Cofounder & Chief Rainmaker, Mid-Day Squares

Jake Karls

Business. Branding. Entrepreneurship. Marketing. Motivation. Retail.

Learn more
Play video
Jake Karls

Speaker Bio

Jake Karls is a different type of business leader – unapologetically authentic, refreshingly relatable, and completely free of bullshit.

He is the Co-founder and Chief Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, the good-for-you chocolate brand that turned a kitchen-table dream into a global household name. Mid-Day Squares is leading the disruption of an extremely competitive vertical with a winning team, innovative marketing strategy, and fearless spirit.

The secret ingredient fuelling the brand’s stratospheric growth? Genuine human connection. Jake’s role is to build the brand’s network and visibility. To hear him speak is to understand how he does it. By prioritizing relationships, harnessing the power of storytelling, and being himself, Jake has cultivated the loyalties of investors, buyers, journalists, influencers, his own team, and of course, the chocolate-loving community. Even Kim Kardashian is a fan.

He and his business partners, who happen to be his sister and brother-in-law, are strong proponents of a healthy corporate culture and emotional well-being, and even get together for regular business therapy sessions. Empathy and open communication are engrained in the culture at Mid-Day Squares, promoting long-term success and sustainability.

Jake is recognized as a rising star in the business world. He was a finalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards, was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2023 (Food and Beverage category), and is featured as a regular contributor to media outlets across North America.

Keynotes by Jake Karls offer valuable, practical insights and his unique and unfiltered takes on some universally relevant themes. Your audience will come away hyped, energized, and ready to take on the world.

Jake Karls Topics
Make Friends First: How to turn your customers, employees, and stakeholders into superfans.
Be Unapologetically You.
How To Build A Multi-Million Dollar Brand

“Transactions are momentary. Relationships are for life.”

As Chief Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, Jake Karls lives by these words. He helped build a chocolate empire by making friends first; prioritizing genuine human connection over business imperatives. Through empathy and curiosity, Jake cultivates loyalty organically with investors, buyers, journalists, influencers, his own team, and of course, the chocolate-loving community. They see Mid-Day Squares as more than a chocolate bar – they’re emotionally invested. Jake’s social wizardry is resonating in the business world and propelling the company’s success.

Making friends first is a refreshing and sustainable approach to business, grounded in empathy and humanity. This entertaining and actionable presentation will give you the tools you need to transform customers into powerful advocates for your brand. You will leave this presentation with a proven roadmap for creating remarkable experiences that turn average customers into lifelong fans.

“You win by being unapologetically you.”

This motto is at the heart of Jake Karls’ bold business moves and unconventional career journey, and sticking to it is his proudest achievement. Blocking out noise and naysayers, Jake learned to get comfortable with the initial discomfort of simply being himself. Formerly insecure about pitching high-profile investors, Jake cultivated the confidence to enjoy and gain strength from tough moments. His commitment to staying true to himself has allowed the brand to grow organically, and the results have been pretty extraordinary.

In this impactful and inspiring keynote, Jake urges you to trust your gut – the most powerful muscle you have – and find your superpower, whatever it is. When you’re unapologetically you, that’s when the magic and serendipity happen.

“Every Brand Has A Story”

Jake Karls leveraged the story behind Mid-Day Squares by bringing consumers along for the ride, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the entrepreneurship journey. Embracing total transparency and documenting their rawest moments on social media, Jake and his partners found a new way to cut through the noise, connect with consumers, and turn them into loyal fans. Even a legal challenge from a corporate giant became an opportunity to tell a story – instead of backing down, Mid-Day Squares clapped back with an epic diss track.

In this insightful keynote, Jake shares his philosophy on the art of storytelling, its enduring power to reach people, and keeping your brand and organization relevant, so when prospects need to buy, they choose you.

Your audience will learn new ways of thinking about business – through storytelling – that will completely change the way they sell, for the better.

Jake Karls

Stories of my life

Jake Karls's

Merch

Almond Crunch
Learn more
Brownie Batter
Learn more
Cookie Dough
Learn more
Peanut Butta
Learn more
Speakers

Related Artists

Follow us

Sign up for our newsletter to
get the latest updates.