HPA Talent has signed New York-based stand-up comedian, digital creator and entrepreneur Alexis Carabaño for management, a move that underscores the growing value of performers who can operate across comedy, business and digital media. The announcement, made by the full-service sports and entertainment management company, positions Carabaño for expansion into touring, television, digital content, brand partnerships, hosting and other entertainment opportunities.
Carabaño’s path to comedy is unconventional. Before turning his focus fully to stand-up, he and his brother spent nearly two decades building VSPOT, a pioneering plant-based Latin restaurant concept in Brooklyn. He first began developing his stand-up career by hosting comedy shows inside his own restaurant, a detail that highlights how live performance venues can serve as incubators for emerging talent. He later won a national comedy competition for English-speaking Latin American performers through HBO Latino and appeared on the HBO/Max special “Entre Nos: The Winners.” He has since performed throughout New York City and most recently opened for comedian Marcello Hernandez.
In addition to his performance career, Carabaño is the founder of St. Marks Comedy Club, a speakeasy-style performance venue in New York City’s East Village. That entrepreneurial background is central to why HPA Talent sees him as more than a stand-up. “Alexis is exactly the type of talent we look for at HPA because there are multiple layers to who he is and what we can build,” said Paris D'Jon, CEO of HPA Talent. “He’s funny, he understands business and social media, and most importantly, he knows how to connect with an audience. We see opportunities for Alexis well beyond the stand-up stage, including touring, television, digital content, brand partnerships, hosting, sports, lifestyle and entertainment.”
The signing reflects a broader shift in the entertainment industry, where comedians increasingly function as multi-platform creators who build communities, produce content, host shows and develop original concepts. D'Jon noted that “comedy today is much bigger than simply walking on stage with a microphone,” adding that “the comedians who can build communities, create content, host, work with brands and develop original concepts have tremendous opportunities. Alexis already has many of those pieces in place. Our job now is to connect the dots.”
Carabaño has also begun developing comedy concepts that connect his work to soccer culture, including “Juggling Jokes,” a live event combining stand-up comedy, professional athletes, soccer culture, games and freestyle entertainment. The project illustrates how niche cultural intersections can create new live entertainment formats with potential for sponsorship and digital distribution.
For Carabaño, the management deal marks a deliberate step into a new phase. “I’m excited to have HPA in my corner as I enter this new chapter,” he said. “I actually started stand-up by hosting shows inside my own restaurant, which eventually led to some incredible opportunities. For a long time, I was apprehensive about signing with a manager or agent, but Paris and his team made me feel both comfortable and confident about fully immersing myself in entertainment. With their experience and track record, I’m excited about what we can build together and ready to put the same energy I’ve poured into my businesses into building the Alexis Carabaño brand.”
Carabaño continues to perform regularly throughout New York City while developing new comedy, digital and live entertainment projects. His signing matters because it highlights how management firms are increasingly seeking talent with entrepreneurial instincts and diverse audience reach, rather than traditional single-discipline performers. If successful, the partnership could serve as a model for how comedians with business backgrounds translate their skills into broader entertainment careers.
