# Francisco Serrano

> Francisco Serrano is the founder and CEO of 121, a creative agency network serving global brands. Also known as Ico and Chief Speed Officer, he built the agency from local client work in Guadalajara into cross-border branding and implementation relationships. He writes about speed, hiring and brand strategy and hosts The NOW Gen podcast.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at 121
- **Organizations:** 121, The NOW Gen, CEOWORLD magazine, Entrepreneurs’ Organization
- **Education:** Universidad Panamericana, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, London Business School, London Business School
- **Known for:** Founded and developed 121 from local Guadalajara client relationships into work for international brands., Led 121 during its reported 2019 Inc. 5000 recognition., Published BRAIN-DING THE STRATEGY.

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Founded 121; a November 2019 company announcement describes the agency as founded 16 years earlier.
- **2015** — Published BRAIN-DING THE STRATEGY, listed on his LinkedIn profile with a November 17 publication date.
- **2019** — 121 appeared on the Inc. 5000, as reported in his contemporaneous writing and professional profile.
- **2019** — Announced Mariana Scuderi’s appointment as COO on November 12.
- **2020** — Discussed Guadalajara origins and Hershey account expansion on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur; described recruitment and COO milestones on Smart Agency Podcast.
- **2021** — Appeared on Agency Rockstars in the July 7 episode Speed Over Perfection.
- **2024** — Interviewed Samsung Ads’ Justin Evans at CES for The NOW Gen.

## Achievements

- Founded and developed 121 from local Guadalajara client relationships into work for international brands.
- Led 121 during its reported 2019 Inc. 5000 recognition.
- Published BRAIN-DING THE STRATEGY.
- Hosts The NOW Gen podcast.

## Latest updates

- **2025-03** — His professional profile lists the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation / London Business School Growth Forum credential as issued in March 2025.
- **—** — Recent public posts describe 121’s approach as Strategic Velocity and discuss structuring the Land O’Frost website around company, brand, product and action.

## Links

- Website: https://www.121corp.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/icoserrano

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/francisco-serrano
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27