Keith Ferrazzi grew up in Pittsburgh, his father a steelworker, his mother a cleaning lady. His father worked double shifts to provide for his family while sending Keith to the very best schools – first, to the elite Kiski Prep school on scholarship, and ultimately to Yale undergrad and Harvard Business School.

Thanks to his remarkable ability to connect with others, by his 30s Keith had developed a network of relationships that stretched from Washington’s corridors of power to Hollywood’s A-list, leading to him being named one of Crain’s “40 Under 40” and selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the Davos World Economic Forum.

After serving as Chief Marketing Officer for Deloitte and Starwood Hotels, he published his best-selling book Never Eat Alone in 2005, which went on to sell a quarter of a million copies and counting. He founded his own consulting firm Ferrazzi Greenlight, which leads the industry in strategic relationship management, bringing a fresh, conscious, and holistic perspective to success in the corporate world. He currently has over seventy speaking engagements a year in the U.S. and internationally, and is a frequent contributor to CNBC and CNN.

Both Forbes and Inc. magazines have designated Keith Ferrazzi as one of the world's most "connected" individuals. He distinguishes relationship-building from the crude, desperate glad-handing usually associated with networking. His outreach and advocacy is firmly grounded in the principles of generosity and accountability, and he encourages people to infuse their professional life with the same passion, personality, and honesty many tend to reserve for their personal lives.

Ferrazzi’s next book, Who's Got Your Back?, will be published in May of 2009. Who’s Got Your Back? guides readers to overcome limiting behaviors, escape mediocrity, and achieve their highest potential by actively cultivating an inner circle of mutual support – people who are given permission and encouragement to kick your butt when you need it. These high-trust, intimate relationships can help both low and high achievers – including Ferrazzi himself – push themselves to incomparable success and personal reward.

Ferrazzi practices Vipassana meditation and is an avid polo player and heavy lifter. Though his travel takes him all over the world, his electricity bills are delivered to a home in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles.