About Connor Smith

Connor Smith is a media and entertainment producer and strategist based in New York City, with a passion for building experiences, organizations, and ideas that leave a lasting impact.

Origins

Connor grew up in the Capital Region of New York, where his passion for the media and entertainment world took root early. He spent his formative years performing in school and local theatrical productions, playing in bands, and competing as a distance runner and captain for his track and cross country teams throughout middle and high school. He also spent several years managing a Jimmy Johns, an experience that grounded him in the realities of running an operation and serving people well.

Those years taught him something that no classroom could — that showing up consistently, pushing through the hard days, and caring deeply about the work are what separate good from great.

Education

Connor holds a Master of Business Administration in Entertainment and Media Management from Ithaca College, where he also earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a concentration in Strategic Leadership and a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Co-Founder · Old Greeny Fringe Festival

His career is defined by a willingness to build things from the ground up. As a co-founder of Old Greeny Fringe Festival, Connor helped bring Ithaca's largest-ever community fringe festival to life! OGFF is a week-long celebration of the weird, wacky, and whimsical rooted in the legend of Old Greeny, the cryptid of Cayuga Lake. The festival activated traditional and non-traditional venues across the Ithaca waterfront through performances, installations, storytelling, and community events, spanning music, theatre, dance, circus, and more.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, accessibility, and local culture, the festival brought together dozens of community partners, independent artists, and local organizations to create something the city of Ithaca had not seen in nearly a decade.

Year one of the festival resulted in 1,300+ attendees, ~60 events, 250,000+ online views, and performing artists from across the country!

Station Manager · Ithaca College Television

Prior to that, Connor served as Station Manager of Ithaca College Television, the world's oldest student-run television station, founded in 1958 and serving over 26,000 households across Tompkins County through Spectrum Cable. Leading ICTV meant overseeing one of Ithaca College's largest and most storied student organizations, one with a legacy of producing nationally recognized programming across news, sports, entertainment, and scripted formats.

Under his leadership, the station was named Video Channel of the Year by College Broadcasters Inc., selected from over 280 college television stations across the country.