How I got started on this path
I’m David Ciccarelli, a founder, CEO, and lifelong builder of companies that scale. Over the past two decades, I’ve launched and led ventures at the intersection of technology, media, and marketplaces—currently as CEO of Lake.com, a platform for discovering stays on or near the water, where we help people experience God’s creation.
My journey started with a passion for sound and storytelling, which led to founding Voices.com, a marketplace that scaled globally, raised over $27M in funding, and generated more than $200M in sales.
Along the way, I’ve completed executive education at Harvard Business School, contributed to leading publications like Forbes and The Globe and Mail, and learned how to build teams, raise capital, and navigate every stage of the entrepreneurial lifecycle.
What drives me? A belief that great companies begin with bold vision, thoughtful execution, and a deep understanding of the customer.
My mission is to create experiences that connect people with nature, meaning, and one another.
- Founded Lake.com, hosting 40,000 vacation rental properties
- Founded Voices.com, an online marketplace for voice actors with 4M talent
- Raised $27M from global investors like Morgan Stanley and the Business Development Bank of Canada
- Graduated from Harvard Business School
Recent case studies & results
Lake.com
Lake.com is a curated vacation rental platform focused exclusively on lakefront and waterfront properties. Built to serve travelers seeking drive-to, outdoor escapes, the platform emphasizes proximity to the water, rich amenity data, and a streamlined user experience. By aligning its content strategy with AI search behavior and building a high-conversion listing pipeline, Lake.com quickly captured market share in a competitive category.
Project Success Factor:
Welcomed 40,000 vacation rental properties on or near the water, aligning with the brand positioning while simultaneuously establishing partnerships with 12 property management systems. The result is a dramatic reduction in acquisition costs through key partnerships and an outdoor travel content strategy.
Voices.com
Voices.com is the world’s leading voice-over marketplace, connecting businesses with professional voice talent. From humble beginnings in a home recording studio, the company scaled to welcome 4 million voice talent, serving corporate clients in over 160 countries, securing institutional investment and completing a major acquisition along the way. Voices.com set the standard for trust, scale, and category leadership in the voice-tech space.
Project Success Factor:
Drove $200 million in sales and become a PROFIT 500 company with 798% 5-year growth through marketplace automation, enhanced discovery tools, and international expansion.