Meet Danny Keith, A One-Man Marketing Machine

After years of using social media to raise awareness and millions of meals for hungry people, Danny Keith won Good Times Weekly's Local Mover and Shaker Award for 2012.

It is a wonder they could stop him long enough for an interview. Keith moves through the digital and business life like the surfer and skateboarder he is.

Let's see, he's the Chief Development and Technology Officer for the Watsonville-based Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. But that wasn't enough, so he started his own nonprofit with a hook that would get young people more interested in solving the hunger problem.

Grind Out Hunger has enlisted rock stars, musicians, surfers, snowboarders, skateboarders to attract young people to the cause. He is an on-air personality for 102.5 KDON's The Morning Madhouse as Ricky Danny along side Sam Diggedy, Showbiz and Domingo.

He sits on multiple boards including Bay Federal Credit Union, Fleahab and he is the Vice President of The Santa Cruz Film Festival.

Keith got where he is largely by being a pioneer on the Internet. Early on he acquired the website names surfboards.com and skateboards.com and turned them into a cottage industry.

He consults numerous businesses through Jack Wagon Agency and that SC logo you see all over town? He owns that. He also owns Santa Cruz Skate and Surf on 41st Avenue, which he is turning into a nonprofit for his hunger cause aptly named Grind Out Hunger University.

He's a mover and shaker, indeed. A true local visionary. He'll be one of the featured speakers at Patch's Meet and Greet Thursday from 2-4 p.m. at the

Local businesses are signing up for Santa Cruz Patch's , the sixth in a series of workshops be held in Patch towns throughout the Bay Area. It's for local business owners and community organizations who want to improve their online presence via Patch and other forms of social media.

We'll set up learning stations about social media, business directories, blogging and telling your story online. Participants will also enjoy scrumptious afternoon appetizers provided by Santa Cruz's , which specializes in healthy, organic products. We'll conclude the event with fun door prizes and cool Patchy swag.

We’ll be helping participating business owners claim their Patch Directory listing page on our site, a free service that you can use to better promote your business. And if you’re already an active Patch user, we’d still like you to come and help the Patch team learn more about what works when it comes to navigating the web. (

Reviews so far of previous Main Street Meet-Ups, held throughout the Bay Area, have been stellar, with more than 120 participants giving us high survey marks and feedback that they found the event extremely valuable.

If you're a new business that needs a listing created, click the Claim your listing! button at the top of the Directory page and fill out the form. Our directory team will get in touch with you in a couple of days when your listing is ready.

There will be conversation, networking...and FOOD, brought to you by New Leaf Markets.

To RSVP to our workshop, fill out the form attached to this article. You can also email your RSVP to Julie Dowling at juliedpatch@gmail.com or leave us your contact info in the comments below.

RSVPs (so far!)

Kristin Praly, Horse Sense Education and Advocacy
Clara Minor,
Junko Imai,
Shannon Beamon, Santa Cruz Web Marketing Team
Ashwin Batish,
Keshav Batish,
Karen Kefauver, freelance writer/social media consultant
Kimberly Errigo,
Jenny Barker,
Sara Isenberg,
Galen Clarke,
Catherine Ennis, Bank of America
Leslie Crook, FXpansion USA, Inc.
Patti Bond, Bond Marketing Communications
Sam Allott,
Vania Benavides,
Leslie Ruble,
Nicole Pittman,
Candy Rogers, Watsonville Coast Produce, Inc.
Barbara Hanson, Barbara Hanson & Associates
Pete Cullen,
Melody Sharp, Melody Sharp Web Design
Karen Chadd,
Laura Patricio, Epic Wines
Jennifer Gallacher,
Fred Mindlin, Central California Writing Project, Sefla Joseph's Studio and the Digital Storyteller
Marie Elena De La Garza,
Clare Ross,
Tracy Nall, Rodriguez Custom Powder Coating
Andrew VanValer, My Personal Best Health
Theresa Tucciarelli, A Move Made Simple
Kathy Edwards, photographer/digital artist
Thomas Wittman, Gophers Limited Wildlife Control
Tegan Speiser,
Cita Rasul,
Sarah Owens,

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