Hello,
I'm Terrand Smith
Entrepreneur. Author. Teacher. Speaker. Queen of Commerce. Mom.
For more than 30 years, my work has lived at the intersection of commerce, business growth, and economic impact, from managing nearly $1 billion in corporate retail revenue to building 37 Oaks and working with small and medium-sized businesses around the world.
Along the way, I've become fascinated by why businesses scale, how commerce strengthens communities, and how we prepare for what's next.
Today, I bring those perspectives to entrepreneurship, speaking, writing, and thought leadership, exploring what's changing, what it means, and what we should be thinking about next.
Are You Prepared to Shift?
The Queen of Commerce
Before founding 37 Oaks, Terrand Smith spent close to 20 years in corporate retail, managing nearly $1 billion in revenue at the headquarters of some of the largest retailers in the U.S. Across more than 15,000 retail locations, she managed, grew, and restored multimillion-dollar businesses involving thousands of products and hundreds of vendor partners, building deep expertise in commerce, distribution, operations, profitability, and business model innovation.
But the experience also exposed a gap.
Through her work in communities across the country, Smith saw talented small business owners building products and services their customers valued, yet many lacked access to the knowledge and infrastructure needed to navigate commerce, distribution, and scaling. They were exceptional at their craft, but too often their ability to grow stopped there. She also saw how closely their success was connected to the economic strength of the communities they served.
In January 2016, Smith founded 37 Oaks, a global commerce development company that helps small and medium-sized businesses build the capabilities needed to scale, create long-term value, and increase their economic impact. Today, 37 Oaks partners with governments, financial institutions, corporations, and economic development organizations worldwide to educate and prepare the businesses they serve across key areas of scaling, including operational infrastructure, manufacturing readiness, retail and online distribution, strategy, growth, and innovation.
Over the past decade, Smith's work and perspective have expanded globally through initiatives across the United States and internationally, including work in Central Asia and partnerships with institutions such as the UK Government's Department for Business and Trade.
Those experiences increasingly shape her work as a speaker and thought leader. Drawing from more than 30 years across corporate retail and small business development, Smith explores the forces reshaping small businesses and commerce and what they mean for the organizations responsible for supporting them. Through market insights and long-form thought leadership, she examines how businesses can prepare for change, scale more intentionally, and create greater economic impact.
Smith is also the author of Prepare to Shift: The Workbook, which explores the mindset and operational shifts entrepreneurs must make to transition a hobby into a growing business.