Hello, I'm Kelly Smith.

I am the former Head of Digital at Starbucks, Athletic Greens and MGM Resorts.

Kelly Smith hero photo

I recruit, develop and lead top-tier product and engineering teams that drive digital transformation and, ultimately, business results.

I have experience in several industries: technology start-ups, e-commerce, retail, food & beverage, hospitality, automotive & insurance. I help to identify and advance commercial opportunities for enterprises at the intersection of a changing global marketplace, dealing with shifts in the geopolitical landscape and rapidly evolving technology.

Kelly Smith speaking at Adobe

From entrepreneurship to Fortune 100

Leveraging 25 years of experience, I've founded companies and worked at Fortune 100 companies. As a hands-on technology leader, I am proud that each and every day, millions of people use products I've helped to build. Today, I primarily focus on Digital Transformation projects as the world increasingly looks to technology to achieve their business ambitions.

PREVIOUSLY

Chief Digital Officer, Athletic Greens

We are the developers of AG1, the leading powdered beverage designed to provide daily foundational nutrition. In January 2022, the company raised $115 million in new funding.

CURRENTLY

Founder & lead investor, Axacraft

Axacraft was founded in August 2022 to address a substantial market gap in the area of Digital Transformation. Our world-class team of polymath product engineering specialists focus on the delivery of epic experiences that create significant competitive advantage for ambitious global clients.

PREVIOUSLY

I led Product, Engineering, Design, and IT at Hagerty - the global leader in classic car insurance.

You may know us as the classic car insurance juggernaut, but we built something truly unique. Leading a team of 250 digital professionals, our team helped to make some of the most innovative experiences for automotive enthusiasts.  From events to marketplaces, we developed an automotive lifestyle brand in both the online and physical realm.

Latest press

Q&A with Kelly Smith, startup founder and ex-Starbucks VP leading digital transformation at car company Hagerty.

Leveraging 25 years of experience, I've founded companies and worked at Fortune 100 companies. As a hands-on technology leader, I am proud that each and every day, millions of people use products I've helped to build.

Geekwire Q&A with Kelly Smith, startup founder and ex-Starbucks VP leading digital transformation at car company Hagerty.
NYSE: HGTY

Now, a public company.

As a public company, Hagerty is well positioned to give car lovers more of what they want – cool events, shared experiences, automotive intel and resources, along with best-in-class insurance and amazing service.

Hagerty remains focused on the digital user experience to support and accelerate membership growth, while expanding the portfolio of engaging and exciting car-focused events and services. The new digital innovations created rewarding new experiences for car lovers and sustainable value for shareholders over the long term.

New York Times: A Classic Car Giant With a Lofty Mission: Save Driving
About HAGERTY

Digital transformation for the classic car industry.

Hagerty is the leading insurer and membership program for classic car enthusiasts. We created a world-class digital team and developed a wide range of new software products to fan the flames of the car hobby.

I led the efforts to bring in a new design language, frameworks, technologies, and team product culture, which helped to provide the basis for massive growth. We launched new websites, mobile apps, marketplaces, e-commerce, media sites, digital labs, and more.

Hagerty Homepage ScreenshotHagerty Marketplace ScreenshotImage of vehicle listing on Hagerty MarketplaceHagerty Drivers Club homepageHagerty Valuation Tools homepageHagerty Media Screenshot: Barn Find HunterHagerty Experiences, Clubs, EventsHagerty Agents HomepageHagerty Labs HomepageHagerty mobile app in the App Store
MGM RESORTS

I was the Chief Digital Officer, MGM Resorts.

Based in Las Vegas NV, MGM Resorts International is a $19 billion global entertainment company featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM has 80,000 employees and is recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®.

We conceived and launched MGM Digital Ventures.

MGM Digital Ventures is the hub of technology innovation for the company.  It exists to create breakthrough, out-of-the-box guest experiences.

This was an important first step towards a sweeping transformation - a single, unified vision for the future.

Image of MGM app over photo of a nightclub
hospitality digital disruption

We developed some of the most compelling application experiences in the hospitality industry.

Upon starting MGM Digital Ventures, I set out to begin the transformation of the customer experience. This included setting the vision & hiring a world-class team. We developed all-new apps that let you check-in and unlock your door with your phone. We grew e-commerce to $820 million annually in bookings - 14% annual growth.

Designer drawing on the whiteboard inside the MGM RESORTS digital ventures office
Designer inside the hotel lobby. Working on digital ventures projects.
A group of MGM RESORTS digital ventures developers talking in the hallway.
MGM digital ventures developers and designers in a meeting conference room
MGM digital ventures product managers and developers talking about an initiative.
MGM digital ventures developer with his back to the camera writing code on the computer.
Kelly Smith and MGM digital ventures developers in the office.
MGM digital ventures developers writing code on computers in their office.
Kelly Smith in a meeting conference room with managers of MGM digital ventures
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.
Screenshot of various MGM website pages and mobile apps.

"Hospitality industry turns to tech to lure guests back."

"A key on your phone, voice-activated digital assistants that can order fresh towels, electrostatic sprayers—hotels are piling on tech workarounds to keep guests safe from Covid-19"

Starbucks

Prior to MGM, I was the Vice President, Global Products at Starbucks.

I led the design, product management and engineering teams that developed the company's consumer-facing experiences.

I started at Starbucks as the Vice President, Digital in Shanghai China.

I created the digital organization and outlined a plan to execute the finest retail experiences in the country.  An entirely new technology organization and strategy was developed. The result of that work is a digital payment and loyalty program that is the most pervasive of any other B2C company outside of the primary social networks in the country.

Starbucks China: an omni-channel experience consisting of in-store, membership, loyalty and digital commerce.

Our new team led the new, unified architecture that sits at the core of Starbucks China digital products. Our innovation included delivery, loyalty, payments and a wide range of strategic partnerships with the leading technology companies in the country.

Starbucks china

I helped to establish key partnerships with the leading Chinese technology companies.

Starbucks china partners

Alibaba & more.

While in China, I had the opportunity to work with some of the largest technology companies (and founders like Jack Ma) in China, rolling out digital payment & delivery capabilities.

"Starbucks Mobile Payments Go To China."

Starbucks digital payments powerpoint presentation.

"Tencent partners with Starbucks to launch WeChat ‘social gifting’ feature."

Screenshot of the Starbucks mobile app that enables digital gifting in China

"Starbucks uses China as a testing Ground for it's new website: what's improved, what's expected."

Starbucks China mobile app introduces social gifting and digital payments

Shanghai Roastery

We conceived and developed ground-breaking mobile experiences to support the first Starbucks Roastery store outside of North America.

VP, Starbucks International Products

The opportunities that existed for the company in 70 markets around the world led me and a small team to consider design, technology and workflows for creating mobile & web products at scale. This hadn't been considered at the company before. We set up to develop UX/UI kits that could be leveraged by any market. That design language has become the foundation for the current generation of Starbucks apps in the United States and elsewhere.

Image of Starbucks Digital Design language
Image of a Starbucks employee working in a roaster
Curious office

Angel investing since 2007.

I launched an early seed-stage company in the Pacific Northwest, called Curious Office. We have incubated and invested in dozens of companies, and we participated in some notable exits to companies like these:

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