About Chip Sobel

“Above all else, I believe Metro Council is a customer service job. At least it should be. It is also about making difficult decisions that benefit the most and inconvenience the fewest. I am prepared to fulfill these responsibilities.”

Comedy industry executive William “Chip” Sobel has devoted his entire life to putting smiles on the faces of people he interacts with. A Louisville native, Chip remembers Muhammad Ali by the original name… Walnut Street!

Growing up in Rolling Fields, Chip attended the Virginia Chance School, Chenoweth Elementary and Ballard High School before majoring in political science at The George Washington University. Returning to Louisville in 1990, he joined his brother in the family businesses as Chief Operating Officer of Comedy Caravan/TSM Artists whose office has produced over 300,000 professional shows. Chip’s responsibilities included oversight of a nationally recognized award winning comedy club and one of the country’s top corporate, college and special event talent acquisition companies. He is one of the industry’s most respected names.

Since selling the Louisville club in 2009, Chip serves as a consultant to professional comedians, entertainment venues and is with Target Corp. Additionally, he is co-founder of the startup www.ilocalnews.com. Currently beta testing in Louisville, iLocalNews is an innovative neighborhood based, community focused news and information digital network designed to deliver real-time local news to cities and communities via citizen reporters and professional journalists.

Chip’s entrepreneurial career began in college, as one of the first mobile DJs in the country. Begun as a way to get paid while dancing to Carolina beach music, it blossomed into the leading disc jockey company in the Mid-Atlantic. He spent eight years as a Washington, DC investment banker, later becoming part of a three person technical analysis research firm for large institutional clients. The firm created proprietary key “weight of the evidence” indicators for stock selection that today are considered vital tools for market investors.

For nearly 28 years, Chip has been married to his best friend and love of his life Martha-Jane. This solemn commitment has taught him that compromise is the key to happiness. Together they have raised two wonderful children, 25 year old Matthew, with Ford motor Company, and 20 year old Caitlan, a University of South Carolina undergraduate.

Chip has said; “My focus will be on ensuring real government accountability and transparency, advocating for Louisville-centric business growth, developing a world class multi-industry skilled workforce education and training center, and eliminating government red tape, which will enable local businesses to concentrate more energies on worth rather than cost. This will return our community to a place of prominence as a city we all can be proud of. Louisville will no longer take a back seat to other cities in the region.

Being elected to serve District 16 neighbors on Metro Council would be the professional honor of a lifetime. I will provide residents with easy available access to communicate with me. I promise you will get a response. How refreshing! When you see me, please call me Chip. That’s the kind of Metro Council representative I will be.”

My friends, It’s Louisville’s Turn!!