Alex Smith (born November 6, 1986, Fort Wayne, Indiana) is an American entrepreneur known for his innovative approach to distribution and cloud technology. He is the co-founder & CEO of 3BG Supply Co., an industrial distributor,[1] and the co-founder and CEO of KloudStax, a cloud computing company
Alex Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 6, 1986 |
| Education | Indiana University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
Smith is additionally a co-founder of A Better Fort and co-founder of the BAALS Music Festival.[2]
Biography
editAlex Smith was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he attended Bishop Dwenger High School.[3] He graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor's degree in Public Financial Management.
Smith began his career as a financial planner at Galecki Financial Management but left financial services to co-found 3BG Supply Co.[4] In 2014, 3BG Supply Co. was awarded Emerging Company of the Year and overall Innovators of the Year by Fort Wayne Business Weekly.[5][6]
In 2015 3BG Supply was honored as a "Business of the Year" by the Northeast Indiana Business Excellence Awards. [7]
In 2022, 3BG Supply Co. received the Greater Fort Wayne Inc. Business Expansion Award, recognizing the company's contribution to the local economy.[8]
In 2023, 3BG Supply Co. acquired Controls and Electric Motor Company (CEMCO), a Missouri-based provider of electric motor and pump repair services. [9]
Smith co-founded KloudStax, a company specializing in cloud computing and digital transformation services in 2023.[10][11][12]
Projects
editThe MY CITY Project (HipHop4theCity)
editIn 2012, Smith facilitated a music project entitled, "HipHop4theCity",(aka The MY CITY Project a community-driven hip-hop project that involved collaboration with many local musicians, including American rapper Nyzzy Nyce.[13] The project showcased the region's undiscovered talent while simultaneously bringing awareness to community involvement and the arts. Coverage of the project sparked a renewed sense of civic pride within Fort Wayne's young population, attracting attention from national economic development publications[14] and inspiring other civic initiatives like the annual MY CITY Summit.[15]
Personal life
editSmith is married to Michaela Smith.[16]
References
edit- ^ Anna Wells (June 5, 2023). "Tech-Enabled, Customer First". Industrial Distribution. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ Jaclyn Goldborough (July 29, 2014). "A Better Fort Plans a Pair of Block Parties for Downtown Fort Wayne". The News Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Dwenger Times" (PDF). Bishop Dwenger High School. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "BBB Business Review". BBB. November 14, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Innovative Companies Honored". kpc News. November 2014. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ Claudia Johnson (September 26, 2014). "2014 Innovation Award Category Winners Announced". kpc Media group Inc. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
- ^ "Northeast Indiana Business Excellence Awards". Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "Allen County Continues Strong Growth in 2022". City of Fort Wayne. 2022. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "3BG Supply Co. Acquires Controls and Electric Motor". Industrial Distribution. 2023. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "How to become a Premier Partner". Google Ads Help. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "KloudStax Achieves Google Cloud Premier Partner Status". EIN Presswire. 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "MHS Grad Starts Tech Company KloudStax". Yahoo Finance. 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ^ "HipHop4theCity". Indiana News Center. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
- ^ "Can a Rap Video Make Fort Wayne Cool?". Bloomberg. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
- ^ "City summit will inspire big ideas, challenge leaders". The Journal Gazette. April 6, 2014. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
- ^ Keiara Carr (June 19, 2014). "Inspiration for a Better Fort". Journal Gazette. Retrieved December 9, 2014.