David J. Neff

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson David J. Neff has been doing things that have never been done in digital strategy for the last 15 years. He wrote his first management book “The Future of Nonprofits: How to Thrive and Innovate in the Digital Age” which was published by Wiley in 2011. His second book “IGNITE : Setting your Organization’s Culture on Fire with Innovation” will be released in August of 2016. He is now the VP of Consulting, working for Fortune 500 brands and large nonprofits on their digital transformation, for Clearhead. He is also the founder of Lights. Camera. Help. A nonprofit that helps other causes tell their mission through video. He is currently the VP of their Board of Directors. He’s currently on the University of Texas’ Moody College of Communications Advisory Board. He’s a past member of the Board of Directors for the University of Texas Co-op. He also serves on the advisory boards for GivingCity Austin, EveryOne, and EdgeFlip. In 2014 he was honored to be named the top person for Austin under 40 for the nonprofit and community service category. In his recent past, he has executed strategic marketing plans for Tesco, Office Depot, Best Friends Animal Society, Emory University, PBS, SAP, Jack in the Box, Wells Fargo, Tesco, Office Depot, Starbucks, Dell, The Center for Disease Control, VivoGig, AuntBertha, KLRU-TV and KCPT-TV. He’s now working on producing this third mobile app, a social CRM for hair stylists called FyleStyle. From 2000-2010 he worked at the American Cancer Society where he directed all web and interactive strategies and online properties for six states and consulted monthly with national headquarters on it’s US wide plans. While there his department managed the division’s eCommerce strategy, Social Networking/Media strategy, Online Community strategy, Film and PSA production, and all online properties for the division. He was also named one of the Top 20 Social Media People in the state of Texas by the Austin American-Statesman, and the American Marketing Association awarded him the Nonprofit Social Media Marketer of the Year in 2009. Additionally, he was named a SXSW Dewey Winburne Award nominee for 2010 and was nominated for an Austin Under 40 award in 2011 and 2012. David has been quoted on NPR, KLRU, Mashable, The Huffington Post, KUTFM, KLBJFM, Austin-American Statesman, Alaskan Airlines Magazine, KEYE, KVUE, FOX7 and in several nonprofit focused books and hundreds of blogs across the web. A frequent speaker, trainer and lecturer, David has spoken at TEDx, SXSW several years in a row, and has also presented at the American Marketing Association National Conference, AFP, Convio Conference, Blackbaud Conference, keynoted the Artez Fundraising Conference in Canada, The Texas Nonprofit Summit multiple times, spoken at NTEN multiple times, and spoke at conferences for The Texas Association of Museums, Texas Veterinary Medical Association and many, many more. He earned his BS in Public Relations from the University of Texas in 2000 with a minor in Business from the McCombs School of Business. He earned his University of Texas management program certification in 2007. He currently lives in Austin, TX and enjoys gardening, live music, photography, spending time with his dogs and friends.