Steve Lerch is an award-winning international public speaker, consultant, and former Googler, and has become a highly respected voice in the world of digital strategy, marketing, consumer behavior, and innovation.
An in-demand public speaker, Steve has spoken at conferences, trade shows, and board meetings from California to the Netherlands and everywhere in between. He’s served as a guest lecturer at prestigious institutions like Georgetown University and the University of Pittsburgh as well as given keynote speeches for multiple college and high school graduations. His high-energy style perfectly blends humor, inspirational stories, and actionable advice, which makes him a perfect choice for larger more aspirational keynote addresses as well as more specific breakout and education sessions.
Prior to the formation of Story Arc Consulting, Steve spent nine years at Google crafting his unique perspective on the topics of innovation, strategy, and digital marketing. For five years at Google’s Mountain View, CA headquarters, he brought this unique point of view to dozens of major consumer electronics brands, working hand in hand with the likes of GoPro, OtterBox, Roku and many others. Steve leveraged this digital expertise to help with the launch of hugely successful consumer electronics companies like Nest and LifeProof, by assisting them in the design of their first-ever digital marketing campaigns.
After moving to DC in 2015, Steve helped to launch Google’s first foray into the world of Advocacy and Association marketing. He helped the country’s largest membership organizations, advocacy groups, non profits, government agencies, and agricultural checkoff programs better utilize digital tools and strategies to understand and reach their desired audiences.
In addition to building digital marketing strategies, Steve also served as a “Noogler Leader” during his time at Google. This role allowed Steve to be one of the first voices heard by new Google employees during orientation and provided him with the opportunity to teach others about Google’s culture, philosophy, and history. It was through this experience that he gained a deep understanding of how culture can drive innovation.
Leveraging his nine years at Google and the experience gained from serving as a digital strategy consultant to dozens of the world’s most well-known brands, Steve brings independent consulting services to companies of all sizes and across all industries. Steve specializes in offering a high-level outside perspective on a company’s overallvision, goals, and approach to marketing, challenging organizations to think more creatively and to evolve their past strategies and embrace a digital first world. He also offers more specialized expertise in digital marketing, influencer marketing, consumer journey mapping, attribution strategy, and website design.
Innovative thinking is changing the modern world faster than at any point in human history, but now more than ever, innovation is not resigned to only the inventors, engineers, and scientists. The greatest innovators of our time are men like Steve Jobs. A man who didn’t invent the first Apple computer (Steve Wozniak) nor the iPod or iPhone (Tony Fadell). Instead, he established a culture of innovation that catalyzed and nurtured new ideas and new ways of thinking.
Steve Lerch will share stories from a decade at Google, where he worked with the world’s most innovative brands like GoPro, FitBit, and Nest. Dive into the history of some of Google’s most iconic projects like self-driving cars and augmented reality glasses, and more importantly, understand the simple, underlying cultural principles that allowed for these innovations. Principles like Launch and Iterate, Fail Well, and Bet on Technical Insights.
“I had the pleasure of hearing Steve Lerch speak at Google’s Inspire Academy in 2018. To say I was impressed would be an understatement. Steve’s unique ability to connect with the audience was pure magic. He delivered a well-spoken and courageous personal narrative around change and starting over. This was applicable not only to a room full of marketers as we were challenged to think about our respective businesses but also as fellow human beings. I would whole-heartedly recommend Steve for speaking engagements.”
“Steve Lerch is a dynamic and knowledgeable speaker. I booked him for two sessions at a recent event. He was able to tailor his message to each audience and present entirely different material. He’s polished and professional, while being approachable. His presentations are the perfect mix of being based on fact yet full of his unique perspective. I’m also super impressed by his ability to provide specific examples and intel during audience Q&A. I highly recommend Steve for your next event!”
“IDFA’s Dairy Forum attendees were excited to learn that Steve Lerch was invited back for the second year in a row to speak about the digital revolution. Both times Steve drew a standing room only crowd as he demystified “The Digital Evolution of Food and Health.” He provided an overview of relevant lessons learned in the digital space, about the fast pace of changing consumer trends, fads and shared simple strategies on how to connect and leverage your brand within this important emerging market. Steve is a passionate, engaging speaker and his knowledge is cutting edge.”
“Steve Lerch is a dynamic and entertaining speaker. With his experience at Google, he has his pulse on the importance of digital marketing to connect with your customers. And, he’s able to provide real-world, actionable insights that can be leveraged whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a family-owned enterprise.”
“We’ve had the pleasure of having Steve speak to a variety of audiences the past few years. He has always been in high-demand within our organization because of his ability to speak eloquently and powerfully about the topic at hand. His energy is contagious, and he always seems to leave the audience motivated. I can also attest to his skills in answering any question that is thrown his way. He possesses a great combination of thinking creatively and analytically both, which is very much respected!”
