MEET OUR
The team that make extraordinary exits possible
Smoke Wallin
Managing Director & Partner
Smoke is a highly accomplished CEO, entrepreneur, M&A leader, board member, and humanitarian with extensive CEO or Board level experience across various industries, including consumer products, beverage, cannabis, hospitality, health and wellness, distribution, and technology.
He is co-founder and director of Dignity Moves, which aims to end unsheltered street homelessness by building interim supportive housing with rapid, cost-effective, scalable solutions. He is also the chair of the $100 million Fast Forward Fund by DignityMoves. Smoke also is the Chair of Taliera, a company he founded in 2006 to incubate, celebrate, and advise iconic brands.
Throughout his career, Smoke has led ~$2 billion in M&A, deals, and financings. He co-founded Vertical Wellness, a health and wellness company, and helped build National Wine & Spirits (merged into ~$14B RNDC) into one of the US’s most extensive beer, wine, and spirits distributors. Smoke also served as Chair/Pres. of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA).
Smoke is an active leader in the YPO Young President Organization, serving as the Chair for YPO’s Pacific One chapter from 2022 to 2024. He has served as Global Network Chair and Champion of multiple international YPO events. In 2024 he was a keynote speak for YPOs Global Leadership Conference as part of their Leaders Across Borders LAB spotlight.
He served on the Board Member of the American Freedom Fund and served as Junior Achievement of Indiana’s Chairman and Chair of the foundation. Smoke served for over a decade as a Vanderbilt University Business School Board Member and its President. He is the recipient of numerus awards and recognition including the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year.
He has a longstanding and successful public speaking and media presence, regularly contributing to CNBC’s Fast Money, Closing Bell, Nightly Business Report, Fox Business’s Varney & Co., CNN, and numerous publications, radio, and podcasts.
Smoke holds an MBA from Vanderbilt and a BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell, where he was a wrestler and Sigma Nu. He also attended the YPO CEO Chicago Booth Seminar.
