Dave Kerpen is a keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and serial entrepreneur. He helps leaders, founders, and sales teams build the human skills no algorithm can replicate — likeability, trust, delegation, and real connection. Audiences from 1 to 17,000, on stages from Amsterdam to Singapore.
Every talk is customized for your audience — and Dave promotes your event to his 640,000+ LinkedIn audience.
When AI can replicate your product, your copy, and your code overnight, what's left that it can't? Dave introduces the HEART model — Humility, Empathy, Authenticity, Relationships, Trust — the five human skills that separate leaders who thrive in the AI era from those who get automated around.
The blueprint Dave used to build and sell multiple companies without burning out: the SHARE model for what to keep and what to hand off, the 5 Cs of empowered delegation, and how to build a team you trust — so your business serves your life, not the other way around.
From The Art of People: the specific, learnable behaviors — listening, gratitude, storytelling, asking — that top performers use to build trust that scales. Tactical, funny, and immediately usable on Monday morning.
Dave sold Crunch 'n Munch in the stands at Fenway Park, financed his wedding with sponsors, built and sold Likeable Media and Apprentice, and lost an election along the way. The hard-won lessons — on risk, resilience, gratitude, and 105 pairs of orange shoes — that apply whether you run a startup or a division.
See Dave on stage — from a 17,000-person main stage in Amsterdam to intimate leadership rooms.
▶Dave Kerpen's Speaking ReelSizzle reel
▶The Art of People: Skills in a Technology-Driven WorldThe Next Web · Amsterdam
▶Get Over Yourself: Transformational InsightsInterview
▶Why It Pays to Be LikeablePenguin Random House Speakers Bureau
▶NextHome Conference Keynote2023
▶How to Lead and Delegate More EffectivelyInterview
▶Keynote at The Next WebAmsterdam
▶INCmty KeynoteMonterrey, Mexico
From the people who booked him — and the authors and leaders who read him.
“Dave was more of a conference partner than just a keynote speaker. He spent time getting to know us and the conference so he could provide the most value to our audience — and helped us generate buzz in advance. The presentation itself was wonderful and got rave reviews. After a full day of learning, Dave got on stage and kept the crowd engaged with his energy, real-life examples, and crowd participation. His closing about saying thank you ended the event on an incredible high note.
John ZanzarellaProducer, Westchester Digital Summit
“When I asked him to be the keynote speaker for Community Manager Recharge, he was everything I was hoping for and more. Dave brought a presence to the event that took it to a whole other level. He's the best of both worlds: a social media celebrity and an amazing, relatable person.
Ben BlakesleyOrganizer, Community Manager Recharge
“We had him speak at EO Alchemy and he was captivating, funny and informative. I particularly like how he engaged our audience in a social exercise while on stage. If you need a phenomenal resource and a great entrepreneurial success story — I highly recommend Dave Kerpen!
Guidant FinancialEntrepreneurs' Organization Alchemy
“Dave is charming, engaging and knowledgeable. He was able to breathe life into our event in the closing hours and, in my opinion, delivered the perfect keynote. He's a high-quality executive for sure, but more importantly he's a high-quality human being.
Christopher DessiFounder, Westchester Digital Summit
“People skills — they can't be computerized, outsourced, or reduced to a rubric. That's why Dave Kerpen's The Art of People is more important now than ever.
Daniel H. PinkAuthor of Drive and To Sell Is Human
“This book is like How to Win Friends and Influence People — only better suited for today's world.
Adam GrantWharton professor · #1 NYT bestselling author, on The Art of People
“Delegation is one of the most important lessons every leader must learn. Get Over Yourself maps out how to build a loyal and self-sufficient team so that you can focus your energy on the big picture without burning out.
Barbara CorcoranFounder, The Corcoran Group · Shark on Shark Tank
“Alas, common sense is not so common. Dave takes you on a (sadly, much needed) guided tour of how to be human in a digital world.
Seth GodinAuthor of Purple Cow and Linchpin
“Dave is one of those rare individuals who looks at the playing board differently than most. Not only is he a brilliant master of people and business, he's also a champion for helping others achieve success — which is the true mark of leadership. A must-watch expert for the future of business.
Peter KozodoyFounder & Managing Partner, Skylark Ventures
“Dave Kerpen is one of the smartest people I know when it comes to business strategy and creating a good life.
A.J. JacobsNew York Times bestselling author
Five books. Hundreds of thousands of copies. Fourteen languages. And one more on the way.
Every technical skill is being commoditized. What can't be copied is how you make people feel, how you build trust at scale, and whether you can actually be present in a room. The Human Edge is Dave's answer to the biggest leadership question of the decade, built around three practical frameworks:
Want to know the moment it's available (and get first access to the keynote)? Leave your email.
Discover time-tested strategies to grow a successful business and lead a team — without sacrificing your personal life. The key is delegation. Drawing on his own experience launching and scaling multiple companies, Dave shares how to shift your mindset (and your workload) to focus on what matters most for your business, your employees, and you.
