With Kevin supporting us, we had the confidence to navigate a period of significant challenges and growth. His poignant insights and calm support helped guide our leadership team.
Kevin Smoker works with founders, startups and high-growth companies as a strategic business professional within Pillsbury’s practice.
Kevin partners closely with leadership teams to help them navigate the strategic, operational and organizational complexity that comes with building and scaling innovative companies.
He has navigated early-stage financing, human resources, vendor and client contracts matters. Kevin also leads outreach to the startup and growth ecosystem and works in close collaboration with Pillsbury attorneys on client matters, helping to translate legal strategy into practical, business-focused guidance that allows founders and executives to stay focused on growth. He is particularly valued for his ability to operate at the intersection of business, strategy and legal execution, especially in fast-moving and high-growth environments.
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Much of Kevin’s career has been spent working alongside startups and emerging companies through periods of rapid change and expansion. He brings an operator-adjacent perspective and a deep appreciation for the realities founders face, including fundraising, team building, governance and day-to-day decision-making.
Kevin is deeply engaged in the San Diego startup ecosystem and regularly partners with universities and innovation hubs, including UC San Diego, San Diego State University and the University of San Diego. He works with early-stage and growth-stage companies locally and across the country, supporting entrepreneurial teams across the technology and life sciences sectors.
Kevin is not an attorney.
Representative Experience
- Served as chief of staff at San Diego Magazine, where he partnered with the executive team to modernize the media company’s infrastructure.
- Former vice president of customer operations at Powur PBC, where he helped scale the organization through a period of rapid growth, expanding a team of six to over 200.
- Served as chief operating officer at Global Disposal Reduction Services, chief business officer at Gro-Tech Systems and associate director at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Education
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M.B.A., San Diego State University
B.A., Psychology, University of California, San Diego