Steven Ilous and the Rise of Smart Content: Shaping the Engagement Economy

Steven Ilous has spent his career at the intersection of creativity and technology. Today, as the founder and CEO of  Feature.io, he is leading the charge to change how and where we engage with content.

At the heart of this is the “why” for Steven: people want to be connected. In a world with an overwhelming amount of content, the stories that truly resonate are those where we feel seen, heard, and included. This is what drives everything Feature.io is building: personalized experiences that turn entertainment into a shared journey between creators, brands, and fans.

Feature.io: A Vision for Interactive, Data-Driven Media

At 18, Steven joined Stan Lee Media as a Senior Animator, where he worked on the world’s first webisodic animated series. This early success opened doors to bigger opportunities. He contributed to groundbreaking visual effects in The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, and The Polar Express, where he helped pioneer performance capture technology that became a foundation for major franchises like Avatar and Call of Duty.

However, for Ilous, these achievements were stepping stones toward something greater. In 2021, Steven founded Feature.io to turn that vision into reality. At its core is Smart Content, a technology that transforms any digital experience – whether a live stream, a broadcast, or an in-venue event – into an interactive, measurable, and monetizable moment. Features’ platform is like the “Stripe for Content,” allowing creators and brands to personalize media in real-time, reward participation, and gather meaningful first-party data.

This approach has already delivered big results. In a campaign for Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots, Feature’s Smart Content generated over 100 million impressions and brought in 650,000 new users. That success caught the attention of brands like Mobil 1 and Porsche, who now utilize Feature to create more profound and rewarding fan experiences.

Feature.io’s mission goes beyond marketing metrics. Steven believes the media should create a human connection. “The power of this technology can pull people closer to the things they hold dear. I want people to feel included and seen,” he says. That’s what drives the company’s focus on audience participation as the key to the future of engagement.

A great example of this is Lollipop Racing, a project that combines gaming and streaming into one interactive experience. From a Hollywood team that brought you Training Day, Snowpiercer, and Halo, Lollipop Racing brings viewers more than just a spectator sport. They have the ability to make decisions that affect the storyline, reveal behind-the-scenes content, and win rewards as the game progresses. Rather than a predetermined playlist of prompts, the narrative shifts according to the spectators’ own movements, turning them from passive observers into active participants.

Tech-Driven Storytelling for the Engagement Economy

Steven’s work at Feature.io is part of a bigger trend he calls the Engagement Economy. This new model flips the old rules of media on their head. Instead of measuring views or selling subscriptions, companies can now create value from active audience participation.

For Steven, the turning point came when generative AI was integrated into Smart Content. By partnering with companies like Luma AI, Feature.io allows media companies to create entirely new audience experiences. Instead of pushing the same trailer to every fan, a franchise could deliver a generative experience, where the scenes you see are shaped by the characters you follow and the choices you make. For brands, it’s the difference between a static ad and an AI-generated short film featuring your dream car, in a world inspired by your own interests.

A recent Deloitte report found that 56% of Gen Z feel social video content is more relevant to them than traditional TV or film. These audiences don’t want to sit back and watch. They want to play a role in the stories they love.

That’s what Feature.io does. It doesn’t just track engagement; it creates a feedback loop where participation drives the next chapter of the story and builds stronger emotional connections between fans and the brands or creators they love.

Leading the Next Generation of Media Creators

Steven’s story is one of constant reinvention. In addition to Feature.io, he’s worked on over 16 feature films, directed music videos and digital spots for Ultra Music and Condé Nast, and created original video content for Kanye West’s live tour. His sci-fi project 2088 went viral and cemented his reputation as a creative innovator.

Steven is also shaping the future of storytelling through ongoing partnerships with global companies like Google Cloud and Luma AI. These collaborations expand Feature.io’s technical capabilities, helping the company scale across media, sports, and entertainment.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, Steven remains focused on his original vision: storytelling that brings people together. For him, the goal isn’t to replace traditional entertainment but to enrich it. Whether through blockbuster franchises or indie projects, Feature.io is making stories more personal, more interactive, and more memorable.

With Feature.io preparing for its next stage of growth, Steven shows no signs of slowing down. His career stands as proof that when technology and creativity meet, the possibilities for storytelling and human connection are endless.

About Steven Ilous

Steven Ilous is a CEO and creative technologist shaping the future of media and ad tech. As founder of Feature, he created Smart Content™, a platform that transforms passive media into interactive, data-rich experiences. His work spans record-breaking IP like Smart Content used by  Netflix, Porsche, and Mobil1. With a background in performance capture on The Matrix Franchise and The Polar Express, Ilous blends deep technical expertise with visionary storytelling to drive innovation at the intersection of content, commerce, and technology.