{"id":52642,"date":"2025-01-14T13:57:27","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T18:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/?page_id=52642"},"modified":"2025-08-06T14:52:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T18:52:37","slug":"christopher-smith","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jumpstartinc.org\/about\/team\/christopher-smith","title":{"rendered":"Christopher Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christopher Smith is the Director of National Programs at JumpStart Inc., where he leads the design, coordination, and execution of national-scale initiatives that support underrepresented entrepreneurs. In this role, he plays a key leadership role in managing the Business Advisor, Mentor, and Alumni Engagement components of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women: Black in Business (BiB) program. He oversees a growing national network of business advisors and mentors while developing long-term engagement strategies that deepen the impact of the BiB platform.<\/p>\n

With a strong background in small business development, stakeholder management, and entrepreneurial ecosystem building, Christopher has held multiple roles within JumpStart. As Director of Preferred Partnerships, he managed strategic relationships with third-party service providers and platforms. In his prior role as Deal Flow Manager, he worked closely with early-stage tech companies seeking business development services and funding, with a particular focus on helping entrepreneurs become investor-ready through targeted advising and resource allocation. Across these roles, he connected founders to critical resources\u2014ranging from accounting and legal to cloud services and marketing\u2014and provided direct, milestone-based support to accelerate growth.<\/p>\n

Before joining JumpStart, he served as Small Business Development Program Coordinator at Operation HOPE, where he led program implementation, developed strategic partnerships, and helped small business owners across Northeast Ohio navigate planning, funding, and financial management.<\/p>\n

Throughout his career, Christopher has remained a champion for equitable access to entrepreneurship, a connector of talent and opportunity, and a trusted advisor to both founders and ecosystem partners. His work sits at the intersection of ecosystem building, community development, innovation, and strategic program execution.<\/p>\n

Christopher received his Master\u2019s in Public Administration from Kent State University. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Role<\/h5><\/div>

Director, National Programs<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div>
Line of Business<\/h5><\/div>

National Programs<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div><\/div>
Connect<\/h5><\/div>
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