stories that drive growth, valuation and high-stake exits
“If the exit is your destination, story is how you get there.”
— Gio René Rodriguez
About me
I’m a pioneer in story-driven business transformation, positioning companies for growth, valuation, and high-stake exits, where the merger or acquisition creates a transformative outcome for both buyer and seller. My approach draws on the timeless principles of narrative, applied with precision and scale in today’s most dynamic markets.
Over the years, I’ve led brand reinventions, positioned products for category leadership, and guided companies through critical inflection points: from fundraises and market entries to mergers and acquisitions. I’ve served as CMO for a publicly traded tech company (BroadVision), advised global leaders including Intel, SAP, VMware, Best Buy, and Deloitte, and helped startups scale to acquisition by companies like Google, Microsoft, HP, Cisco, British Telecom, Nielsen, and Wipro Ltd. Collectively, my work has contributed to more than $2 billion in valuation upon exits.
In the civic and educational sectors, I’ve led mission-critical initiatives for the Obama White House, AARP, Stanford, Morehouse College, and Singularity University—using storytelling to drive institutional change and community engagement. For this cross-sector work, I was recognized by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the American Leadership Forum as one of “101 remarkable change makers in Silicon Valley.”
Today, I help companies modernize their marketing organizations—balancing human creativity with the power of AI. My work redefines roles, workflows, and systems to unlock not just efficiency, but imagination, adaptability, and long-term business value. I believe the best marketing doesn’t just sell—it elevates.
I'm also a longtime contributor to Forbes and the author of the forthcoming book The Stories We Tell Ourselves—a guide to the promises and perils of storytelling in the age of AI.
I support client teams through a blend of fractional leadership, part-time engagements, and strategic creative services. In partnership with an on-demand marketing firm, I also offer access to top-tier talent in design, adtech, martech, user experience, and media planning. My core services are story-driven:
Fractional CMO services— Interim leadership to marketing teams, from strategy through execution
Storytelling for growth and valuation – Craft compelling narratives that support revenue growth, investor interest, and high-value exits.
Brand and product positioning – Clarify market positioning to differentiate, drive demand, and build value
Human/AI team design – Optimize collaboration between human teams and AI systems to enhance productivity and creativity
Scalable content production —end-to-end content strategy and creation that blends human creativity with AI-powered efficiency—enabling consistent, high-quality output across articles, videos, presentations, and other customer touchpoints.
Services
Let’s talk.
I offer a free 30-minute consultation for founders, CEOs, and CMOs looking to harness the power of narrative to drive business strategy, sharpen positioning, and lead with clarity. Whether you’re entering a new market, preparing for a raise, or rethinking your brand, this is a chance to explore how story—infused with AI and delivered across the right channels—can help you break through. No pitch. Just insight, alignment, and next steps.
Write to me at giorodriguez@gmail.com
Testimonials
“I have been working with Gio for more than two decades, spanning three client acquisitions and integration at British Telecom, Google, and Wipro. It's been a lifetime of study and bold experiments about branding, positioning, and storytelling. Gio is the master of all three.”
— Dan Seyer, former CMO for cybersecurity, Wipro Ltd.
“Gio is that rare marketing professional who can see a market move before it happens. He is brilliant, creative, and a pure pleasure to work with.”
— Don Thorson, serial entrepreneur
“I have been working with Gio since the early 2000s. His uncanny ability to see trends before they materialize and his devotion to the rules of storytelling have always positioned him to compete with the very best and largest strategy firms."
— Denise Vardakas, CMO at Madtech
“Gio was a powerful and resourceful member of the DNC’s and the White House’s drive to turn out the Hispanic vote in 2012. Among other things, he developed a surrogate plan in the swing states using storytelling as a method for engaging Hispanic voters.”
— Jose Rico, former Executive Director, White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity
“Working with Gio was a pivotal moment with both Vibrant Media and Quintesse's journey. His strategic insight and deep understanding of media positioning helped us clarify our narrative, sharpen our value proposition, and communicate with far greater impact.”
— Douglas Stevenson, CEO & co-founder, Vibrant Media and Quintesse
“Gio was instrumental in elevating the Proximic brand, expertly crafting a compelling narrative around our search technology startup, that captured the essence of our mission. His storytelling skills outreach secured us invaluable press coverage and positioned us as thought leaders in a competitive market. Working with Giovanni was a game-changer.”
— Philipp Pieper, co-founder at Swarm
“Gio possesses a rare, almost magical ability to harness the power of story — not just to communicate, but to claim space in the customer’s mind in a way that’s unforgettable. But what truly sets Gio apart is not just his genius — it’s his generosity. He’s become a mentor and beacon to countless marketing leaders, including myself. I’ve watched firsthand as his insights have catalyzed not only campaigns, but careers.”
— Julie Ginches, serial CMO, founder of Purple Door
Contact Me
228 Second Street
Jack London Square
Oakland, CA 94607
Email: giorodriguez@gmail.com
Phone: (650) 279-8415
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/giovannirodriguez