Getting to know Persefoni: Meet Rico Smith

1. And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?" (Tell us your journey?)

I’ve spent a great deal of time under the umbrella of the Department of Defense in my early professional career, both as a United States Marine and then as a federal employee focused on project/people management working for entities such as the Naval Research Lab and SAIC. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself building/scaling a customer success team in the e-commerce space. One day the phone call came from Kentaro (Persefoni's CEO), whom I’ve known for years, and he laid out the opportunity here. Today, I find myself aboard the rocket ship that is Persefoni and I'm so glad to be a part of this bigger mission to positively impact the health of our planet.

2. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. (What do you do at Persefoni?)

As the Director of Customer Success, I’m helping coordinate the customer success program here at Persefoni, which encompasses everything from ensuring Persefoni has the right technology and automation in place, to streamlining feature/functionality requests back to the development team, to being the unwavering voice of our customers who are the lifeblood of everything we do. I’m here alongside the rest of the team to ensure that we remain proactive in nature and that our customers are crushing their goals in the shortest amount of time possible!

3. And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" (What are your hopes for your time at Persefoni?)

Climate change is very real and it’s great doing my part. Moreover, it’s been a privilege to work alongside like-minded individuals and teams, both internally and externally, when it comes to tackling this global issue. I’m looking forward to playing this key role in helping our customers measure, analyze, and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint - and report all of this in real-time. There is so much good work to do and Persefoni is already meeting this need.

4. And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?" (Why is Persefoni a great home for you?)

There is nowhere else I’d rather be. The talented, committed, and amazing people I work with every day, tackling the challenges that we face globally, and the mission that we’ve set out to accomplish … really, I could go on for days. And I’ve worked with many committed people. There is a real need for global accountability and transparency when it comes to addressing climate change. Being a part of a company playing a huge role in paving the way for these initiatives gives me comfort that I, too, am helping fulfill a purpose bigger than myself.

5. And you may find yourself in another part of the world... (Tell us about your life/hobbies away from work?)

Aside from always finding myself somewhere sampling a nice glass of scotch whiskey, I am a HUGE gamer. My earliest memories are of my father letting me sit next to him with an unplugged Sega Genesis controller (that I’m sure I was holding upside down) giving poor little Rico the illusion he was playing too. Fun Fact: I’ve played on professional circuits and held a Top 50 National rank in the popular FIFA series for a few years! Many of my best friends today are those I’ve met playing video games online more than a decade ago. One of those great friends goes by the name of Kawamori … Kentaro Kawamori. You may have heard of him ;) .