# Greg Dolan

> Greg Dolan is the co-founder and CEO of Keen Decision Systems, a North Carolina software company built around a question he encountered while managing major consumer brands: where should the next marketing dollar go? After roles in investment banking, brand management at Kraft and corporate strategy at Campbell Soup Company, he and data scientist John Busbice turned an Excel prototype into a predictive marketing platform. Dolan's work centers on connecting marketing decisions to revenue, profitability and long-term value rather than merely explaining past performance.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and CEO at Keen Decision Systems
- **Organizations:** Keen Decision Systems, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Furbish Studio, CMG Partners, Campbell Soup Company, Kraft Foods, Nabisco, Chase Securities, Entrepreneurs' Organization, The InVINCEable Foundation
- **Education:** MBA, Product and Customer Management concentration, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Bachelor's degree in Economics, Siena University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Keen Decision Systems and helped turn an Excel prototype into a cloud-based marketing decision platform., Led Keen through its 2015 transition from consulting to SaaS., Raised an $11 million Series B round led by Ballast Point Ventures in 2023.

## Career timeline

- **1995-1998** — Worked as an investment banking analyst at Chase Securities.
- **1999-2003** — Built consumer-brand experience at Nabisco and Kraft Foods, including work as a senior associate brand manager.
- **2003-2010** — Served at Campbell Soup Company, ultimately as director of corporate strategy.
- **2010-2011** — Worked as a director at CMG Partners.
- **2011** — Co-founded Keen Decision Systems with data scientist John Busbice after the pair connected over the limited decision value of conventional marketing analytics.
- **2015** — Led Keen's pivot from a consulting-led company to a SaaS model built from its early Excel prototype.
- **2017-present** — Serves as a guest lecturer at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
- **2019-2026** — Keen appeared on the Inc. 5000 for eight consecutive years, from 2019 through 2026.
- **2021** — Selected for the Birthing of Giants Fellowship, a CEO development program held at MIT.
- **2023** — Keen announced an $11 million Series B financing led by Ballast Point Ventures.
- **2026** — Named an honoree in the 2026 ADWEEK 50.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Keen Decision Systems and helped turn an Excel prototype into a cloud-based marketing decision platform.
- Led Keen through its 2015 transition from consulting to SaaS.
- Raised an $11 million Series B round led by Ballast Point Ventures in 2023.
- Led Keen during eight consecutive appearances on the Inc. 5000 from 2019 through 2026.
- Was selected for the 2021 Birthing of Giants Fellowship at MIT.
- Was named a 2026 ADWEEK 50 honoree.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Published a Forbes Business Council article arguing that employee burnout is often a system and leadership failure rather than an isolated individual problem.
- **2026-09** — Keen announced Dolan as a 2026 ADWEEK 50 honoree.
- **2026-08** — Published an article advocating a shift from treating people as human capital toward long-term human stewardship.
- **2026-06** — Published an article on creating alignment between marketing and finance through shared business metrics.
- **2026-04** — Published an article arguing that people-first leadership requires funded operational choices rather than slogans.

## Links

- Website: https://keends.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdolan/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/gdolan7473
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@keends
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/keends/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/greg-dolan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27