Megan Smith

Megan J. Smith was born on October 21, 1964. She grew up in Buffalo, New York, and Fort Erie, Ontario. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in 1986 and Master of Science in 1988 in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her master’s thesis work was completed at the MIT Media Lab. During her time at MIT, Smith was part of a student team that designed, built, and raced a solar car 2,000 miles across the Australian outback in the first cross-continental solar car race. This early experience set a foundation for her future in technological innovation and problem-solving.

Smith’s career includes significant contributions to technology and business development. She worked at various startups, including Apple in Tokyo and General Magic in Mountain View, California, where she was a product design lead on early smartphone technologies. In 1996, she joined PlanetOut, a pioneering LGBTQ online community, as COO and later served as CEO from 1998. During her leadership, PlanetOut expanded partnerships, developed new business models, increased revenue, and merged with Gay.com. In 2003, Smith joined Google, where she became Vice President of New Business Development. In this role, she managed early-stage partnerships, pilot explorations, and technology licensing across Google’s engineering and product teams. She was instrumental in the acquisitions of major platforms such as Keyhole (Google Earth), Where2Tech (Google Maps), and Picasa. She also served as General Manager of Google.org, where she expanded initiatives to include Google Crisis Response, Google for Nonprofits, and Earth Outreach/Engine.

From 2014 to 2017, President Barack Obama appointed Megan Smith as the third United States Chief Technology Officer (U.S. CTO), and she served as an Assistant to the President. As U.S. CTO, Smith focused on leveraging technology policy, data, and innovation to advance the nation’s future. She recruited technology talent to work in government, addressing issues like AI, data science, open source, and inclusive economic growth. Her initiatives included TechHire, Computer Science for All, and Image of STEM campaigns. After her tenure in the White House, Smith founded shift7, a company dedicated to tech-forward, inclusive innovation for systemic social, environmental, and economic challenges. She also co-founded the Malala Fund and serves on the boards of MIT, Vital Voices, and LA2028, among others, continuing her advocacy for STEM education and diversity in tech.