Our Team
The future of AI will require a new generation of infrastructure. Smartbird brings together leaders with experience across AI, cloud computing, enterprise technology, and large-scale infrastructure, united by a shared belief that organizations need more flexible and accessible ways to deploy AI.
Leadership
Nadia Carlsten
President, Chief Executive Officer, DirectorA visionary and builder, Dr. Carlsten brings deep experience developing AI and advanced computing platforms, paired with a strong track record in commercial execution, platform scaling, go-to-market, and capital strategy. Prior to leading Smartbird, Dr. Carlsten was CEO of DCAI, where she built and scaled AI infrastructure platforms from concept to commercial deployment, including Denmark’s sovereign AI supercomputer. Previously, she was Vice President of Product at Google spin-off SandboxAQ and Head of Product for the AWS Center for Quantum Computing at Amazon Web Services. Dr. Carlsten actively contributes to global technology discourse, advising on strategy, investment decisions, and scaling of AI and digital platforms. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council - Next Generation Computing and serves as Senior Investment Advisor to Ground State Ventures. Dr. Carlsten holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Annie Mitchell
Chief Financial Officer Ms. Mitchell has more than 25 years of executive and senior leadership experience spanning finance, data, analytics, planning, business development and transformation for global organizations. She has served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer since April 2023, where she has been responsible for both finance and strategic management functions across enterprise-wide initiatives. Prior to joining Allbirds, Inc. in 2023, Ms. Mitchell was a senior member of the leadership team at Gymshark, where she led financial strategy for the North American region, overseeing finance, analytics and research. Ms. Mitchell also spent 10 years at iconic global brand, adidas, serving in various senior finance roles, most recently as Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of adidas North America. She started her career at Gap Inc. Ms. Mitchell holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Puget Sound and an M.B.A. and an M.Sc. in Finance from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business.
Kelly Olmstead
Chief Marketing OfficerMs. Olmstead brings more than 20 years of executive marketing leadership experience across the sporting goods, footwear, and apparel industries. Prior to joining Smartbird, she served as Chief Marketing Officer at Hanna Andersson. Earlier in her career, she spent two decades at adidas, where she held senior leadership roles across brand, retail, and digital marketing, most recently leading marketing for adidas North America. Her expertise spans brand strategy, digital marketing, communications, and consumer engagement. She holds a degree in Business Economics from Willamette University and completed executive education at Harvard Business School.
Board Of Directors
Lily Yan Hughes
Chair of the BoardMs. Hughes has served on Smartbird's Board of Directors since 2025. She brings extensive technology experience and a 30-year track record of operational excellence across corporate governance, capital markets, and corporate finance. Prior to Smartbird, she served as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary at both Arrow Electronics and Public Storage. Earlier in her career, she was a Partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP and held senior legal roles at Ingram Micro. She has also served as an independent director of NUBURU, Inc. (NYSE American: BURU), and held board leadership positions with DirectWomen and the Association of Corporate Counsel. She currently serves as Assistant Dean at Syracuse University College of Law and holds a B.A. and J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Timothy Brown
DirectorMr. Brown co-founded the company in May 2015 and has served on the Board since. He served as CEO from May 2015 to October 2015 and Co-CEO from October 2015 to May 2023. Before Allbirds, he was Manager, Innovation Strategy & Business Development at Redscout
(Mar–Aug 2015). In 2010 he was Vice Captain of New Zealand’s World Cup football team. He holds a B.S. in Design (University of Cincinnati) and an M.Sc. in International Management (LSE).
Elizabeth Mora
DirectorMs. Mora has served on Smartbird’s Board of Directors since September 2026. She is currently Chair of the Board of Inogen, Inc. (NASDAQ: INGN), serves on the board of directors of MKS Instruments (NASDAQ: MKSI), where she chairs the Audit Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors of Limoneira Company (NASDAQ: LMNR), where she chairs the Nominating and Governance Committees. Ms. Mora brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience spanning finance, operations, corporate governance, and strategic transformation. Most recently, she served as Chief Administrative Officer of Charles Stark Draper Laboratory from 2008 to 2020 and prior to that served as Chief Financial Officer of Harvard University. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.B.A. from Simmons College School of Management, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Dan Kasun
DirectorMr. Kasun has served on Smartbird’s Board of Directors since September 2026. He brings more than two decades of leadership experience across enterprise technology, cloud infrastructure, industry sales, and strategic partnerships. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Partner Ecosystem at Pegasystems. Prior to joining Pegasystems, Mr. Kasun spent more than a decade at Amazon Web Services, where he held senior leadership positions across Global Financial Services and Worldwide Public Sector, most recently serving as ISV Partner Sales Leader, Global Financial Services. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kasun spent nearly 19 years at Microsoft in senior leadership roles focused on developer platforms, financial services, healthcare, government, and education. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Lehigh University.
Here, creativity meets opportunity. Whatever you’re building, we’ll give you the tools, team, and trust to take the first step with confidence. Driven by curiosity and grounded in purpose, we pair bold thinking with thoughtful execution. So ideas scale, impact follows, and careers grow.
Join us and:
Tackle meaningful problems alongside experts who challenge and support you.
Own work that matters, from concept through delivery.
Learn constantly with real mentorship, generous resources, and space to experiment.
Shape a culture that values diverse perspectives, clear focus, and outcomes over ego.
If you’re ready to do your best work and build something that lasts, bring your curiosity. We’ll bring the rest.