About Andy

An entrepreneur at the forefront of marketing, branding, positioning and communicating “The Next Big Thing,” Andy Cunningham has played a key role in the launch of a number of new categories including video games; personal computers; desktop publishing; digital imaging; RISC microprocessors; software as a service; very light jets; and clean tech investing. She is an expert in creating and executing marketing, branding and communication strategies that accelerate growth, increase shareholder value and advance corporate reputation. Her first book, Get to Aha!: Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition, was published by McGraw-Hill Education in October 2017.

Andy came to Silicon Valley in 1983 to work for Regis McKenna and help Steve Jobs launch the Macintosh. When Steve left Apple to form NeXT and acquire Pixar, he chose Andy’s public relations agency, Cunningham Communication, to represent him. She continued to work with Steve for several years and has developed marketing, branding and communication strategies for game-changing technologies and companies ever since.

Andy is the founder and president of Cunningham Collective, a marketing, brand and communication strategy firm dedicated to bringing innovation to market. The 10-year-old firm has worked with many companies in various markets including aviation, artificial intelligence, education, information technology, big data, cloud, finance, healthcare, media/publishing, mobile apps, search, security, semiconductors, software as a service, telecommunications, video games, and virtual reality.

Andy serves on the following corporate boards: MixR (workplace community building software); Motiv Power Systems (electric vehicles); Onclusive (PR analytics); Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. (bicycles and related gear); and Woodward Communications, Inc. (media and marketing services). She also serves as a trustee of The Aspen Institute (since 2000) and Menlo College (since 2014). Andy serves on the following not-for-profit advisory boards: UNICEF; the Computer History Museum; and ZERO1: The Art & Technology Network, an organization she founded in 2000 with the mission to shape the future at the intersection of art and technology. She also serves on the Freeman Design Council, a “special forces” unit of The Freeman Company. In addition, Andy serves as an advisor to Traackr, an influencer marketing software company. Past board positions include RhythmOne (ad-tech) and Finelite (lighting design). She also served on the not-for-profit boards of YPO, CEO, the Peninsula Open Space Trust and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. Andy is an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow, and holds memberships in WPO, CEO, TED and Women Corporate Directors. She has taught marketing classes at Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard Business School, Menlo College, New York University, Northwestern University, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University and the University of Southern California.

Andy graduated from Northwestern University and lives in Sausalito, California with her husband Rand Siegfried.