Dave Lavinsky

Job Title:

Founder of PlanPros

Expertise:

Business Plans, Business Consulting, Capital Raising, New Venture Development, Investment Banking, Business Metrics, Sales & Marketing

Years of Experience:

25+ years of experience in writing business plans and business consulting

Formal Education:

BS, Commerce from the University of Virginia
MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA

Books Published:

Author of the best selling book Start At The End: How Companies Can Grow Bigger and Faster By Reversing Their Business Plan, published by Wiley.

Biography

Dave Lavinsky is the founder of PlanPros, and over the past 25 years, has earned a reputation as a distinguished authority in the field of business strategy and new venture development. As a pioneering figure at Growthink, Dave has crafted numerous business strategies and plans, mentoring a team of strategists who collectively written thousands of business plans. His expertise has been showcased in various educational settings, including guest lectures on business strategy at institutions such as UCLA and NYU. Additionally, Dave’s insights have been featured in a multitude of webinars and podcasts. Notably, his guide on business planning once garnered recognition as a mandatory text at Dartmouth College’s esteemed Tuck School of Business.

In addition to his educational contributions, Dave boasts an impressive record in launching and growing several successful ventures. Among his entrepreneurial achievements are:

Emerge Juice and Nutrition Systems: A company specializing in nutritious juices and smoothies.
Shoutmouth: A social networking platform dedicated to music news.
Z Reporter LLC: A conglomerate overseeing over 3,000 websites focused on niche information.
TopPayingKeywords: A firm specializing in research and data for Search Engine Optimization.
VendingMavericks.com: An educational website that helps entrepreneurs start successful vending machine businesses.
Guiding Metrics: A company specializing in business analytics and dashboard services.

Dave’s journey in the business planning and new business development sector commenced with his consultancy role at Keyspan Energy Services in 1995. He was instrumental in developing Keyspan’s plan to introduce deregulated services, a move that saw the company, now part of National Grid, amass revenues exceeding $1 billion within three years.

Dave’s professional background is further enriched by his experiences in management consulting, marketing consulting, and market research with prestigious organizations such as PIRA Energy Group, FIND/SVP, BPA International, and The NPD Group.