Co-authors and husband and wife, Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith live in Lafayette, California with their two little dudes and a princess.
Tech VC by choice, geek by destiny, Andy Smith is a General Partner at Center Electric, LLC where he invests in and helps grow early-stage companies as they build the Internet of Things (IoT).
In 2010, he co-wrote this book, The Dragonfly Effect, an actionable guide to driving impact through customer insight and highly effective, measurable social marketing strategies. While working with companies to create Dragonfly Effects of their own, he advised and supported technical and social ventures with guidance in customer strategy, marketing and technology. Earlier in his career he served as an executive leading teams at Dolby Labs, BIGWORDS, LiquidWit, Intel, Analysis Group, Polaroid, Integral Inc. and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Andy is a Venture Mentor in both Steve Blank’s Lean Launchpad class (Berkeley and Columbia) and at Eric Ries’ Lean Startup Conference. He has lectured at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business on social technology, growth hacking, and brand building, with a focus on applying technology to address real problems. He contributes to Fast Company, First Round Review, GOOD Magazine, and blogs at Psychology Today exploring ideas and businesses that embrace and integrate both meaning and innovation. Andy also appears on radio and TV, speaks at events including SXSW, The 140 Characters Conference, Social Media Breakfast, World 50, Marketing Week, TechCoire and Interbrand. He is on boards of Accompani, Ziploop, Publet, CafeGive Social, 140 Proof, LIF Brands, Avanoo, and One Family One Meal.
A permanent transplant to the Bay Area from New Jersey, Andy has studied in The Parthenon, lived in a converted South African prison, and counts a regiment of Windsor Castle’s Scots Guards among his friends. Andy’s a gardener, gadgeteer and a serious tech geek and also the creator of “The No Cookie Diet” (which he’s still on six years later). Once bumped from a flight that ended in disaster, he has since learned to accept travel mishaps, and most everything else, with equanimity.
Andy earned his MBA at UCLA’s Anderson School and holds an Economics degree from Pomona College.
Andy is also on Twitter: @kabbenbock