How Ryan Smith's parents and his brother influenced his career and life choices
Ryan Smith’s parents, Nancy Smith Hill and Scott M. Smith, provided the guidance and support that helped him thrive in the business world. Together with his father and younger brother, Jared Smith, he co-founded Qualtrics, a leading American experience management company, demonstrating the family’s shared dedication to entrepreneurship.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- American billionaire entrepreneur Ryan Smith was born to Nancy Smith Hill and Scott M. Smith, whose guidance helped shape his entrepreneurial path.
- His father, Scott, later married his second wife, Karen Smith, and reportedly has nine children and approximately 30 grandchildren.
- Scott Smith conceived the idea for Qualtrics, which he co-founded with his sons, Ryan and Jared, and Ryan’s college roommate, Stuart Orgill.
- Beyond building Qualtrics, Ryan Smith has expanded his business ventures into professional sports ownership.
Profile summary
Full name | S. Ryan Smith |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 28 June 1978 |
Age | 47 years old (as of March 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Cancer |
Place of birth | Eugene, Oregon, United States |
Current residence | Provo, Utah, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in feet | 6'2" |
Height in centimetres | 188 |
Hair colour | Brown |
Eye colour | Blue |
Mother | Nancy Smith Hill |
Father | Scott M. Smith |
Siblings | 8 |
Marital status | Married |
Partner | Ashley Smith |
Children | 5 |
College | Brigham Young University |
Profession | Entrepreneur, business executive, sports team owner |
Who are Ryan Smith’s parents?
The billionaire businessman Ryan Smith was born to Nancy Smith Hill and Scott M. Smith on June 28, 1978, in Eugene, Oregon. His mother, Nancy Smith Hill, holds a Ph.D. in information systems.
Scott M. Smith is a distinguished academic who earned his doctorate from Penn State University and spent more than 30 years as a marketing professor at Brigham Young University (BYU).
Beyond his academic achievements, Scott is now married to his wife, Karen Smith, and the couple has dedicated significant time to community service and humanitarian work. They served as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, coordinating healthcare training and humanitarian services.
Source: UGC
They have also been actively involved in philanthropic efforts, including support for cancer research and educational institutions. Scott has a large extended family, with nine children and approximately 30 grandchildren.
Scott Smith’s influence on Ryan Smith’s career
Ryan Smith’s professional path was shaped by his father, Scott M. Smith, whose influence extended far beyond being a parent into being a teacher, mentor, and co‑founder. Scott’s role in Ryan’s development laid the groundwork for the creation and early success of Qualtrics, the company that made Ryan a billionaire.
Scott Smith was a marketing professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) before co‑founding Qualtrics with Ryan and Ryan’s brother Jared. His understanding of market research, statistics, and consumer behaviour was more than academic theory, as it provided the intellectual foundation for the product that would become Qualtrics.
Source: UGC
What set Scott’s influence apart was not just what he knew, but how he involved Ryan in applying that knowledge. While Ryan was interning at Hewlett‑Packard in 2001, he returned home when Scott was diagnosed with throat cancer, a pivotal moment for both father and son.
Instead of stepping away from work, Scott used this time to develop an online survey tool to help with academic research, recognising a gap in how researchers collected and analysed data. Ryan joined him in this project, helping refine the concept and begin reaching out to early users.
This experience transformed Ryan’s career direction: instead of completing his business degree at BYU at that time, he chose to drop out and dedicate himself full-time to what would become Qualtrics. That decision was a defining early step in Ryan’s entrepreneurial journey.
In 2002, Scott, Ryan, Jared, and a college roommate officially founded Qualtrics in the basement of the Smith family home in Provo, Utah. By blending Scott’s domain expertise with Ryan’s strategic growth mindset, the team created a tool that solved real market problems and could scale into a commercial business.
Source: UGC
Scott Smith told Deseret News about his son’s achievements with Qualtrics:
I left, and all the hard, entrepreneurial work was done by Ryan. He drove the company to achieve more than anyone thought was possible, and he did it all from here in Utah. He disrupted entire industries and outperformed some of the best and brightest in Silicon Valley.
FAQs
- What is Ryan Smith's family background? He hails from Eugene, Oregon, and was born to Nancy Smith Hill and Scott M. Smith. His father later remarried his second wife, Karen Smith.
- How many children does Scott Smith have? The Qualtrics co-founder reportedly has nine children, including Ryan Smith and his brother, Jared Smith.
- Is Scott Smith married? He is currently married to Karen Smith, with whom he is involved in community service and humanitarian work.
- Does Ryan Smith have a brother? The American billionaire businessman has a younger brother named Jared Smith.
- Who are the founders of Qualtrics? The experience management company was co-founded by Scott Smith, his sons Ryan and Jared Smith, and Ryan’s college roommate, Stuart Orgill.
- What does Ryan Smith’s brother do for a living? Jared Smith is a technology executive. He previously worked as a product manager at Google before joining Qualtrics, where he later served as the company’s president.
Ryan Smith’s parents played a pivotal role in shaping his career and entrepreneurial mindset. Their guidance and collaboration led to the creation of Qualtrics, a global technology leader. Today, Ryan continues to expand his success into sports and other business ventures.
Legit.ng recently published an insightful article about Pamela Anderson’s parents and siblings. The Canadian-American actress and model has been in the spotlight since the 1990s, and while much is known about her career, little is publicly available about the family members who have quietly supported her success.
Pamela Anderson was born to Carol and Barry Anderson and grew up alongside her brother, Gerry Anderson. Although they have remained largely out of the public eye, she has acknowledged their important role in her life in multiple interviews.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
