Damon Brown

Damon Brown is a best-selling author, two-time startup founder, and four-time TED speaker whose career spans entrepreneurship, journalism, and technology. Brown has contributed to publications including Playboy and the New York Post, and holds two degrees in journalism, including a master's in magazine publishing from Northwestern University.

Brown co-founded Cuddlr, a platonic connection app that gained more than 200,000 downloads in the App Store and was acquired by Hiplex, later rebranded as Spoonr. He led the company to acquisition within a year while serving as the primary caretaker of his infant son. This experience shaped Brown's public message about sustainable entrepreneurship and challenged the notion that founders must sacrifice everything to succeed.

As an author, Brown's books have resonated with independent creators and non-traditional entrepreneurs. His titles include "Our Virtual Shadow: Why We Are Obsessed with Documenting Our Lives Online" and "Porn & Pong: How Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider and Other Sexy Games Changed Our Culture," both of which have been included in university curriculums, as well as the coffee table book "Playboy's Greatest Covers." His collected works feature the "Bite-Sized Entrepreneur" series, "Bring Your Worth," and "Build From Now." "Career Remix: Get the Gig You Want with the Skills You've Got" follows "Build From Now: How to Know Your Power, See Your Abundance & Nourish the World" and "The Ultimate Bite-Sized Entrepreneur: 76 Ways to Boost Time, Productivity & Focus on Your Big Idea."

After experiencing burnout, Brown returned to his roots in writing and journalism, leveraging his entrepreneurial experience to mentor and coach founders on sustainable business practices. He has spoken at TED and has been featured on CNN, NPR, and C-SPAN. Brown served as the Toledo Library's first Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Through his Inc. Magazine column, the "#BringYourWorth" show, and one-on-one coaching, Brown advocates for an approach to entrepreneurship that is both ambitious and humane, focusing on founder wellness, startup growth, and business sustainability.