Today, we welcome to the team David Kralik, who will be leading Engage’s new California office. Based in San Francisco, David comes to us from American Solutions for Winning the Future, where he was Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Director of Internet Strategy. -ed.
It’s great to be joining a very deep bench of talent. I moved out to California almost two years ago at the request of former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. It’s been a great opportunity to embed myself with the tech sector and really understand their culture.
When I first moved out here, I thought it was cliché to say “So Goes California, So Goes the Nation.” But it really is true. Next year’s Governor’s race in California will be a bellwether in watching how sound fiscal policy will fare against reckless, unaccountable special interest insider spending. In addition, our state’s penchant for voting on ballot initiatives has driven the national debate on immigration, labor law and of course, marriage. That will continue and bringing together top technical leadership on both coasts with these pressing issues will be critical in the years ahead.
If you are still defining your digital strategy with words like “Web 2.0” then it’s time to Engage and see the future. Over the last 18 months, I’ve traveled over 22,000 miles up and down Highway 101 in Silicon Valley meetings with hundreds of technology executives. I’ve learned from some of leading experts when it comes to the future of social networking, mobile and viral media and am here to offer those insights to clients.
As I’ve traveled around the Valley, one thing that is pretty clear to me is that Silicon Valley and Washington, DC are in two completely different cultural paradigms. Washington, DC has a tough time navigating Silicon Valley and Silicon Valley doesn’t really understand Washington, DC. The Washington Post described me as “A Bridge From The Valley to the Hill.” I’ve worked for some very large employers in Washington, DC that represent some very large companies and , in true Silicon Valley fashion, I am involved in my own tech startup. So, that’s exactly what I intend to bring to Engage: Making you succeed by bringing technology best practices from the world capital of innovation and giving startups a voice in Washington, DC.
