Kurt Thigpen | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

I’m not the kind of leader who follows the pack.

I built my career by questioning the rules and creating opportunities where others saw obstacles.

As the CEO of Ace Studios, I’ve worked with countless businesses to scale their impact and grow their brands while staying true to their values.

My path has taken me from leading creative international campaigns to advocating for inclusivity and resilience in leadership.

Through the challenges I’ve faced—whether in business or public service—I’ve learned that true leadership isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about showing up, staying authentic, and pushing forward, even when the path isn’t clear.

My mission is simple: help others lead with purpose, build brands that stand out, and grow businesses that thrive in the digital age.

Current position (1)

CEO

Ace Studios

Degrees (1)

Associate's of Applied Sciences in Website Design

Southeastern Technical College

2009 to 2011

Presentations

Presentations (5)

Cringe and Chaos: A Masterclass in Social Media Fails

After over 15 years in the industry, Kurt has seen it all when it comes to social media marketing—brands that post like a corporate robot, viral trends gone terribly wrong, and engagement strategies that feel like a desperate cry for help.

In this comedic roast of the worst social media fails, Kurt breaks down what NOT to do—while showing how brands can actually build an engaged audience, create content that doesn’t suck, and avoid becoming the next viral cringe moment.

Get ready to laugh, learn, and leave with social media strategies that actually work.

Outed: LGBTQ+ Representation in Advertising

Beyond Pride Month, LGBTQ+ representation in advertising is minimal, despite them being the most diverse group of people on the planet.

Kurt Thigpen is “outing” the advertising industry’s standards and points out ways we can do better, as well as some displaying examples of advertisements and companies that are doing it right.

He’ll deliver takeaways on how you can create inclusive, diverse, and respectful advertising campaigns.

Why Businesses Should Think Digital First

You’ve heard it before. “In these uncertain times,” it has never been more important than now to get your business into the digital world.

To quote Bruce Barton, “In good times, people want to advertise; in bad times, they have to.”

When others are cutting their advertising & marketing budgets out of fear & speculation – Kurt makes recommendations on how you can corner the digital market and double down and invest in digital advertising effectively so your business can thrive even in the worst of times.

Brand Building to Create a Social Impact

In this talk, Kurt goes beyond fonts, logos, wordmarks, and color palettes when speaking about branding.

He knows that the brands that last forever are the ones that intentionally work to create a positive social impact.

Kurt shares key principles a brand should implement culturally, socially, and institutionally to create a social impact, which in turn will add to your bottom line by making you the industry favorite people won’t forget.

How Social Impact Marketing is Vital to Your Brand

With younger buyers prioritizing supporting causes – a brand’s social impact in the world could be a deciding factor in the buying behavior of your target audience.

Many want to know that your brand is human, that it cares about things like equal rights for all, protecting the environment, or ending poverty to name some examples. Basically, you aren’t in it just for the almighty dollar.

The causes their money ends up supporting at the end of the day is linked to their core values and principles.

That’s why executing an effective social impact marketing plan is crucial to a brand strategy.

In this talk, Kurt Thigpen will explain what social impact marketing is and how it can help grow your brand, put you in front of the right audiences, and earn devoted customers – expanding your bottom line in return.

Past talks (2)

Cringe and Chaos: A Masterclass in Social Media Fails

AAF Northeastern Arkansas Talk

Jonesboro, AR

March 27, 2025

Mosaic 10 Panel Discussion

ADMERICA

Pittsburgh, PA

June 4, 2025

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Books & Articles (8)

How to Win an Election: An Essential Guide to Campaigning During Adversity

Amazon.com,

2022

Tariffs are killing Nevada businesses. Congress must take back control.

In the era of no fact-checking, what is truth?

Banning TikTok weakens the American dream

Why Your Business Should Think Digital First

Stop Treating Advertising Like a Luxury

5 Tips on Networking as an Introvert

8 Steps to Building a Great Brand

Expertise (13)

Marketing Advertising LGBT+ Social Media Branding Digital Marketing Web Design Networking

Clients

Courtyard Marriott

Northern Nevada Public Health

Renown Health

Coffeebar

Roundabout Catering

Awards & certifications (5)

Advertising Agency of the Year (Under $10m)

Best of the West Media Awards

2024

2024 Lee-Douthit-Levine Perserveance Award

American Advertising Federation

2024

20 Under 40 Finalist

Young Professionals Network

2020

President's Award of Excellence

American Advertising Federation of Reno

2020

Rising Star in Creative Services

Nevada's Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology

2018

Reviews

Testimonials (1)

This past spring, Kurt gave a talk on Social Media Fails for our local AAF chapter, and it was an absolute hit. From the start, he was incredibly easy to work with. Professional, responsive, and kind. You could tell he genuinely cared about bringing value to our group. His presentation was hilarious, insightful, and kept the room fully engaged. We had several non-members attend just to see his talk, and some were so impressed they signed up for a membership shortly after. What stood out most was how different it was from the typical “social media tips” presentation. This wasn’t a list of tired best practices. It was real, relatable, and full of memorable stories. A few community leaders even said it was one of the most refreshing takes they’ve heard in a long time. Kurt is smart, funny, and clearly knows his stuff. We would absolutely welcome him back any time and highly recommend him to any group looking for a speaker who’s both entertaining and full of valuable insight.
Sophie Rogers
Verified

Why choose me?

I'm an experienced speaker who has spoken multiple times nationally and can tailor to your needs.