Five Questions With: John Smithers

JOHN SMITHERS is executive director at Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s information technology and bioscience industry association. / COURTESY TECH COLLECTIVE
JOHN SMITHERS is executive director at Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s information technology and bioscience industry association. / COURTESY TECH COLLECTIVE

John Smithers became executive director at Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s information technology and bioscience industry association, in August. Smithers talks about how Tech Collective is transitioning itself into the technology hub for Rhode Island, and some of the initiatives it has underway.

PBN: What is your background?

SMITHERS: My technology career includes working for startups, large engineered-product companies, and a long stint at a technology research firm. In 2000, I consciously left the business world to pursue career opportunities in higher education. In addition to my higher-ed CIO experience, I have consulted for various adult education, health and human service, and technology service nonprofits. Following a recent higher-ed consulting engagement in Texas, I was looking for a full-time, mission-driven position closer to home.

PBN: What interested you in the position at Tech Collective?

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SMITHERS: My number one objective was to work for a mission-driven organization. The unique thing about this opportunity was it allowed me to utilize my technology-management and nonprofit experiences to make a difference in people’s lives.
We are witnessing rapid changes in the workplace. Today’s economy is fueled by the combination of innovation, technology acumen, team work and creativity. The Tech Collective community brings these forces together to accelerate personal growth and development while simultaneously contributing to R.I.’s economic successes.

PBN: How would you describe the tech sector in R.I.?

SMITHERS: Rhode Island’s technology sector is throttled by the availability of capital and requisite talent. R.I. companies harness these assets to develop/produce profitable products and services. Tech Collective’s role is to develop individuals’ technology skills and improve companies’ access to these resources. By sharing best practices for attracting and retaining this talent, we will help to foster R.I.’s business growth.

PBN: Do you have any initiatives underway that you would like to publicize?

SMITHERS: We are transitioning ourselves into the technology hub for Rhode Island. Initiatives include: providing talent development and job matching services; informing educational curriculum decisions; developing standards for assessing professional-development programs; promoting government-sponsored business growth solutions; and designing valuable training and networking events for workers and employers.

PBN: How many members does Tech Collective have? How often do you have meetings for the membership? What do you hope local tech companies can learn from Tech Collective?

SMITHERS: We currently have around 75 members ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500s. Our goal is to increase individual and employer memberships by better understanding and serving their respective needs. We are presently using member feedback to improve our product development methods. This requires establishing working teams to pursue different product/service opportunities. Various special interest groups are now meeting 2-3 times a month.

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