David Leis and His Company

David Leis is an award winning consultant, author, speaker, trainer, executive coach and college instructor.  For over 30 years he has spoken and trained thousands of people in a wide variety of settings from colleges, to the Fortune 500 to small companies and non-profits around the globe.

His company, Avantt Consulting, has won a number of awards, including New York State Small Business Development ‘Growth Company of the Year’.  His personal awards include an ARCOM for a NATO training program, his teaching in a maximum security prison, as well as having been commended for recent papers and presentations from current and former Governors and members of the US President’s Cabinet.

His passion is helping people and organizations grow beyond their wildest expectations!  He has helped companies grow from $30 mil to $250 mil in 4 years, from $6 mil to $10 mil in 2 years and many more.  He has personally built a business within a Fortune 100 from start to $10 mil in a year, managed the GPS satellite 1750A semiconductor development program,  and helped turn around a $140 mil division losing $10 mil a year to a profitable $160 mil in 18 months.  As a full time and adjunct highly rated professor, he helped thousands of students achieve far more in college than they ever thought possible, and land jobs they never considered feasible.  David has done executive coaching for college students, small business owners, middle market companies, and executive of Fortune and Global 500 including divisions of Corning, Japanese & US executives of Toshiba, GE, RCA and others.  He has appeared on TV, in newspapers and trade journals.

David is a graduate of West Point and the University of Southern California, has done coursework on an MBA and PhD, and previously in the Army, was an Airborne, Ranger, Company Commander, and later, a Top 100 executive of Harris, a Fortune 500, and on the ‘Red’ fast track lists at RCA and GE.

David’s adventurous life has included climbing mountains in Colorado, running from the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, parachute jumping from airplanes, rappelling from cliffs and helicopters, hunting and fishing across the US, riding bulls in rodeos, breaking a wild horse, a number of survival courses, motor cycle riding, flying an airplane for a few terrifying minutes, glider and hot air balloon excursions, fresh water and ocean water skiing, and traveling in 34 countries, including walking the Great Wall in China.

As a serial entrepreneur, David started his first company at age 8, when he took a loan from his hometown bank to start a lawn-mowing company with his brother.  That allowed him to have his first motorcycle and car when he turned 14, the legal driving age then in Kansas.  He has helped launch over a dozen companies, and help merge several successfully.

He has served on boards of non-profit organizations and companies and currently serves on a board with former Governor (& DHS Secretary) Tom Ridge, General Wesley Clark, former NATO Commander and US Presidential candidate, and Mike Bowman, recipient of President Obama’s Challenge Award.  David also served on former Congressman and Corning CEO, Amory Houghton’s Service Academy Selection Committee.

David lives near Princeton, New Jersey with his two sons and close to his daughter’s family in Connecticut.  He has donated his services to civic, religious and organizations that serve the disabled and the poor.

His book, “Succeed Wildly in College!”, captures inspiring talks that have changed the lives for thousands of his students, some in dramatic ways.  In it he reveals three major principles that have been proven to have dramatic effects for his students, both in college and in their careers after graduating. For those who apply them to everything in their lives, the H.O.T concept, the unique “Do 27 Not 25” method, and the fourteen HOT Resolutions outlined inside, they will discover a life for themselves that is richer and more fulfilling than they ever thought possible.