JONATHAN SMITH:
 
JONATHAN SMITH




 
 
 
 
 
Founder and CEO of ChiefOptimizer LLC in Keego Harbor. Smith is an entrepreneur in Internet marketing and social media. Smith consults with CEOs throughout the United States and has worked with Fortune 500 companies as diverse as Google, DuPont, and MasterCraft to develop new business strategies that revolve around the changing technology landscape. He also is the founder and president of Wave Dispersion Technologies, Inc., a Summit, N.J.-based company that holds patents for WhisprWave, a line of maritime products designed to stop terrorist attacks and prevent beach erosion. Smith is president of the Detroit Chapter of the Entrepreneurial Organization, a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference Committee, and volunteers with the United Way of Southeast Michigan’s 211, a human services hotline. Previously, Smith worked in the investment banking industry for JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. A New Jersey native, he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and economics at Wesleyan University and his master’s degree in accounting from the University of Hartford. He also holds a certificate in Homeland Security studies from Michigan State University. Smith was recognized as the 2004 Man of the Year by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for his dedication and fund-raising efforts in the fight against cancer, and is also an advocate for the American Diabetes Association.


WHERE BORN: "Boston, Massachusetts."

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS: "I've had three or four really good mentors in my life, some of whom are still around and some who are not. I love to talk to people who have wisdom."

LAST BOOK READ: "The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell."

WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ME: "Entrepreneur, innovator, hard-driving, results-focused, loving, good friend, integrity."

WHERE MY FIELD/INDUSTRY IS HEADED: "To the moon. I’m a serial entrepreneur and I don’t work out of a specific office. I have a couple of different ventures. I’m in the homeland security field and in the green field. We’re in the business of hunting elephants and it appears that we’ll bag a few elephants this year. I’m also an Internet strategist and visionary in terms of new technologies through realizing the power of social media and the Internet. I’m consulting with big brands a few times a week. It’s going to be like the television revolution and I’m glad to be part of it. My blog is at resultsmatters.blogspot.com."

FAVORITE TECHNOLOGICAL GADGET: "I just got a new set of Bose Quiet Comfort 3 noise canceling headphones with a Bluetooth adapter. I tie in my iPod through the bottom, it turns the iPod off and I can listen to a phone call and it has a noise canceling feature in place. It's really slick."

FAVORITE PLACE: "Block Island, Rhode Island. It’s an island off the coast."

FAVORITE HOBBIES: "I’m a pilot, so I like flying. I do quite a bit of yoga. I like to meditate in the yoga studio. I like spending time with my kids and any kind of water sports."

FAVORITE FOOD: "I turned a leaf and I mostly eat organic food, so mostly organic and locally grown vegetables."

MY HIDDEN TALENT: "I can do a handstand."

HOW I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED: "As an entrepreneur who taught others entrepreneurial skills to make the world a better place."

Grant Thornton Website At the annual awards reception in April 2009, one Leader & Innovator from the previous 12 months will be selected as the Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year.