Davis Smith
Davis Smith is the founder of Cotopaxi, a Utah-based outdoor gear company that makes sustainably sourced outdoor gear and gives away at least 1 percent of its annual revenue to nonprofits that help poor communities. He also served as CEO until he announced in January 2023 that he was stepping down to serve as mission president in South America for three years, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will become chairman of the board on July 1, 2023.
According to the Deseret News2, Cotopaxi was founded in 2014 and “has followed through on its “Gear for Good” motto, doing business as a Certified B Corp while growing to some 300 employees and surpassing $100 million in revenues in 2022, doubling its 2021 sales volumes. Achieving and maintaining B Corp certification requires verified performance and accountability on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.”[1]
Smith said in a press release: “Cotopaxi has experienced remarkable growth over the last nine years and is proof that doing good and doing well are not mutually exclusive. There is indeed a better way of doing business which is putting people and the planet first. We have a team of leaders who believe deeply in our mission to do good in the world which gives me a lot of confidence in this transition.”[2]
Smith grew up in Latin America while his father worked in construction for the Church of Jesus Christ. He attended a Jesuit school in Puerto Rico for five years. He also attended Academia Cotopaxi, an international primary and secondary school in Quito, Ecuador. Cotopaxi is also the name of the second highest summit in Ecuador. The active volcano had a major presence in his life.[3]
He earned his BA degree in international studies at Brigham Young University’s Kennedy Center for International Studies. He earned his MA in international studies at The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds an MBA in entrepreneurial management from The Wharton School. He was in the Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship in Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
He spent ten years launching a few e-commerce companies. In Cotopaxi, he fused his love of the outdoors with his deep passion and empathy for people.
- "I believed that business could amplify my voice and message and believed I could get people to work alongside me to do good if I could build a brand that inspired people," Smith said. "The outdoor industry was a natural fit ... and I felt like this was also an area where people would understand that mission. Traveling and spending time outdoors, I think, connects people with something that's bigger than themselves.”[4]
Smith and his wife, Asialene, will serve as mission leaders in Recife, Brazil, with their four children.
He announced on LinkedIn, “While this move may not make sense financially or professionally, it is perfectly aligned with our family’s values. So, we enthusiastically accept this assignment where we will lead ~300 young missionaries over the next three years in their life-changing work. I was a young missionary myself from 1997-1999 in Bolivia, and the Parkers were my mission leaders. They have played a meaningful role in my life the last 25 years, and I look forward to shaping the lives of these young missionaries and having them shape ours.”
