
Dean DeLisle, 61, is the Chief Revenue Officer of the Company. With an extensive background working closely with large corporations and acting as an entrepreneur, he is responsible for all of the Company’s capital raising and marketing functions, which includes branding, marketing, public relations, social media, lead generation and the Company’s website. Dean is also a licensed real estate broker and developer. He is best known for driving demand and raising capital by educating investors about disruptive markets.
One of Dean’s first jobs was working summers at his family’s construction business where he quickly learned the value of forging relationships with colleagues and customers to create a powerful network. Dean later attended Purdue University and used those lessons to leverage his network, starting his career in technology in data center operations with Merrill Lynch’s Board of Trade in Chicago. Within three (3) years of starting at Merrill Lynch, Dean opened his own technology firm developing apps and solutions for various industries including banking, manufacturing, finance, insurance, and real estate development. Many of those solutions included accounting systems capable of managing order processing, inventory control, purchasing, billing, and shop floor control which led into several Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrations. Advancements in technology and proliferation of the Internet caused him to shift to the development of front office operations, more specifically, marketing solutions like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and other early marketing automation technologies. He later added web design, more advanced automation and digital lead generation to his list of professional services. During this time, he also provided his clients with integrated advertising solutions across radio, television, print and outdoor mediums.
In 1994, Dean founded the tech company “Delcom System,” which provided hardware and telecommunication services to large enterprise corporations. This allowed him to expand his CRM services to call centers that handled both inbound and outbound calls for leading companies including Sears, Discover, Blue Cross, State Farm, Citicorp, and others. In 2003, Dean transitioned his focus to digital marketing, CRM and utilizing the emerging world social media networks on platforms like LinkedIn. Those experiences paved the way for Dean to found Forward Progress, a Chicago-based Investor Acquisition Marketing (IAM) company that provides integrated marketing solutions to raise capital and drive demand using a proven, digital thought-leadership methodology that consistently drives clients’ business growth. Then, in 2012, Dean launched the industry-leading influencer development platform called Social Jack™ to provide training and equip organizations and professionals to accelerate their digital influence. Dean is a highly sought-after speaker who brings expertise, enthusiasm and energetic drive to his popular B2B influencer-themed podcast, “The Influence Factory.” Dean’s book, “FIRST, The Street Guide to Digital Business Influence,” contains a proven, step-by-step formula for business professionals to fuel thought-leadership and recognition in their industries.