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Tom Ridges
Leverage word-of-mouth marketing for measurable growth with Tom Ridges, behavioural science and offline influence expert. Tom helps brands harness offline social dynamics through data-driven insights, revealing how recommendations truly spread through communities. Founder of Herdify and former Microsoft leader.
Tom Ridges is the founder and CEO of Herdify, a behavioural science platform that helps brands and charities harness the power of offline word-of-mouth to drive growth through his data-driven insights.
With 20 years of experience spanning startups to Microsoft, Tom has built expertise in network theory, data analysis, and AI applications. He founded Herdify after recognising the gap between online reviews and genuine human recommendations, turning his experience of a personal frustration into a business solving how influence actually spreads in the real world.
Tom helps organisations understand the mechanics of herd mentality and decision-making beyond digital metrics. His work reveals how people truly influence each other through offline conversations and social networks, providing practical frameworks for identifying and activating genuine advocates. By combining behavioural science with technology, Tom shows how to measure and amplify the recommendations that matter most, the ones happening away from screens and algorithms.
Audiences leave Tom's presentations with actionable strategies for building authentic word-of-mouth programmes, methods for identifying real influencers within their networks, and frameworks for understanding how decisions spread through communities rather than through marketing channels alone.
Tom brings clarity to the often misunderstood world of human influence, translating complex behavioural science into practical growth strategies for any organisation.
Tom's dual background in behavioural science and enterprise tech at Microsoft gives him unusual credibility on how influence actually spreads offline rather than through digital channels alone. His work at Herdify translates network theory into practical frameworks for identifying genuine advocates within existing customer bases, which clients consistently value.
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frequently asked questions
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To book Tom Ridges, email tom.ridges@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Tom's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
Tom Ridges structures his presentations around a framework-based approach, translating network theory and behavioural science data into practical models that show how offline word-of-mouth spreads through communities. He draws on findings from Herdify's platform to illustrate the mechanics of human influence, giving audiences tools to identify genuine advocates and measure recommendations that occur outside digital channels.
Tom Ridges speaks on offline word-of-mouth, herd mentality and decision-making, network theory, and the application of behavioural science and AI to growth strategy. He is the founder and CEO of Herdify, a behavioural science platform built on 20 years of experience across startups and Microsoft.
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