Web Smith

At MTN Haus, I lead the charge in sales, marketing, and partnership development while fostering a collaborative environment across our international teams. My role involves creating effective sales systems and incubating innovative business ideas to enhance our agency's offerings. As a Shopify Premier partner, we focus on delivering exceptional solutions for our clients, ensuring their needs are met with expertise and creativity.

At Teague, I play a role in connecting innovative organizations with our exceptional design services, particularly in the defense sector. My contributions included developing mission consoles for military platforms, which garnered strong approval from officials and U.S. Congress members during a showcase in Washington, D.C. By leveraging my network and providing key insights, I help organizations realize the full potential of our human-centered design approach.

I didn’t set out to build a community. In early 2023 I was documenting my own work around health, performance, and decision-making at a level that matched the standards of the people I was learning from: physicians, founders, investors, scientists, professional athletes, and operators. A few conversations turned into a WhatsApp thread. The thread became a working group. The working group quietly became Optimization. Today, Optimization is a private international network of ~200 members across 170+ countries, including Harvard alumni, MDs, PhDs, elite athletes, special operators, and senior executives. The common thread is not credentials. It is curiosity, discipline, and a refusal to accept baseline performance. The group has no public brand, no growth strategy, and no application process. It works because the people and the standard are protected. My role is simple: preserve the culture, maintain the signal-to-noise ratio, and ensure the conversations remain worthy of the people having them. If you are building at the intersection of health, performance, intelligence, and long-term advantage, you are probably already closer to the room than you think.

At 2PM, I spearheaded the creation of a subscription-based newsletter that delivers insightful analyses and summaries, fostering a community of intellectually curious readers. Over 11 years, the newsletter has maintained a remarkable open rate of 42.6%, demonstrating its value. Additionally, I prioritized social responsibility by directing a portion of revenue to support local educational and community initiatives.

• Collaborated with industry-leading media companies, manufacturers and online retailers to drive innovative solutions. • Engaged in long-term Growth Partnerships, providing 'outside of the box' thinking for client challenges. • Analyzed market developments and trends, ensuring clients remain at the forefront of their industries. • Developed strategic insights that fostered sustainable growth and problem-solving for diverse businesses.

As an Investor and Advisor at 2PM, I actively participate in quarterly investments in innovative brands and platforms. My role involves evaluating potential opportunities, fostering relationships with startups, and contributing to strategic growth initiatives. I leverage market insights to guide investment strategies and support emerging businesses in achieving their objectives.

Co-owner, shirt wearer, and evangelist.

At Mizzen+Main, I spearheaded marketing initiatives for a venture-backed shirt maker, establishing the brand as a prominent player in the fashion industry. My efforts led to significant media coverage in outlets such as the New York Times and Inc., showcasing our innovative approach to American apparel. Collaborating with J.J. Watt as our brand ambassador further amplified our reach and engagement with target audiences.

CommerceNext, the annual conference for next level customer acquisition, has announced 2020 dates and venue for their flagship conference. Marketing leaders at retail and direct to consumer (DTC) brands can look forward to CommerceNext 2020: scheduled for July 28-29th at the New York Hilton Midtown. In addition, CommerceNext now offers a widely expanded series of events and programs including over 40 dinners, bi-coastal holiday parties and networking events at major digital retail industry gatherings throughout the year. With an attendee Net Promoter Score considered “exceptional” among conferences, it is no surprise that the 2019 CommerceNext conference attendance grew 122% to nearly 1,000 retail leaders. CommerceNext 2019 speakers included executives such as Ali Weiss, SVP of Marketing at Glossier; Rachel Shechtman, Founder of Story + Brand Experience Officer at Macy’s; Maureen Sullivan, COO of Rent the Runway; Joe Megibow, CEO of Purple; Denise Incandela, Head of Fashion Group at Walmart; Micky Onvural, CEO Bonobos and Ben Harrell, CMO at Priceline. Additionally, Inc. Magazine named CommerceNext one of the top 5 e-commerce conferences for 2019/2020.

OPM 58 Graduate! Delivered in three intensive units that span 24 months over three calendar years, the Owner/President Management (OPM) program is an on-campus, immersive learning experience that grants HBS alumni status upon completion.

A most fascinating language. I still study and refine my knowledge of their dialect, language, and culture.

Language (minor) requirements were taken at Rice University during my Junior and Senior year.