Dan Diaz drives client growth like he races cars: fiercely, intelligently, whole heartedly.

After leaving high school at 16 to study the culinary arts, Dan—who landed in a Michelin starred restaurant his first year out of cooking school and learned to debone a chicken in two-and-a-half minutes flat—found himself at a crossroads and took a job as a janitor at Facebook’s London office through his family’s cleaning business.

Ever curious, Dan struck up conversations with almost anyone he met while cleaning. Soon, he was helping an executive with Excel spreadsheets. Two years later, he was setting ad prices for the entire social media company. Shortly thereafter, as forecasting gave way to the ad auction, Dan had the opportunity to drive how this evolving format for buying and selling ads should be used.

As Facebook’s resident auction expert, Dan tracked tens of thousands of companies as they used the auction to propel growth. But as much as the companies grew, Dan knew he could help them achieve even more—if he were calling all the shots. Buying ads was only part of a growth strategy. It would take a 360 approach and an insider’s view for a company to soar.

In 2018, after more than seven years at Facebook, Dan decided to start a new chapter, both for him and for the industry. He launched Social Bulldog, a performance marketing agency—named for his beloved French bulldog, Mickey—to challenge agency norms with critical thinking and take client growth to unprecedented levels.

Jon Bednarsh isn’t afraid of a challenge. Never has been.

His roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-it-done ethos was already in effect in the mid-90s when he figured out that the print marketing company he was working for needed a website—so he built one. Open, agile, and curious, he proved his business mettle once again in 2001, when Money magazine approached him to develop the data for their “Best Places to Live” franchise, a project he’d been involved with as head of business development at MonsterDaata, which folded after the 9/11 attacks. Though he had no infrastructure for such an endeavor, he knew it was an opportunity he could not refuse so he and a partner built a startup, Onboard Informatics, out of his basement to make it happen. Over the past 20 years, Jon has nurtured several data-driven startups—including his own—into successful, mature businesses. But it was his skill in car racing—Porsches, specifically—that brought him to Social Bulldog. Jon met Dan during a rainy weekend at Watkins Glen, the premier international track in North America. They bonded over their love of racing in the rain—something most drivers fear—and began a conversation about bringing the same kind of limit-pushing that sets them apart on the track to growing Social Bulldog.

Nicole Coutu is a self-declared detail devotee.

Nicole joined Social Bulldog as director of business development in 2021. Previously, she worked in investor relations and business development at Goldman Sachs and Blackstone, where she honed her skills working on fundraising for several private equity drawdown funds. A self-declared detail devotee, Nicole thrives on collaborating and cultivating strong, impactful relationships. She is excited to lead Social Bulldog’s growth strategy as a best-in-class performance marketing agency. Nicole’s competitive drive extends beyond her professional life as a water polo player for Team New York Aquatics. When she’s not scoring goals in the pool or at the office, she loves to travel and spend time with her husband and two daughters.

April Fox likes to push boundaries.

Before signing on as Social Bulldog’s account manager in 2021, April held positions in acquisition marketing at Bombas and in digital innovation at convenience retailer Kum & Go. Her favorite part of working at Social Bulldog is collaborating with clients on strategic business decisions and helping the agency’s brands with new product launches. Ever eager to push boundaries and explore potential, including her own, April is training for her first marathon. When she needs to fuel up, she loves exploring new outdoor dining spots around New York City.

Rachel Strandell loves the challenge of finding new ways to drive brand growth.

As Social Bulldog’s media buyer, Rachel says it’s a thrill to combine her love of creative development with her zeal for digital marketing to propel brands in fresh and powerful ways. A former creative director who has driven growth for brands of all shapes and sizes across an array of industries, Rachel’s experience fuses advertising, marketing, and creative strategy. In her free time, Rachel can be found working out, reading business books, and developing her many other passion projects.