How do I book Dave Zilko to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dave Zilko for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dave Zilko, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dave Zilko or any other speaker of your choice.

What are the speaker fees for Dave Zilko

Speaking fees for Dave Zilko, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dave Zilko are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dave Zilko, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Dave Zilko speak about?

Dave Zilko is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational, Leadership, Marketing, Motivational, Overcoming Adversity, Personal Growth

Who is Dave Zilko's agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Dave Zilko for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dave Zilko for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker's or celebrity's engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event's completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dave Zilko or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you're looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you're in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Dave Zilko | Speaking Fee

Dave Zilko Biography

Dave Zilko founded his first specialty food company more than 25 years ago. While today Dave remains an equity partner in several food-oriented enterprises, he recently exited active involvement in the industry when he engineered the sale of Garden Fresh Gourmet, makers of the number one brand of fresh salsa in North America, to the Campbell’s Soup Company for nearly a quarter billion dollars. Dave was a partner at Garden Fresh for 13 years, serving as Vice Chairman with primary responsibility for strategy and sales.

Earlier this year Dave published a book, via Wiley & Sons and distributed nationwide, detailing his experience as an entrepreneur in general and his experiences with Garden Fresh in particular. Entitled "Irrational Persistence: Seven Secrets That Turned a Bankrupt Startup Into A $231,000,000 Business," the book has become a national bestseller. His speaking topics notably include Business Performance, Business Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Overcoming Adversity, among others. He is known for his approach that includes never compromising standards and a unique strategy in sales where nothing is directly sold.

Today, Dave has invested in and has assumed the role of CEO at FUEL Leadership, a digital media property that also organizes exclusive business events. He is an operating partner at Huron Capital, a Detroit-based private equity firm with over $1 billion under management, serves on the boards of the $60 million Grow Michigan venture fund, and Jimmy Buffett's charitable foundation, "Singing for Change." Additionally, he is on the executive board of the largest food rescue organization in the country, Forgotten Harvest. Dave graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in finance and earned a Master of Business Administration in marketing from The George Washington University. He also co-founded "Justin's Vision," a charity aimed at helping children with life-threatening illnesses.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dave Zilko and other top speakers and celebrities.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 09/24/2024.

Dave Zilko Speaking Topics

Irrational Persistence

What’s is like to take a bankrupt startup and eventually sell it to a Fortune 500 Company for almost a quarter billion dollars?

And more importantly, what lessons can be conveyed from such an experience that will help you live the life you’ve imagined for yourself?

In "Irrational Persistence" Dave Zilko guides his audience through an actual “Only in America” story that details how he and his partner, starting with literally “less than nothing,” launched a fresh salsa company from the back of a tiny restaurant just outside, of all places, Detroit. Despite incredible odds they eventually built the premier deli supply company in the United States that the Campbell’s Soup Company recently purchased for $231 million.

Presented in an authentic and often humorous manner, “Irrational Persistence” both inspires and informs. It delivers practical tools that can be used immediately to foster entrepreneurial thinking, create value and deliver bottom-line results. You’ll learn:
- the importance of, and courage required, to act entrepreneurially
- how to search, and find, the Holy Grail of Capitalism
- the value of never compromising your standards
- a counterintuitive approach to sales, one in which you never sell anything
- a unique, holistic approach to strategically building your company

Dave Zilko Videos

Dave Zilko - Keynote Demo - YouTube
Dave Zilko: Garden Fresh rise to success - YouTube

See All Videos »

Dave Zilko Books

Irrational Persistence: Seven Secrets That Turned a Bankrupt Startup Into a $231,000,000 Business

FAQs on booking Dave Zilko

How do I book Dave Zilko to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dave Zilko for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dave Zilko, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dave Zilko or any other speaker of your choice.
What are the speaker fees for Dave Zilko

Speaking fees for Dave Zilko, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dave Zilko are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dave Zilko, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
What topics does Dave Zilko speak about?

Dave Zilko is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Inspirational, Leadership, Marketing, Motivational, Overcoming Adversity, Personal Growth.
Where does Dave Zilko travel from?

Dave Zilko generally travels from Michigan, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
Who is Dave Zilko’s agent?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Dave Zilko for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dave Zilko for your next private or corporate function.
What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dave Zilko or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Dave Zilko is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Irrational Persistence. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dave Zilko for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Dave Zilko generally travels from MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Alden Mills, Monica Phromsavanh, Troy Hazard, Mark Victor Hansen and JP Pawliw-Fry. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dave Zilko for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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