Posts in Interviews
Challenges in the Mission Economy

Caleb Gardner is an insatiably curious strategy consultant with unique professional experience, from startups to nonprofits, from Fortune 100 clients to presidents. In addition to a career in the private sector at prestigious firms like Edelman and Bain & Company, Caleb was the lead digital strategist for President Obama’s political advocacy group, bringing his unique leadership to one of the largest digital programs in existence.

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Lending Hands

The entrepreneur and one-time Obama staffer is putting his digital prowess to good use—literally. Having worked for Barack Obama for three years—running the former president’s Twitter account, no less—Caleb Gardner is no stranger to mission-driven work. But in recent years, he felt that digital efforts in that realm had sometimes been misguided. With his startup digital consulting firm 18 Coffees, he is “hoping to blow up the way people think about how digital problems are solved,” he says. The catch? He only takes on clients doing purposeful work.

Read more at CS Magazine →

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Access to Anyone podcast | Caleb Gardner Talks PR, Community Building, and President Obama

Topics include:

  • How to solve problems and seize opportunities within the digital communications space
  • How Caleb landed a role working for President Obama
  • Navigating the new PR industry
  • How to move beyond the Rolodex
  • Using digital technology to cement and leverage relationships (personally and professionally)
  • The value of face-to-face meetings and being selective about connections
  • Understanding the intersection of community building and the future of the gig economy

Listen at the Access to Anyone podcast →

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Selfie podcast | Morning Skincare Routines + Staying Sane With Politics + Tattoos

We talk our morning skincare rituals, and interview Obama’s former social media manager about keep the peace when our politics collide. Caleb Gardner of the digital innovation firm 18 Coffees gives us some insight for staying sane in the midst of our current climate. Plus, to tattoo or not to tattoo? Kristen regrets not having any, and Sarah regrets the ones she has.

Listen on Life LIstened →

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Communication et technologie : la confiance ne se construit pas en temps réel

Stratège digital insatiablement curieux doué d’un parcours professionnel unique, Caleb Gardner a été pendant plus de trois ans le conseiller principal de l’OFA, groupe de défense des intérêts politiques de Barack Obama. Il dirige aujourd’hui l’agence qu’il a co-créée, 18 Coffees, société de conseil en stratégie et innovation digitale. Il revient pour nous sur ses expériences et nous livre son regard sur les rapports entre technologie et communication. Rencontre.

Read more at Hello Open World →

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ET Brand Equity | "Trust isn't built in real-time," says Obama's former digital strategist

Caleb Gardner’s About page begins with “I used to work for Barack Obama” in big, bold red letters. To be more precise, he was the lead strategist of the former US President’s digital program, the largest of its kind in the political sphere. We caught up with Gardner, who now runs a digital strategy and innovation collective called 18 Coffees, and asked him to give us his insider tips, dos and 'don't even think about it' when it comes to handling social media for politicians, presidents and PMs.

Read more at ET Brand Equity →

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Barack Obama's Former Social Media Manager Breaks Down the Future of Digital Strategies

Caleb Gardner is the founder of 18 Coffees, a digital content strategy and community development firm. Before that, Gardner worked as social media manager for Barack Obama. So, what has Gardner learned from working with one of the most powerful men in the world? What has he learned from collaborating with Fortune 500 clients at 18 Coffees?

Watch the video at Entrepreneur.com →

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Building Community at Scale: Exclusive Interview with Caleb Gardner of Bain & BarackObama.com

Many community builders dream of the far-off day when every program in their community runs smoothly, obtains measurable results, and brings people together flawlessly. That’s the elusive dream of a well-run community at scale.

But is such a dream obtainable?

If anyone knows the answer to that question, it is Caleb Gardner.

Read more at CMXHub.com

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