# Nathaniel Stevens

> Nathaniel Stevens co-founded Yodle and served as its initial CEO after discovering the potential of search advertising at his family’s car dealership. He later founded Punchey, leads Stevens Ventures and now serves as CEO and dealer principal of Stevens Auto Group in Milford, Connecticut. His work connects online customer acquisition, payments and software for local service businesses.

- **Role:** CEO and Dealer Principal at Stevens Auto Group; Founder and Executive Chairman at Punchey; Managing Director at Stevens Ventures
- **Organizations:** Yodle, Punchey, Stevens Ventures, Stevens Auto Group
- **From:** New Haven, United States
- **Education:** Amity Regional High School, University of Miami, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Co-founded Yodle, acquired by Web.com for approximately $342.4 million in 2016., Founded Punchey, a payments and business operations software company., Recognized among BusinessWeek’s Top 20 Entrepreneurs Under 25 in 2005, as documented by Wharton’s case study.

## Career timeline

- **2001-2003** — Worked as internet sales manager at the family Ford dealership, according to his company history.
- **2005** — Co-founded NatPal, later Yodle, while at Wharton; served as initial CEO.
- **2006** — Yodle raised Series A financing from Bessemer Venture Partners in October.
- **2007** — Signed the March offer appointing Court Cunningham CEO, with an April start date.
- **2010** — Left Yodle to return to Wharton, according to Inc.’s 2013 profile.
- **2012** — Punchey launched publicly and announced $1.7 million in funding from Stevens Ventures.
- **2016** — Web.com acquired Yodle on March 9 for approximately $342.4 million total consideration.
- **2023** — Appeared on Texas Public Radio’s The Source in a November discussion about tipping.
- **2024** — Identified as Punchey founder and chairman in the April announcement of David Olk’s board appointment.
- **2026** — Published essays on returning to Stevens Ford and investing in specialized software for local businesses.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Yodle, acquired by Web.com for approximately $342.4 million in 2016.
- Founded Punchey, a payments and business operations software company.
- Recognized among BusinessWeek’s Top 20 Entrepreneurs Under 25 in 2005, as documented by Wharton’s case study.
- Won a Connecticut Congressional Art Award in eleventh grade.
- Was an All-State lacrosse player and varsity soccer captain at Amity High School.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Published Why I Came Back to Run Stevens Ford and The Operating Layer of Local Business, both dated June 13, describing his current operating and investing focus.
- **2024-04** — Punchey announced ShopKeep co-founder David Olk’s board appointment; the release identified Stevens as founder and chairman and Sylvain Mansier as CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://nathanielstevens.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nvstevens/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nvstevens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanielstevens4/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nathaniel-stevens
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25