Rich Castaldo is a renowned serial entrepreneur and thought leader working on the cutting edge of tech and business. He is the visionary founder of the innovative company BPM Marketing LLC which was responsible for groundbreaking projects such as mycovidhelper.com and COMVO The Free Speech Network App. His business-building expertise and penchant for technological trailblazing have brought him widespread acclaim, even garnering talk of a possible political career. From humble origins, his relentless drive and passion for innovation and creativity have taken him to great heights; now, he’s looking to take the next bold step in a bright career bound for greatness.

The Rise of Rich Castaldo

Castaldo was born in New York City, specifically in Gravesend Brooklyn. Raised by a single mother in Staten Island after his parents divorced at an early age, he was born with an entrepreneurial spirit. As a child, he enjoyed writing and creating businesses. Leadership came naturally to him; at just five years old, he launched his business career with a lemonade stand, where his babysitter ran the registers and worked the stand. His parents and grandparents eagerly encouraged his early entrepreneurial pursuits when they saw he had a special gift. Even though his parents were separated, Castaldo’s father was always supportive, instilling in him a sense of confidence and courage in his pursuits.

Castaldo’s grandfather bought him his first computer at RadioShack when he was only 8 years old. This gift was an influential part of his young life, as it gave him the freedom to explore and nourish his creativity at an early age. By age 14, he had already written a feature-length screenplay entitled Four Deadly Reasons. Rich credits his creativity to his innate interest in computers, reading and writing. 

Though he’d always had an entrepreneurial spirit, his experience working in retail at Best Buy and Home Depot as a teenager assured him that he never again wanted to work for someone else. The long hours, low pay, angry bosses; none of it was helping him unlock his full potential. One of Rich’s favorite quotes, a potent aphorism by Tony Gaskins, states: “If you don’t build your dream, someone will hire you to help build theirs.” This sentiment has shaped the course of his entrepreneurial career, putting him on a path to total independence.

Upon graduating from Tottenville High School in Staten Island, Rich went on to study Film and Media at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, where he also was the captain and starting catcher for the Division NCAA baseball team. Ultimately, In 2007, Castaldo signed a contract to play pro baseball with the Atlantic City Surf, an independent minor league baseball team based in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Castaldo say’s his first experience on the pro field was when he met Yankee star and the manager of the Surf, Ceil Fielder and he said “There’s my starting catcher!”.  Unfortunately a month before Castaldo stepped onto the field in his professional debut in 2008, the Atlantic City Surf baseball organization was disbanded due to the severity of the 2008 financial crisis and Castaldo’s dream of being a pro baseball player came to a halt. 

Although disappointed, Castaldo decided that it was time to focus on business and to build what he calls a “Revolutionary and innovative company that serves the 21st century and the ever fast changing needs businesses require to be successful.”

Education and Current Endeavors

Castaldo decided to go back to college in his now home state of New Jersey and attend Rutgers University where he graduated with honors (CUM LAUDE) from the school of management and labor relations. Castaldo is currently working on a multitude of projects that can be found HERE, CURRENT PROJECTS.

Not Your Average Entrepreneur

Castaldo is a vision-driven entrepreneur. With confidence, creativity, and an open mind, he brings bold new strategies and ideas to reinvigorate industries. He learns, adapts, and quickly becomes adept in any business setting or industry that he becomes involved with, bringing proven ideals and principles to help businesses succeed. Castaldo firmly believes that in an ever-changing and fast-moving society, “If you’re not learning, you’re losing.” As such, he’s always striving to better himself and learn more about his industry and the craft of consultation.

A natural-born innovator. He has managed the development and creative direction of several unique tech projects, namely the COMVO app, acclaimed marketing company Hype Social, and the since-retired mycovidhelper site. Each of these projects were created to address a pressing issue or offer an imperative service unique to our times. Castaldo created  COMVO app in response to growing concerns about censorship and free speech on social media platforms. Hype Social was created to help people and businesses boost their online presence with compelling content in the age of social media. mycovidhelper was designed to connect those in need of PPE supplies, a vital service during the peak of an unprecedented pandemic. With each of these projects, Castaldo has been well ahead of the curve.

Part of what makes Castaldo unique is his espousal of a 100% remote lifestyle. He believes that remote workers can make more money than those who have to work 9 to 5. Society scoffs at anyone who says they would like to work less and make more, as if it’s an impossibility — when in reality, Castaldo can dedicate a few hours a week to his business and get more done than someone sitting at a desk for 40+ hours a week. Freedom is important to Castaldo; according to him, freedom is living the life you want – the ability to do what you want, when you want, how you want, without having to answer to anyone who in most cases no matter how hard you work demands more and doesn’t give you the credit you deserve. 

Helping People: Philanthropy and Empathy

Among Castaldo’s most fervent passions are helping people and motivating others. Some of his core entrepreneurial values are trust, diligence, and compassion. He’s always enjoyed motivating others, bringing out their best qualities, and encouraging them to do better. Castaldo attributes this inclination to his father, who always supported him in a similar way. In addition to his passion for personal motivation, Castaldo is a big advocate for helping those in need. He wants to leverage his influence to help veterans, children that are ill, and animals that have suffered from abuse or cruel experimentation.

One of the many qualities that separates him from other consultants is his strong ability to empathize with his clients. Understanding his clients’ feelings and needs allows him to help them more effectively. “Every business is really the manifestation of a person, their beliefs and systems,” he explains. “If you want to help that business, you have to be able to understand the people who run it. You have to find exactly what they’re looking for, to satisfy both the business and their customers.”

Think BIG.

Castaldo is attracted to consequential industries, fields where our collective future is constructed in bold, clear steps. Politics and technology are among the most clearly defining elements of any given era; this is the field on which he aspires to play. Castaldo has monumental ambitions about building a lasting legacy and changing the world for the better.

Since his youth, he has loved the idea of working in the tech space – inventing new solutions and revolutionizing industries. The tech industry gives him the freedom to innovate, and Castaldo loves innovation.

Castaldo’s successes have sparked interest in a possible political career. He is frequently asked to get more involved with politics, with some rumors speculating on a possible run for office. This is something that Castaldo often contemplates, but as of now, he feels as though he has more work to do on the business and personal side of his journey before he can take that step. He stresses that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens. If his career continues on its current trajectory, the prospect is looking more and more likely. 

Destined for Greatness

Castaldo feels that he was put on this Earth to do something bigger than live a mediocre life. Politics is a place where the future of our society depends on the course we charter. Castaldo studies history, especially the American Revolution and Civil War, in order to understand the ultimate sacrifices that were made to pave the way for this land of opportunity. He feels it’s his duty as an American citizen to uphold and continue the tradition of recognizing America and the sacrifices made by those who came before.

Castaldo has accomplished quite a bit over the span of his career, but he’s not satisfied yet (and doesn’t think he ever will be). He’s proud of earning a college degree, owning a successful business, and being recognized as an industry leader. He’s always strived to earn others’ respect and trust, to be somebody who can help others through business, technology, or politics. 

Castaldo is proud of what he’s achieved so far, but he feels that this is only the beginning of his journey, and he still has much to accomplish.

After losing his mom in July of 2022, Castaldo says he is more motivated than ever to do something great in her honor, “I want the world to know that I am who I am because I had the greatest mother anyone could ever ask for and I will make sure her legacy of love lives on forever.”