Mike Cessario Keynote Speaker

Mike Cessario is a disruptive brand-builder and creative CEO behind cult beverage phenomenon Liquid Death. Recognised on the TIME100 Next 2024 list as an emerging leader, he merges punk rock, skateboarding and advertising into a radically different approach to brand-building.

Since launching the brand online in 2019, he has scaled Liquid Death from a single canned-water idea into one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage companies in the US, with a valuation of around $1.4 billion after a $67m funding round in 2024. By 2025, the company had raised more than $260m across multiple rounds as it expanded retail distribution and explored a potential IPO.

Under his leadership, Liquid Death’s line-up now spans mountain water, flavoured sparkling water, iced tea and soon Sparkling Energy, positioned as a “better-for-you” energy drink, all packaged in infinitely recyclable cans. Cessario anchors this growth in the brand’s “Death to Plastic” mission, using humour, heavy-metal aesthetics and entertainment-led content to make health and sustainability dramatically more appealing.

Before founding Liquid Death in 2017 and launching it in 2019, Cessario built a career as an award-winning advertising creative, delivering viral campaigns for brands such as Netflix, Toyota and Mountain Dew, including work on the now-legendary “Puppy Monkey Baby” Super Bowl spot. A BFA graduate in Advertising from ArtCenter College of Design, he brings agency-honed discipline and a subculture sensibility to every stage appearance.

As a keynote speaker, Mike Cessario shares a practical playbook for turning “boring” products into cultural phenomena, drawn from building a global cult brand and teaching disruption in MasterClass’s Business Rebels series. From boardrooms to events such as Klaviyo’s K:BOS 2025, he helps leaders, marketers and founders use creativity, controversy and purpose to win attention, earn loyalty and grow brands with real edge.