Picture of Vahag Karayan

Vahag Karayan

Vahag Karayan is the Co-Founder and CEO of BrandLens, where he leads strategy, product, technology, and go-to-market execution. Under his leadership, BrandLens has served companies, universities, and nonprofits, including Hershey’s, UNICEF, UCLA, and Dartmouth. He has guided the development of capabilities spanning guided mobile video capture, content rights management, moderation, intelligent tagging, AI-assisted discovery, content libraries, and scalable campaign workflows. His recent work focuses on applying AI to video and content operations without losing the human authenticity that makes stories meaningful. Before founding BrandLens, Vahag led product, technology, portfolio, and Professional Services organizations across entertainment, defense, space and regulated medical devices. At Entertainment Partners, he led enterprise PMO and Professional Services functions, managed P&L and distributed teams, and created a new B2B SaaS and API offering. At Boston Scientific, he managed the Deep Brain Stimulation portfolio spanning more than 20 programs and led large cross-functional teams through development, regulatory approval, and market launch. His technical background includes machine learning algorithms, optimization, pattern recognition, embedded systems, and real-time software. Earlier in his career, he served as Principal Investigator on DARPA-funded research at Techfinity and contributed to scientific and mission-critical systems at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and HRL Laboratories. Vahag likes to joke that he may be the only person whose career has included both “rocket science” through JPL, HRL, and Techfinity and “brain surgery” through his work in Deep Brain Stimulation at Boston Scientific. A triple UCLA Bruin, Vahag holds a BS in Electrical Engineering with Computer Science, an MS in Computer Science focused on embedded computing systems, and an MBA from UCLA Anderson. Outside of work, Vahag is a sports and off-roading enthusiast and a meticulous global road-trip planner. He also has a deep interest in the human brain and behavioral psychology, which shapes how he thinks about products, leadership, and human decision-making. Favorite quote: “The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.”

Latest Articles

Image show show a girl in a video with text how to collect videos from customers
Blog
Vahag Karayan

How to Collect Videos From Customers: A Step-by-Step Guide

Collecting videos from customers is not just about giving people somewhere to upload a file. You need to decide what you want, reach the right audience, guide each recording, collect permission, and organize every submission. The process can support customer stories, product demonstrations, community videos, contests, fan participation, creative challenges,

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Visitors entering a modern entertainment venue beside a roller coaster, illustrating accessibility, immersive experiences, and attractions industry growth.
Blog
Vahag Karayan

IAAPA Expo Europe 2026: Six Attractions Industry Trends Shaping 2027

IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 arrives while the attractions industry is rethinking where growth will come from. New rides still matter, but attendance alone is no longer a dependable strategy in mature markets. Operators are dealing with cautious consumer spending, unpredictable weather, capital pressure, accessibility requirements, and changing discovery habits. At

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Marketing professional reviewing a five-question AI and user-generated content evaluation framework before attending Brandweek 2026 in Atlanta.
Blog
Vahag Karayan

What to Expect at Brandweek 2026: Five Questions for Every AI and UGC Session

Brandweek 2026 will give marketers no shortage of ideas about artificial intelligence. The harder task will be deciding which ideas deserve attention after the event ends. AI can produce more assets, shorten workflows, and support personalization. Those capabilities matter. Yet more content does not automatically create more customer involvement, greater

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Featured image for a BrandLens blog post about how to collect video submissions from anyone using link or QR access, teleprompted prompts, consent capture, and organized review.
Blog
Vahag Karayan

How to Collect Video Submissions From Anyone Without Upload Chaos

Most teams do not struggle to collect video submissions because people cannot record video. They struggle because the collection process was never designed as a real workflow. A customer records something useful. A fan captures a great reaction. An employee shares a strong story. Then the video gets sent through

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UGC creative briefs and on-camera instructions working together to improve user-generated video quality, compliance, and participation.
Blog
Vahag Karayan

UGC Creative Briefs: How to Get Better User-Generated Videos

Most brands do not need more random user-generated content. They need better direction before anyone starts recording. That direction usually starts with UGC creative briefs. The brief explains what the brand is asking for, who should participate, what kind of story matters, and what the final video should include. In

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Guided video submission workflow for collecting user generated content at scale, showing on-camera prompts, rights capture, approval, content library, and repurposing.
Blog
Vahag Karayan

How to Collect User-Generated Content at Scale Without the Chaos

Most brands do not have a user-generated content problem. They have a participation and workflow problem. The difference becomes obvious the moment a campaign moves beyond a few friendly customers and starts asking dozens, hundreds, or thousands of people to submit usable content. User-generated content at scale becomes an operational

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