Steve Harden
Steve Harden  |
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 Steve Harden |
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| Born | May 3, 1957 (age 69), Long Beach, California, United States |
| Native name | Steve Harden |
| Nationality | American |
| Home town | Long Beach |
| Residence | Long Beach |
| Occupation | Author |
| Years active | Present |
Steve Harden is an accomplished business leader, educator, and author dedicated to building brands, scaling businesses, and developing the leaders of tomorrow. With more than three decades of global executive experience across consumer, sport, and lifestyle industries, Steve has earned a reputation as an operator who delivers results and a mentor who multiplies impact.
Steve is the Founder and CEO of Harden Strategic Solutions, where he actively consults with and advises multiple high-growth startup and emerging brands. His work spans brand strategy, go-to-market execution, sales leadership, and operational scale, including raising capital to fuel expansion and long-term enterprise value. Across his career, he has led and advised organizations through transformation, growth, and successful exits, consistently pairing strategy with disciplined execution.
In parallel with his corporate work, Steve serves as Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Executive in Residence at Azusa Pacific University. In this role, he teaches Brand and Personal Reputation, Entrepreneurship, Public Relations, and Ethics, while intentionally preparing students for leadership in a rapidly evolving business world. A defining hallmark of his work at APU is bringing global business and brand leaders into the classroom—on purpose, for a purpose—to invest directly in students’ growth and readiness.
Through initiatives such as Transformative Talks and industry immersion programs, Steve has connected students with executives and founders from iconic organizations including adidas, Disney, Marvel, Chick-fil-A, Rawlings / Easton, JM Smucker, Stadium Essentials, Mattel, Wells Fargo, Tesla, and many others—creating rare access and real-world perspective for emerging leaders.
Steve is also a three-time best-selling author whose work focuses on leadership, reputation, and intentional growth. His books challenge readers to lead with clarity, humility, and purpose, while equipping them with practical frameworks to build influence that lasts. Across classrooms, boardrooms, and pages, Steve’s mission remains consistent: to help individuals and teams surpass their limits, lead on purpose, and bring others with them.
As Steve often reminds his readers and students, success is not defined by how high you climb alone, but by how many people you help rise along the way.