# Tom Chernaik

> Tom Chernaik is a New York entrepreneur and lawyer who turned a single 2009 FTC rule change into a business. As CEO and co-founder of CMP.LY (later CommandPost), he built a patented system for squeezing legally required advertising disclosures into character-limited social media posts, using short codes like CMP.ly/0 through CMP.ly/5. A former music-industry marketer with a JD from Cardozo, he raised over $4 million in venture capital, earned a 2015 Gartner Cool Vendor nod, and became a go-to voice on social media ethics as co-chair of WOMMA's ethics panel.

- **Role:** CEO & Co-Founder at CMP.LY / CommandPost
- **Organizations:** CMP.LY, CommandPost, XM Satellite Radio, Track Entertainment, Gotham Records, AllIndie.com, Arista Records, SonicNet, WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association)
- **From:** New York, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Liberal Arts, New York University, JD, Yeshiva University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- **Known for:** Raised over $4 million in venture capital for CMP.LY, Invented and patented a system for standardized social media disclosures (two patents issued), CommandPost named a Gartner Cool Vendor for 2015 while still in beta

## Career timeline

- **1990s** — Began career in the music business at Arista Records and SonicNet
- **late 1990s** — Co-founded Gotham Records and launched AllIndie.com, a marketing and distribution startup for independent musicians
- **2000s** — Director of Business Development at Track Entertainment; built music sponsorships including the Pepsi Britney Spears tour
- **2000s** — Built advertising and sponsorship platforms at XM Satellite Radio (now Sirius XM)
- **2009** — Founded CMP.LY after the FTC updated its endorsement and testimonial guidelines
- **2011** — Launched CMP.LY4Finance, a disclosure solution for the financial services industry
- **2015** — CommandPost named a Gartner Cool Vendor while still in beta with 30+ brands and agencies
- **2015** — Lead investor David Freschman died; venture funding fell through, forcing a pivot back to core disclosure products and patents

## Achievements

- Raised over $4 million in venture capital for CMP.LY
- Invented and patented a system for standardized social media disclosures (two patents issued)
- CommandPost named a Gartner Cool Vendor for 2015 while still in beta
- Co-Chair of the Members Ethics Advisory Panel at WOMMA
- Frequent speaker and expert witness on social media ethics, disclosure, and FTC compliance

## Latest updates

- **2015** — CommandPost recognized as a Gartner Cool Vendor; company refocused on core disclosure products after loss of lead investor
- **2021** — Continued as CEO of CMP.LY / CommandPost, exploring blockchain, AI, and privacy applications of the patented disclosure technology

## Links

- Website: https://cmp.ly
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomchernaik
- Twitter/X: http://twitter.com/cmplytom
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/getcommandpost

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tom-chernaik
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-08