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. Some of them, like sweetgreen, went on to become unicorns. Later I worked with brands at every stage, from Series A to legacy corps like Mastercard and Coca-Cola.
 

A pattern caught my eye. 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 culture.
 

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 $190M raise.