Get Over Yourself is a game changer. Now, for the first time, there is a blueprint on how to grow an enduring business by delegating the right way.Jesse Cole — Owner, Savannah Bananas
I've read many books on delegation before, but this is the one that's resonated the most. Parts of this book are laugh-out-loud funny.Dr. Chloe Carmichael, PhD — Psychologist & author · Amazon verified review
A must-read for business owners and other leaders! Dave Kerpen offers a practical model for delegating, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and assembling a smart and capable team in any modern business setting.Dorie Clark — WSJ bestselling author · Columbia Business School
11 simple people skills that will get you everything you want. "Smart, funny and immediately usable" — Shawn Achor. Praised by Daniel Pink, Barbara Corcoran, Adam Grant, and Gretchen Rubin.
Buy on Amazon →
The book that started it all: how to delight your customers, create an irresistible brand, and be generally amazing on social networks. Now in its third edition.
Buy on Amazon →
11 principles of likeable leadership, from listening and authenticity to gratitude. A Publishers Weekly starred review: "original ways of thinking about everyday actions."
Buy on Amazon →Interviews, features, and columns about Dave's work.
Nice Guys Finish First: Dave Kerpen on the Power of People Skills
Dave Kerpen: How to Be a Likeable CEO
Want a Happier Personal Life? Try Leading with Gratitude
From Sponsored Wedding to Sponsored Content: How One Man Uses Likeability to Get What He Wants
What to Do When You Run Into Someone Whose Email You Haven't Replied To
How Quitting Coffee Changed the Life of One Successful Executive
To Do: Keep a To-Be List
16 Major Differences Between Successful and Unsuccessful People
How to Master People Skills in the Digital Age
Dave Kerpen, the Most Influential Guy You Never Met
Three Steps to Address Online Haters
How to Turn a Work Friend Into a Real Friend
Also featured on the TODAY show, CBS Early Show, BBC, Financial Times, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and the New York Post. Media inquiries: davekerpen@gmail.com
Dave has published 240+ articles on people skills, leadership, and business — plus his Likeable Leadership newsletter (141,000+ subscribers) and a regular column at Inc.com.
Yes, the orange hat is on brandDave Kerpen is a serial entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and global keynote speaker. He cofounded Likeable Media (sold to 10Pearls in 2021) and founded Apprentice (sold to Catapult in 2025), and is one of the top LinkedIn Influencers of all time by page views alongside Bill Gates, Mark Cuban, and Barack Obama. More than 640,000 people follow him there today.
He's the author of five books, including Get Over Yourself, The Art of People, Likeable Social Media, and Likeable Business, sold in 14 languages — and his sixth, The Human Edge, is out at the end of January 2027. He's a longtime Inc.com columnist and has been featured by The New York Times, the TODAY show, CBS, BBC, and the Financial Times.
Ask anyone who's met him and they'll remember the orange shoes — all 105 pairs. They're not a gimmick — they're a daily reminder that being memorable, being warm, and being yourself is the most underrated advantage in business.
Most important: he's a husband to Carrie and a father of three, splitting time between Port Washington and Southampton, New York.
Dave coaches entrepreneurs, authors, and game-changers from 18 to 80 — free. Grab a slot.
Book a free session →Dave discounts his rates for non-profit leaders making a difference in the world. Reach out and tell him about your mission.
Email Dave about your non-profit →What event planners want to know before they reach out.
A keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author who speaks on leadership and the human skills AI can't replace. Managing Partner of Kerpen Ventures. Author of five books, with his sixth, The Human Edge, out at the end of January 2027. He's keynoted on three continents — Amsterdam, Cologne, Athens, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Mexico City, Monterrey, Toronto — for audiences from 1 person to 17,000.
Four keynotes, every one customized to your audience: The Human Edge — leading when AI can do everything else; Get Over Yourself — how to lead and delegate for more time, more freedom, and more success; Why It Pays to Be Likeable — 11 simple people skills that get you everything you want; and From Ballpark Vendor to 3 Exits — infusing entrepreneurship into everything you do.
Yes — that's the brief The Human Edge was built for: what leaders and teams should do when AI can do almost everything else. He speaks internationally and is booking 2027 dates now.
Audiences from 1 to 17,000, including The Next Web in Amsterdam, EO Alchemy, INCmty in Monterrey, NextHome Conference, Social Media Marketing World, Westchester Digital Summit, and Boston University's Questrom School of Business. He has keynoted in Singapore, Athens, Dubai, Amsterdam, and Mexico City.
Fees vary by format, location and date. Grab 15 minutes with Dave at davekerpen.chat or email bookings@davekerpen.com and he'll come back with a figure.
Keynotes of 45 to 60 minutes, workshops, fireside chats and virtual sessions.
New York — he splits time between Port Washington and Southampton — and he travels worldwide. He's keynoted on three continents, in Amsterdam, Cologne, Athens, Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, Mexico City, Monterrey and Toronto, and he does virtual sessions when travel doesn't make sense.
Book a 15-minute call at davekerpen.chat, or use the booking form below. Every inquiry gets a reply from Dave himself.
Tell Dave about your audience and he'll craft the perfect talk for them — then promote your event to his 640,000+ LinkedIn audience. Every inquiry gets a reply from Dave himself.
