John Neffinger
John Neffinger is a founding partner of KNP Communications, specializing in high-stakes speaker coaching, debate preparation, and communications strategy. Over more than a decade, he has prepared hundreds of clients — from presidential candidates and U.S. Senators to Nobel Prize winners, TED speakers, and corporate executives — for interviews, speeches, and debates at the highest levels.
As President of the Franklin Forum, John led the team training podium speakers at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and has coached more than 100 candidates for federal and statewide office. He has served as Communications Director of the Democratic National Committee and has taught on the faculty at Georgetown University and Columbia Business School, with regular lectures at Harvard Business School and MIT.
John is the co-author of Compelling People: The Hidden Qualities That Make Us Influential — the first non-specialist account of modern social judgment theory, published in twelve languages — and co-author of the Harvard Business Review cover story "Connect, Then Lead." His commentary has appeared on CBS Evening News, NPR, and Fox News, and in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Areas of Expertise
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Debate Prep & Candidate Training: Coaching candidates from local to presidential on message, presence, and performance under pressure.
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Speaker Coaching: Preparing executives, TED speakers, and public figures for high-stakes speeches and major public appearances.
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Media Training: Readying clients for national broadcast interviews and high-profile press engagements.
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Message Development: Crafting and testing language to connect and resonate with key audiences.
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Thought Leadership: Faculty at Georgetown and Columbia; lecturer at Harvard Business School and MIT; published by Hudson Street Press.
He holds honors degrees from Harvard College and Columbia Law School.
