CHRISTOPHER A. SMITH

Operator & Builder

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What I Do

01.

Commercialization & Growth

Taking technology from product to market, building the go-to-market strategy, partnerships, revenue models, and commercial infrastructure needed to scale.

02.

Product Strategy & Platforms

Shaping products and platforms around market opportunity, customer needs, business models, partnerships, and scalable growth.

03.

New Markets & Emerging Tech

Identifying where new technologies and changing markets create opportunity, then building the strategy and commercial model to scale it.

About Me

My Career Didn't Begin in Tech.

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My career began at the intersection of sports, media, and public relations, where I worked within professional American football organizations including the San Francisco Demons, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions, and Rhein Fire in Germany.

I moved into technology during the foundational years of programmatic advertising, helping commercialize early video marketplaces and emerging infrastructure across digital video, mobile, and connected TV.

For two decades, I’ve helped turn technology into products, partnerships, markets, and scalable businesses.

I held leadership roles at Civic, Turn (acquired by Amobee/Singtel), Collective (acquired by Zeta Global), and Adap.tv (acquired by AOL), spanning digital identity, commercialization, business development, and business unit leadership.

I founded and built Stitch Video, scaling its global media business before its 2023 acquisition. I later founded DFend, focused on digital identity and safety, following my own experience with cybercrime.

Today, I advise LvlUp Ventures and theMiracle, serve as Board Chair of The Defend Foundation, and am the award-winning author of Privacy Pandemic.

 

"I operate at the intersection of commercialization, product strategy, platforms, and global markets."

-Christopher A. Smith

Testimonials

What Leaders Are Saying

"A must-read for anyone looking to better arm themselves against the dangers of an ever-evolving cyberworld."

Tom Kemp, Executive Director, California Privacy Protection Agency

"A game-changing book in the field of digital security — bolstered by his personal experience with digital identity theft."

Bill Raduchel, Former CTO, AOL, Author of The New Technology State

"Chris's story is one of the most intense examples of the actions these threat actors take. Delving into his recounting forces us to realize that the 'this can't happen to me' mentality is a myth."

Eva Velasquez, President & CEO, Identity Theft Resource Center

"A paranoia-inducing exploration of cybercrime and identity theft from someone who has experienced its brutal realities up close."

Foreword Reviews, 2023 Science & Technology Award Winner

Get in Touch

For executive opportunities, advisory work, partnerships, speaking, or other ways to collaborate.

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