, is going places.

From taking audiences behind the scenes of Super Bowl weekend with one of social media’s biggest stars to cultivating new corporate connections in Los Angeles and kicking up influencer campaigns in Hong Kong, it’s hard to keep track of this Bronco brand baron who recently landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for marketing and advertising. “Making the list really validated the work that I’m doing, which is impacting people beyond just me,” he says.

Chaponda is the founder of Sosani Studios. The influencer marketing agency helps brands connect with Gen Z and millennial culture, curating collaborations between companies like Amazon and Lexus and personalities like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Alicia Keys and even Khaby Lame, the biggest personality on TikTok.

His secret to success is his hustle. Chaponda is constantly strategizing about marketing, influencers and expanding reach. He’s a juggernaut of juggling projects, adept at pivoting to stay ahead of the curve, and he credits Western for planting the seeds of his success.

“Western Michigan University feels like the place where everything clicked for me. It’s where I found my voice as an entrepreneur, a creator and a community builder.”

Humble beginnings

Chaponda’s journey to the top is fueled by resilience. His family moved to Kalamazoo from Zimbabwe when he was 7, looking for better opportunities. When he was in middle school, he lost his mother to cancer. His family home burned down while he was in college.

The challenges could have set him off track, but throughout his journey, he found advocates in his corner—teachers, coaches, friends’ parents—who helped an energetic and ornery kid realize his potential.

“Growing up in Kalamazoo, I saw how community support can truly transform someone’s life,” he says, crediting programs like Jeter’s Leaders, where he completed service projects and learned the importance of giving back, and the Kalamazoo Promise, which covered his college tuition. 

“All these things growing up led me to Western.”

Chaponda arrived on campus in 2013 intent on pursuing engineering, but he quickly learned it wasn’t the right fit and decided to make the jump to management, impassioned to start a nonprofit organization after completing an impactful service project.

While he began courses, he also created FOCUS Kalamazoo, a registered student organization that partnered with schools and nonprofits to connect students with volunteer opportunities.

As the organization grew, so did his thirst for knowledge. He began exploring other majors and taking classes to expand his capacity—from human resources to marketing to sales. “I was still trying to figure things out, but the campus just fueled my ideas. And then what I learned in class I was able to actually put into practice.”

At the same time, Chaponda was racking up resume experience through a variety of internships, including in management at Bronson Methodist Hospital his first year and in HR at Stryker his second. The following year he found himself among Ivy League peers as an intern at Goldman Sachs in New York City. 

“I was networking, making all these connections and learning how these big companies worked,” he says.

In addition to learning on the job, Chaponda developed relationships with instructors who recognized his ambition and helped him channel it into action. People like Dr. Karen Lancendorfer, who emphasized the importance of striving for excellence in all of his work; Dr. Scott Cowley, who opened his eyes to the ever-changing digital marketing world and encouraged him to stay curious; Bob Samples, who showed him the importance of active listening; and Elizabeth Terrell, who taught him the impact of breathing and self-awareness in harnessing leadership potential.

“These professors didn’t just teach; they mentored me, challenged me, opened doors. They connected me to resources and people who helped me build FOCUS Kalamazoo and navigate my unique path,” he says. “Their belief in me made the difference.”

Impactful influence

Chaponda noticed his passion shifting away from the corporate world as he approached his final year at Western. At the same time, he’d become enamored with the power of social media. The idea of influencers was just in its infancy, but he found a niche in posting K-pop reaction videos on Youtube. When he realized he could gain a following and make money doing it, he started to consider the possibilities of making a career out of it.

“I did something crazy and, just as I was getting close to finishing the requirements for my business major, I decided to switch to university studies so I could take theatre and communication classes and learn more about influencing and social media,” says Chaponda, who was invited by an agency to further his influencer reach after graduating in 2018.

“Western gave me the freedom to explore, fail and pivot without judgment. Those pivots—whether it was switching majors or taking theater classes to improve my skills as an influencer—helped me build a unique foundation,” he says. 

Chaponda spent some time working with a manager and had an opportunity to move to Los Angeles to grow his brand.

“It was fun, but I started thinking, ‘I’m a businessperson; I’m not an artist,’” he says, deciding to take an opportunity to move back to the Kalamazoo area to work with a video production company called Innovative Media Group. In just a couple of years, he helped the company grow its operations exponentially. Chaponda decided it was time to venture off on his own: Sosani Studios was born. After the business chaos of COVID, Sosani took off. The first year, his company made $100,000 in sales. At the end of 2024, it hit $5 million in total lifetime sales.

Paying it forward

When he’s not managing influencer collaborations with global brands, Chaponda’s a sought-after speaker, criss- crossing the country to share his secrets to success. The Forbes recognition reinforced what many in the industry already know: He’s at the top of his game. 

“What’s really exciting is: I can leverage this to give back to the community,” he says. 

Chaponda launched Project 30-30-30 on Jan. 4—his 30th birthday. It will provide professional development from Forbes 30 under 30, 40 under 40 and industry professionals for 30 students across the nation, including at least five Broncos. The cohort will also receive $3,000 in stipends each as well as exclusive internship opportunities, placing students into world- class, hands-on work environments. 

“Giving back is my way of honoring the support I received and ensuring the next generation has even more opportunities to dream big and make an impact,” he says. “I hope my legacy is one of possibility. I want students to see that you don’t have to follow a traditional path to achieve success. There’s room to carve out your own journey.” ■