Aaron McDaniel

Aaron McDaniel is a globally recognized corporate manager, entrepreneur, teacher, speaker, and author, known for his expertise in aiding companies in global innovation and business scaling. He co-authored "Global Class," a Wall Street Journal and National Bestseller, which is a comprehensive playbook on building a global company. This work encapsulates insights gathered from over 400 executives worldwide, showcasing strategies employed by the fastest growing global companies.

Currently, McDaniel serves as a faculty member at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, contributes as a co-founder of 10X Innovation Lab—an international consulting firm and accelerator operating across four continents—and is the managing partner of Grow Scale, a real estate private equity firm. In addition to his corporate roles, McDaniel’s teaching extends to delivering keynote speeches at significant educational events, such as the Haas Undergraduate Commencement in 2022.

McDaniel's career began at AT&T, where he entered through the company's flagship Leadership Development Program. He quickly advanced to become one of the youngest individuals to hold the position of Regional Vice President at the age of 27. His exceptional performance earned him recognition as an AT&T Diamond Club honoree, placing him in the top 1% of sales managers globally. A seasoned entrepreneur, McDaniel has founded and successfully exited three companies (Pong360, Tycoon, Access Invest), and notably turned down an investment offer on ABC’s "Shark Tank."

He is also the author of "The Young Professional’s Guide to the Working World" and "The Young Professional’s Guide to Managing," both of which provide invaluable career advice for emerging professionals and have been internationally recognized and translated into multiple languages. His thought leadership is regularly featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, The Financial Times, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek. McDaniel also actively contributes to societal development through his role as Vice Chairman of Project Giving Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering empathy and volunteerism among children. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.