Nathaniel Stevens
Entrepreneur, Investor & Builder of Local-First Technology
Nathaniel Stevens is a serial entrepreneur and investor who has spent his career building businesses that empower local and small businesses to compete in a digital world. He is the founder and former CEO of Yodle, a pioneering local marketing platform acquired by Web.com, and the founder and chairman of Punchey, an all-in-one payments and business-management platform for service-based companies. Through Stevens Ventures, Nathaniel invests in early-stage technology companies, and he also leads Stevens Auto Group, a third-generation family business serving his local community.
At the core of Nathaniel’s work is a simple belief: when small businesses win, communities thrive.
Yodle
Building the Infrastructure for Local Business Growth.
Yodle was born from a real problem Nathaniel saw firsthand while working at his father’s car dealership. Local businesses were great at what they did, but they were invisible online. Nathaniel believed technology could change that.
While still a student at the Wharton School, he co-founded what would become Yodle with a mission to help local businesses get found, get customers, and grow through digital marketing. What started as a hands-on service helping small businesses advertise online evolved into a full-scale technology platform serving thousands of customers across the United States.
Under Nathaniel’s leadership, Yodle grew into one of the most influential local marketing companies in the country. It scaled rapidly, generated tens of millions in revenue, and created hundreds of jobs. In 2016, Yodle was acquired by Web.com in a landmark transaction that validated its impact on the local business economy.
Yodle wasn’t just a company; it was proof that small businesses could harness the same digital tools as the biggest brands — and win.
Punchey
Powering the Day-to-Day Operations of Service Businesses.
After Yodle, Nathaniel turned his attention to what happens after a customer walks through the door.
Punchey was founded to help service-based businesses run better, not just market better. The platform brings together payments, scheduling, customer management, and marketing into one simple system built specifically for local operators — from auto repair shops and salons to contractors and professional services.
Nathaniel built Punchey with the same local-first mindset that guided Yodle. He understood the challenges of running a service business because he grew up inside one. That perspective shaped a product focused on real-world workflows, not Silicon Valley abstractions.
Today, Punchey continues to grow as a modern operating system for service businesses. Nathaniel serves as Chairman, guiding long-term strategy while supporting leadership as the company scales.
Stevens Ventures
Backing the Next Generation of Builders.
Stevens Ventures is Nathaniel’s investment platform, focused on early-stage technology and media companies. As Managing Director, he works closely with founders building products in areas he knows deeply: local commerce, SaaS, fintech, mobility, and business services.
Nathaniel invests with an operator’s mindset. Capital is only part of the equation. He supports founders with strategic guidance, product insight, and lessons learned from building and exiting his own companies.
Stevens Ventures reflects Nathaniel’s belief that great businesses are built by people who understand real customer problems and execute relentlessly to solve them.
Stevens Auto Group
A Third-Generation Family Business.
Nathaniel is also CEO and Dealer Principal of Stevens Auto Group, a family-owned automotive business that has served its community for more than 60 years. After his father’s passing, Nathaniel stepped into leadership to continue the legacy while modernizing the business for the next generation.
This role is deeply personal. It connects Nathaniel’s entrepreneurial journey back to where it began — inside a local business built on trust, service, and long-term relationships. Stevens Auto Group represents continuity, responsibility, and the belief that innovation and tradition can coexist.
Mission & Perspective
Nathaniel Stevens builds businesses with a long-term view. He believes technology should simplify life for business owners, not complicate it. His work consistently centers on empowering entrepreneurs, strengthening local economies, and creating tools that solve real problems.
From launching a startup in college to leading a multi-generation family company, Nathaniel’s story is about building with purpose, learning through execution, and giving small businesses the tools to compete — and win — in a rapidly changing world.