Smith & Connors is an award-winning, certified woman-owned brand and digital agency built for purpose. We specialize in partnerships with equity-centered institutions, government, and purpose-driven businesses. Since our founding in 2013, our business has been a model for a new economy built on mutualism and regeneration. We partner to accelerate growth and transformation for organizations on a mission. We engage entire organizations in a buy-in process we call Design Therapy, a method of empathetic facilitation to bring alignment during uncomfortable change. As the CEO and Chief Creative Officer, and co-founder, I champion our vision for our business, our clients, and the world around us. I believe deeply that we can transform if we are willing to go beneath the surface courageously to find out who we are, what is blocking us, and articulate our dreams and visions. I work with leaders and teams to help them during big change to first discover, connect, and align, and then create compelling, timeless brands and experiences that resonate with audiences. I’m passionate about helping organizations move through important changes to live more fully into their values and uniqueness. I bring boundless enthusiasm to every endeavor. My goal is to crack open people’s hearts and souls to grow with the work. I’m a speaker, writer, facilitator, mentor, and consultant to anyone ready to go deep to break through. Some of the clients and partners who have trusted me and my team over the last decade:Stanford University, Berkeley National Laboratory, Open Society Foundations, Oregon Community Foundation, Nike, OHSU, Meyer Memorial Trust, Boston University, Open Society Foundations, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Martha Stewart, Philanthropy Northwest, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Michigan State University, 1803 Fund, Arizona Community Foundation, Cascade AIDS Project, Oregon Health Leadership Council, Kiva, National Psoriasis Foundation, Nonprofit Association of Oregon

Serving the Zebras Unite Co-Op as Board Member

Zebras Unite Co-Op is a founder-led, cooperatively owned movement creating the culture, capital & community for the next economy. We believe that everyone has an equal right to imagine and create the future.

I support the US West region of EO, a global nonprofit organization in service of entrepreneurs in their mission to move the world forward. My role as a volunteer leader is to improve communications, storytelling, connections, and brand awareness of EO. I also support strategic partnerships and Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) across the region.

I serve as an expert to support EO's US West Chapter Board Chairs in communications and marketing. I also support and strengthen the US West regional staff communications.

Oregon’s most influential business network, Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Portland is run by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Connecting, supporting, and inspiring one another across the globe, EO’s community spans 14,000+ business owners in 188 chapters across 58 countries, and our Portland chapter has over 140 members.

We’re redefining volunteer work as a critical component of professional practice and agency culture by working to shift industry standards for giving back from reaction-based to practice-based. Visible is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing equitable access to the work of the creative industry. Visible Members and Studio Partners take a pledge to complete at least one pro bono project each year. https://visiblealliance.org/

Jerusha, which later became Smith & Connors, was a partnership between Becca Connors and Talie Smith. The two sisters brought together design and technology to mission driven businesses and organizations to create differentiated brands, websites, and communications.

Nurun is a creative agency working to elevate brands and transform businesses through carefully crafted digital experiences.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. The organization financially supports civil society groups around the world, with a stated aim of advancing justice, education, public health and independent media.