Stephanie Ambroise
Stephanie Ambroise is a Business Affairs Executive and contracts specialist based in the New York City metropolitan area with more than a decade of experience across advertising, entertainment, and experiential production. Her work sits at the intersection of legal negotiation and creative execution, focused on ensuring that campaigns, talent deals, and licensed assets are properly structured so that high-value projects can move forward without legal or contractual barriers. She is known for managing complex deal environments involving multimillion-dollar production budgets, celebrity endorsements, and layered rights clearances.
Throughout her career, she has led and supported high-stakes negotiations across agencies and brands, including talent agreements, music licensing, vendor MSAs, and rights management for large-scale campaigns. Her portfolio includes securing usage rights for music in nonprofit and brand campaigns, negotiating celebrity ambassador deals, and stabilizing production projects under tight deadlines and shifting contractual conditions. She has also held roles across major creative and media organizations, where she supervised business affairs functions, managed budget allocations, and partnered with legal and production teams to mitigate risk while enabling creative output.
She is the Founder of The Ambroise Collective, a boutique consultancy focused on supporting creators, entrepreneurs, and organizations with contract structuring, rights clearance, and negotiation strategy. In addition to her industry work, she is a Certified Paralegal and an MLS candidate at DePaul University College of Law, further strengthening her legal foundation. Her professional focus is centered on bridging creativity and legal clarity, with an emphasis on protecting intellectual property, enabling fair deals, and building systems that help underrepresented clients navigate complex business environments.
• Paralegal Certification
• Contracts Management Certification
• Endicott College - BS
• NALA (National Association of Legal Assistants)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ambition and my dedication to wanting to be in this field. I literally knew what I wanted to do in the 8th grade, and being able to essentially live my dream is amazing. Where I am now, I could never foresee, and I just love the opportunity to have something new to work with. I'm a lifelong learner - you never stop learning. I feel like I'm in the epitome of that right now, with managing my own business, where if this initial thing did not work, I reach out to my career coach and talk through this so I can get to making a change that will better benefit myself, my business, or just my career in general. I've always believed in finding resolution - my role is to solve problems without losing sight of the creative intent.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say do it even if you're scared. That means whether trying to step into this industry right out of college or transitioning from this industry into another, just know that you can make that transition by believing in yourself, doing your own due diligence, and maybe making yourselves known to prospective clients or employers. You know, I might have been an admin, but I feel like my skill set is ready to launch into project management. Just never settle. Always continue to want more. Complacency is, to me, a death sentence. Just always want more, and seek more. And don't be afraid to ask questions, and don't be afraid to insert yourself and make your presence known. When I have managed teams, whether it's a senior person or a mid-level person, I always say, listen, just because your title doesn't say executive or leader, doesn't mean you're not a leader. You are a leader, no matter what. People come to you for your expertise, you support them, and keeping that mindset is what is helping you to propel yourself to the next level and shine. Don't be afraid to shine, even if you're admin. That's okay. Shine, stand out, let your presence be known. We all have some greatness, and don't be afraid to let people steal that joy.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is navigating complex rights clearance scenarios while balancing creative vision with legal constraints. I regularly work with likeness, archival, and music rights across projects with layered ownership structures, often requiring direct negotiation with estates, rights holders, and third-party licensors under tight deadlines. At the same time, I operate at the intersection of creative ambition and contractual limitations, ensuring alignment between production teams, clients, and legal requirements while maintaining the integrity of the overall campaign.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
You never stop learning - I'm a lifelong learner. I feel like I'm in the epitome of that right now, with managing my own business, where if this initial thing did not work, I reach out to my career coach and talk through this so I can get to making a change that will better benefit myself, my business, or just my career in general. I've always believed in finding resolution - my role is to solve problems without losing sight of the creative intent. Part of what I love about my work is finding resolutions, because no one wants to hear no. Leadership is also important to me, and how it shows up in non-traditional ways. My perspective is that leadership is not tied to title - it's demonstrated through ownership, clarity, and the ability to guide outcomes under pressure. Just because your title doesn't say executive or leader, doesn't mean you're not a leader. You are a leader, no matter what.