We’re proud to announce that El Toro’s co-founder, Sean Stafford, has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Founders of 2025 by FounderX² Weekly. This honor celebrates the vision, leadership, and innovation of entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of business and technology.
For Sean, the recognition is more than a personal achievement. It represents the broader story of El Toro’s journey, which began in Louisville, Kentucky, and evolved into a nationally recognized leader in digital advertising. That journey has been fueled by grit, bold ideas, and a relentless focus on solving real problems.
From Basement Startup to Industry Disruptor
Back in 2012, Sean teamed up with his business partners Dan Kimball and David Stadler to launch El Toro. Their goal was simple but powerful: create a better way to target digital advertising by matching physical addresses to IP addresses.
The concept was revolutionary at the time. What started as a creative workaround to the limitations of cookie-based targeting quickly became a game-changing platform. Today, El Toro has delivered over 5 billion ad impressions, secured 25 patents, and built a reputation for precision, integrity, and accountability in advertising.
Leading With Integrity and Purpose
Under the guidance of Sean, Dan, and David, El Toro has consistently earned industry recognition. The company has been named Kentucky’s Emerging Company of the Year, included on Deloitte’s Tech Fast 500, and featured on the Inc. 5000 list. These milestones reflect growth of more than 3,000 percent since launch.
For Sean, success has always been about more than awards or headlines. His focus remains on building meaningful technology, fostering a strong internal culture, and helping clients drive measurable results.
“This recognition is truly a reflection of the incredible team, tech, and culture we’ve built at El Toro,” said Sean. “Together with Dan and David, we’ve focused relentlessly on solving real-world marketing problems and building tools that deliver real impact. We’re proud of what we’ve created and excited about the future.”
Looking Ahead
While this recognition from FounderX² Weekly is a proud moment, it is only one chapter in the El Toro story. We remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what digital advertising can do, and we’ll continue investing in innovation and excellence.
From our $10.5 million headquarters in Louisville’s NuLu district, we are building the future of ad tech and helping marketers turn offline data into online results.
Congratulations to Sean on this well-earned honor, and thank you to our incredible team and supporters who make El Toro what it is today.
Explore the Recognition
To view the digital announcement and browse the full Top 25 Founders list, check out the flipbook:
https://publuu.com/flip-book/754117/2057797?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
To learn more about El Toro’s IP targeting technology, visit eltoro.com.