Why Joe?

Joe Smiley is a respected design leader, team-builder, and innovative technologist with over 20 years of experience designing and developing experiences for many Fortune 500 brands - including E*TRADE, PwC, Marriott, AOL, Disney, FedEx, Strayer University, and Sysco Food - as well as numerous government agencies and non-profits. He currently leads E*TRADE’s Experience Design utilizing Human-Centered Design to research, design, and develop world class experiences. He is also a successful entrepreneur who co-founded and ran multiple technology firms, and recently served as a judge for the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship competition. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden Graduate School of Business with a focus on strategy and entrepreneurial studies, and a B.A. in Design from Virginia Tech. He is based in Fairfax, Virginia, loves to travel and cook with his wife Jenna, and a fun fact is that he’s only 3 degrees separated from Kevin Bacon. His passionate ideas on design and technology can be followed on DSRUPTR.