# David A. Steinberg

> David A. Steinberg is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Zeta Global, founded with John Sculley in 2007. His career runs from Sterling Cellular and online wireless retailer InPhonic to enterprise marketing software. InPhonic went public in 2004 and filed for Chapter 11 in 2007; Zeta listed on the NYSE in 2021. In 2026 he is leading Zeta’s expansion toward enterprise AI through AthenaOS and partnerships with OpenAI and Palantir.

- **Role:** Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO at Zeta Global
- **Organizations:** Zeta Global, CAIVIS Investment Corporation, Sterling Cellular, Sterling Communications, InPhonic, David Steinberg Family Foundation, Washington & Jefferson College
- **Education:** BA in Economics, Washington & Jefferson College
- **Known for:** Led InPhonic to the number-one position on the 2004 Inc. 500., Led two companies through public offerings: InPhonic in 2004 and Zeta Global in 2021., Co-founded Zeta Global with John Sculley in 2007.

## Career timeline

- **Early 1990s** — Established Sterling Cellular in a Bethesda basement after work on Capitol Hill and in insurance sales.
- **1990s** — Built Sterling Communications, a telemarketing business for wireless phones.
- **2004** — InPhonic ranked first on the Inc. 500 and completed its IPO in November.
- **2007** — Co-founded the business that became Zeta Global with John Sculley; also founded CAIVIS.
- **2007** — InPhonic filed for Chapter 11 on November 8 following Steinberg’s departure as CEO.
- **2014** — XL Marketing became Zeta Interactive.
- **2016** — Zeta Interactive adopted the Zeta Global name.
- **2017** — Zeta acquired machine-learning marketing platform Boomtrain.
- **2021** — Zeta Global listed on the NYSE on June 10 under ZETA.
- **2026** — Zeta announced OpenAI and Palantir partnerships and introduced AthenaOS.

## Achievements

- Led InPhonic to the number-one position on the 2004 Inc. 500.
- Led two companies through public offerings: InPhonic in 2004 and Zeta Global in 2021.
- Co-founded Zeta Global with John Sculley in 2007.
- Zeta reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $443 million and GAAP net income of $8 million.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — On October 8, Zeta announced AthenaOS in limited internal beta, with public beta expected later in 2026 and general availability planned for Q1 2027.
- **2026-08** — On August 4, Zeta reported Q2 2026 revenue of $443 million, GAAP net income of $8 million and free cash flow of $58 million.
- **2026-06** — On June 23, Zeta and Palantir announced a partnership to connect enterprise operations, customer intelligence and marketing execution.
- **2026-01** — On January 5, Zeta announced an OpenAI collaboration supporting Athena.

## Links

- Website: https://www.zetaglobal.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsteinberg1/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/dsteinberg10000
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_a_steinberg/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-a-steinberg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21