Courtne Smith

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Courtne Smith (born April 29, 1988) is a Canadian-American entrepreneur.

Early life and education[edit]

Courtne Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario and is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.[1] Smith attended the University of Western Ontario where she studied business.[2][3]

Her father, Bruce Smith, was an African-American athlete and entrepreneur who grew up in Huntsville, Texas. He became a professional football player in 1972, winning the Canadian Grey Cup Championship. He played for the Toronto Argonauts from 1976 to 1979 as defensive captain DT.[4] [5] Smith led a successful career in real estate becoming one of Canada’s top-selling agents and later established his own firm. He became an ordained chaplain and pastor in 1999. He passed away of pancreatic cancer in 2013 at the age of 63.[6]

Career[edit]

Smith began her career as a personal assistant to Grammy Award-winning musician Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham).[7] She worked in Drake’s management team[8] for over a decade handling his business endeavors and special projects.[9] Smith and Drake grew up together in Toronto, Ontario and were best friends since they were kids.[3] She dropped out of college when Drake offered her a job[10] and is the only female in Drake’s inner circle.[11][12]

In 2015, Smith co-founded Tharen,[13] a hair extension brand with Filip Diarra.[10] Tharen was worn by Serena Williams and Taraji P. Henson.[3] In 2015, Shopify chose Tharen as an honorable business for the 2015 Shopify Ecommerce Design Awards.[14] Tharen was acquired in 2019.[15][16]

In 2018, Smith co-founded Suprize, a contest giveaway app with Filip Diarra.[7] Suprize combined pop culture, fashion, entertainment and gaming for users looking to win free prizes.[17] Suprize was favored by celebrities like Post Malone and Shawn Mendes.[15]

In 2020, Smith and Diarra launched NewNew,[18][19][20] a polling and decision-making platform.[9] She is the CEO of NewNew and one of fewer than 20 Black female founders in tech history to build an eight-figure, venture-backed company.[1] NewNew is funded by investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Canaan Partners and Shrug Capital. Snap Inc. selected NewNew as one of nine companies for Snapchat’s inaugural Yellow Collabs program.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Washington, Airen. "Former Drake Executive Discusses Her Transition To Tech And Entrepreneurship". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  2. ^ Gaviola, Anne (2021-02-02). "This tech 'outsider' CEO from Toronto went from Drake's inner circle to taking on Silicon Valley - BNN Bloomberg". BNN. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  3. ^ a b c Wong, Zara (2016-02-04). "How being Drake's personal assistant inspired a new business idea". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  4. ^ "Former CFL lineman and Grey Cup champion Bruce Smith dies at age 63". Toronto.com. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  5. ^ "ARGOS MOURN LOSS OF BRUCE SMITH". Toronto Argonauts. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  6. ^ "Former Argo Bruce Smith remembered". thestar.com. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  7. ^ a b "In a startup reprise, Courtne Smith launches NewNew, a social network based on shared content". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  8. ^ Ifeanyi, K. C. (2020-12-15). "How polling app NewNew represents the new class of social media". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  9. ^ a b c Ifeanyi, K. C. (2020-12-15). "How polling app NewNew represents the new class of social media". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  10. ^ a b Stengel, Geri. "Smart VCs Recognize That Black Female Founders May Lead The Next Unicorns". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  11. ^ "Courtne Smith | SWEAT THE STYLE". Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  12. ^ "Here's A Who's-Who Of The Thank You Note On Drake's New Mixtape". The FADER. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  13. ^ Stengel, Geri. "Smart VCs Recognize That Black Female Founders May Lead The Next Unicorns". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  14. ^ "Announcing the Winners of the 2014-2015 Shopify Ecommerce Design Awards". Shopify. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  15. ^ a b "Weekend inspiration". brunchwork. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  16. ^ "Decision-Making App NewNew Selected for Snapchat's Yellow Collabs Partnership Program". The Plug. 2020-12-17. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  17. ^ "What Is Suprize, the App Offering Up a Chance to Win Prizes Like a Drake Scorpion Jacket and Tour Tickets?". Complex. Retrieved 2021-01-23.
  18. ^ "The app that lets you pay to control another person's life". BBC News. 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  19. ^ Lorenz, Taylor (2021-03-10). "For Creators, Everything Is for Sale". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
  20. ^ "Monetizing the 'creator economy,' with NewNew". CNBC. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
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