Dr. Rod Berger dives into the world of influence to capture the story of an entrepreneur who is now a part of the influencer marketing legacy. The world has changed, giving creators and influencers a path to control their brands and those they support. Ryan Detert, in short, can be credited with a sector-shaking move primed to have longstanding implications. Publicis Group acquired Influential, the world’s top influencer marketing company, for a groundbreaking $500 million in an industry-altering move. After a challenging year for startups, this landmark deal signals a resurgence of investor confidence in the creator economy.
Back in 2013, CEO Ryan Detert laid the foundation for Influential, recognizing the need to bring order to the chaotic world of influencer marketing. His vision has led the company to become a nine-figure influencer marketplace, powered by OpenAI's Social Intelligence™ technology, Radius. This innovative approach has enabled the company to partner with major platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, empowering a vast network of over 3 million influencers to connect with top-tier brands such as McDonald’s, NBA, NFL, and Pepsi.
Ryan will most likely go down as one of the seminal authors of the creator economy, which is estimated to be a $250 billion industry. Dive into his story and learn how notoriety has changed his life.
Dr. Rod Berger is a keynote speaker, moderator, producer, author, and expert in strategic storytelling. Berger’s book, The Narrative Edge: Authentic Storytelling That Meets The Moment (Wiley), hits bookstores in late 2025. He draws on more than 4,000 interviews conducted worldwide for Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fair Observer, including a cover story about former Virgin Entertainment co-founder Jason Felts, for Los Angeles Magazine, as well as various podcasts. He has captured the narratives of investors, CEOs, renowned entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, scholars, and cultural icons such as NBA legends Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, as well as United Nations officials and Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar, while also exploring the behind-the-scenes world of Formula 1.
Berger has met with the Crown Princess of Sweden, Pope Francis, United Nations officials, and NGO leaders, covering stories of water insecurity with WaterAid, the intergenerational refugee crisis faced by displaced Sudanese in Uganda, and the impacts of child marriage in Western Africa with the Le Korsa Foundation.
Berger served as a guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management for nearly two decades, focusing on the power of storytelling in business.
He has partnered with The Jim Henson Company to create a television show, The Ultimate GOAT, that combines his passion for distant lands and storytelling with culture, sports, and puppetry for family programming.
Berger conducts moderated keynote events that blend storytelling with live, on-stage narratives featuring cultural icons such as Opal Lee, the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and recognized as the “Grandmother” of Juneteenth. In 2023, Berger received the inaugural Pangea International Literacy Prize and delivered his TEDx Talk, “Story is Our Currency.” He lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife and two children.
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