David Kalinowski

David Kalinowski is President and Co-Founder of Proactive Worldwide, Inc., a leading strategic intelligence consultancy since 1995. With 35+ years of Competitive Intelligence experience, he has guided the firm in delivering more than 7,500 research and consulting engagements for 225+ Fortune 1000 companies and earning multiple industry awards.

David has trained over 3,000 CI professionals in 25+ countries and is deeply committed to service, supporting organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Red Cross, Feed My Starving Children, NIU Foundation, St. Jude’s, Salvation Army, and Special Olympics.

He is co-author of two bestselling books—New Directions (2011) and The CI-Driven CEO (2022)—and his latest book, The Sacrifice Paradox, was just published in November 2025. He holds a B.S. in Political Science and Public Law from Northern Illinois University, completed executive programs at MIT, and received NIU’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025.