RYAN RUSSELL SMITH

Early in my career I tried fixing things through institutions. There were stints in Irish Parliament, Peace Corps, consulting. But I knew needed to move beyond influencing. Cue opening titles...
 

First step was founding a creative production company, working with local startups to tell their origin stories. Two of them, sweetgreen and CAVA, went on to become unicorns. Later I worked with brands at every stage, from Series A to legacy corps like Mastercard and Coca-Cola.
 

I saw a pattern. The companies with the most disruptive ideas struggled to capture and communicate them. Business students redefining fast casual. Restaurateurs transforming suburbs. Energy veterans building carbon software. So I built storytelling teams and the creative strategy to help them scale, shaping narratives that drove growth and cultural influence.
 

A writer at heart, and filmmaker by craft — I've built a career taking the complex and making it compelling. 16 years. Hundreds of stories. Hundreds of millions raised.
 

Currently the lead creative director at Persefoni, a climate tech SaaS company, where I've helped shape the company's narrative and creative identity during a pivotal stage of growth — including a $180M raise.