Dr. Ariel D. Smith is a nationally recognized educator, entrepreneur, and ordained minister whose work bridges strategy, scholarship, and spiritual insight. She is the founder of Ari Demi Enterprises and creator of Idea Therapy™, a consulting suite that supports mission-driven leaders in building aligned, purpose-filled ventures. Her work as a thought partner and strategist helps entrepreneurs, educators, and nonprofit leaders move from burnout to breakthrough by centering clarity, cultural truth, and creative alignment.

Dr. Smith first gained national visibility as The Food Truck Scholar, a platform rooted in her dissertation research on Black-owned food trucks as sites of entrepreneurship, resistance, and cultural memory. That project grew into a podcast and brand featured by Andscape, Museum of Food and Drink and others. Today, she serves as Assistant Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University, with a courtesy appointment in African American Studies. Dr. Smith also holds a courtesy appointment as Affiliate Faculty with the Center for Arts, Migration, + Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida. Her pedagogy affirms that entrepreneurs are whole people—community-rooted, culture-shaping, and wellness-centered—and offers new models for building with integrity, impact, and imagination.