116 – Dave Kerpen: Speaker, CEO of Likeable Local, Chairman of Likeable Media, & New York Times Best-Selling Author

Summary: Dave Kerpen is the CEO of Likeable Local, a social media software startup for small businesses, as well as the chairman and former CEO of Likeable Media, an award-winning social media and word-of-mouth marketing firm with triple digit revenue growth for 4 consecutive years.

 Likeable Media was named to both the 2011 and 2012 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in the United States. In 2012 Likeable Media was named one of Crain’s Best Places to Work in New York City. Following a sponsored wedding which raised over $100,000 including $20K for charity, Dave and his wife Carrie started and transformed theKBuzz (founded in 2007) into Likeable Media, 1 of Facebook’s Top 65 Preferred Developer Consultants as well as the only 3-time WOMMY Award winner for excellence from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) and one of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the US according to INC Magazine for both 2011 and 2012. Dave is now part of LinkedIn’s new Thought Leader Program and has been featured on CNBC’s “On the Money”, BBC, ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Early Show, the New York Times, and countless blogs. Dave has also keynoted at dozens of conferences across the globe and webinars for organizations such as WOMMA, TEDx, SXSW, and the American Marketing Association. Dave is backed by a team of 60 social media thought leaders who collectively have managed over 250 accounts on Facebook and other social networks, for brands such as Verizon, 1-800 Flowers.com, Neutrogena, Logitech, The Pampered Chef, G.E, Medtronic, Restaurant.com, and Heineken. Dave is also a Venture Partner at Gen Y Capital Partners an early-stage venture firm, which is leveraging Gen Y to support Gen Y.

 Dave’s 1st book was a NY Times bestseller – Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook and other social networks. His 2nd book, Likeable Business: Why Today’s Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver, debuted November 2, 2012.  His latest book Likeable Leadership was released October 2013. Click here to subscribe to my mailing list & receive my free Common Sense Leadership Guide!