Serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist and philanthropist.
Widely recognized as the Godfather of Partnership Marketing, Kirk has the innate ability to connect people and brands. Over the years, he has conceived and executed countless integrated marketing strategies and growth plans with a focus on connectivity and relationship building. Since establishing AXW in 2000, Kirk has pushed the agency to never stop innovating, helping AXW to stay ahead of the latest and greatest trends and evolve beyond partnership marketing into brand experience. Whether it’s the N*Sync jingle for Chili’s baby back ribs (good luck getting that ditty out of your head) or the NetJets Poker Tournament, Kirk has been behind some of the greatest legacies in marketing.
Prior to starting AXW, he combined his love for hospitality and marketing during his time at Hospitality Franchise Systems (HFS), where he conceived and launched the entertainment division. His passion for aviation came into play in serving as a strategic advisor to NetJets Founder and former Chairman, Richard Santulli for nearly a decade. Today, in addition to running the show at AXW, Kirk sits on the boards of 25Madison, Forbes Travel Guide, The Captivate Network, Onda Sparkling Tequila., Skylark, and Holistic Industries. Additionally Kirk is an advisor to the Wilf family and the Asset Manager for Omni Viking Lakes.
Kirk is also a special advisor to the Chairman of Human Longevity Inc.
In his downtime (he remarkably seems to add hours to the day), Kirk also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta chapter of After-School All-Stars. He’s a lover of the NBA, SoulCycle, and small dogs. A passionate foodie and collector of fine wine, he is the ultimate people person with energy so contagious that you can’t help but be excited about what he’s saying—even if you don’t know what torque and bikes have to do with each other.