Gary Kayye

I have worked in technology, branding and marketing for more than 30-years. I am the Founder of rAVe [PUBS], the leading global AV news publication, and the Creative Director of THE rAVe Agency, a tech-focused creative agency. Prior to rAVe, I served as vice president of sales and marketing for Extron and executive VP at AMX Corporation, now part of Samsung. In addition, I’ve either helped create or assisted on dozens of branding campaigns for tech companies.

A graduate of the UNC school of journalism, I’m now a 2-time, award-winning teaching assistant professor at my alma mater. I teach multiple courses, like new media and its impact on the future of advertising, marketing and PR and a personal and professional branding class. In, 2016, I received the UNC journalism school’s Adjunct Professor of the Year award and in 2023 I won the Ed Vick Innovation in Teaching Award. 

I’ve been the keynote speaker at more than 370 tech conferences and events — thanks to my marketing and branding expertise but I’m told I get asked to deliver keynotes because of my entertaining and approachable speaking style. In 2019, I was even recognized as one of DataBird’s 100 Best Keynote Speakers in the USA.

Outside of my professional accomplishments, I’m most proud of my involvement in co-founding the Swim for Smiles Foundation that raised money for the UNC and Duke children’s hospitals and volunteer work at UNC.

Finally, I have two amazing daughters — one was a collegiate-level swimmer at Pepperdine University and is now in training to become a professional triathlete and the other works in advertising and marketing in-house at a SaaS firm. When I’m not with my daughters, I spend my free time traveling to Disney parks, volunteering and racing in triathlons. (I’ve competing in more than 70 — including racing the infamous Escape from Alcatraz six times as well as completing 5 IRONMANS.)