About Peter Shankman
Born 1972. Peter Shankman is an American entrepreneur.
Peter Shankman (born August 6, 1972) is an American entrepreneur and author. He is best known for founding HARO; an online service for journalists to gather feedback from the public.
Early life
Peter Shankman was born in New York City. He attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, and then Boston University. He was an only child and both his parents were music professors at New York University.
Career Peter Shankman started his career at America Online as a Senior News Editor. He helped to found the AOL Newsroom and spearheaded coverage of the Democratic and Republican 1996 conventions. He then started a PR firm called The Geek Factory.
He was the creator of Help a Reporter Out ("HARO"), a service for journalists which was acquired by Vocus, Inc. in 2010. He remained at Vocus until 2012.
He has been a guest speaker at TedX, South by Southwest, Affiliate Summit, BlogWorld Los Angeles and New York, the Direct Marketing Association.
Shankman is also an angel investor. His investments include Daily Worth, Namely, Pixability, Right Next Door, and Simplist.
He has written four books on marketing and customer service.
Advisory roles He sits on the advisory boards of several companies, including DailyWorth, Scottevest and Namely. He also holds a seat on the NASA Education and Outreach Council. The committee was established, and members appointed by, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. He is also occasionally quoted in an advisory role on social media and in other marketing outlets.
Personal life Shankman lives in New York City and has one daughter.
He regularly talks about his experience with ADHD, while delivering marketing-related lectures and talks about channeling it, for one's own benefits.
Books Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain. TarcherPerigee. 2017. . Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans. St. Martin's Press. 2015. . Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management is over and Collaboration is In. Palgrave-MacMillan. 2013. . Customer Service: New Rules for a Social-Enabled World. Que/Pearson. 2004. . Can We Do That!: Outrageous PR Stunts That Work. Wiley and Sons. 2006. .
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Important facts
People in Peter Shankman's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Peter Shankman's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Peter Shankman?
American entrepreneur
When was Peter Shankman born?
Peter Shankman was born on 6 August 1972 in New York City.
What is Peter Shankman's occupation?
Peter Shankman is an entrepreneur.
What nationality is Peter Shankman?
Peter Shankman is American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Peter Shankman. https://biography.guide/peter-shankman/
MLA: "Peter Shankman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/peter-shankman/.
Chicago: "Peter Shankman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/peter-shankman/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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