Ethan Smith-Gillespie

Founder & CEO at The Program

📍 Portland, Oregon, United States🔄 Updated September 2026💼 37 investments📅 9 years investing🗓 Last invested Sep 2023𝕏 @upgrade_to_unlock
VC🌍 United States20+ investments
37
Total investments
13
Early stage
7
Mid stage
11
Late stage
9y
Years active

Portfolio

34 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Investor
Sep 2023
Digs AI unlocks happier homes. Digs is an AI platform for builders that focuses on Pre-Construction & Warranty/Aftercare. Digs AI automatically structures documents, enhances collaboration, and generates digital twin homeowner handoffs. Digs’ results in more efficient builds and a full digital understanding [3D digital twin] of the home for the homeowner that is both usable and shareable - Homefax for the home. Unlocking happier homes.
Investor
Sep 2023
Solarcore® is a materials technology company developing the most advanced thermal solutions on the planet.
Investor
Sep 2023
Wicked Saints uses behavioral technology to create interactive media that is wickedly fun and actively good. We combine the power of movements with the pleasure of Games. After emerging from Niantics (makers of Pokémon GO) incubator, our world-class team created World Reborn--the worlds 1st adventure activism game. It’s a real fantasy game where your irl actions fuel your ability to make choices and win the game. At its simplest, WR is a story game with real-life quests facilitated by augmented reality. Join our Discord or sign up on the website to play the beta now>>https://discord.gg/w6YRghmRyc
Investor
Jun 2023
Threat actors are leveraging generative AI to make their attacks more articulate, error-free, in the native language, and life-like with understanding of conversational context. UpSight flips the script by using artificial intelligence to read the next techniques, get ahead of the attack, and rewind the steps.
Investor
Jan 2022
Honey Mama’s is the Portland, Oregon-based maker of delicious honey-sweetened refrigerated truffle bars! Founded in 2013 by Christy Goldsby at the Portland Farmers Market, Honey Mama’s is now sold in over 8,000 stores nationwide. The brand has garnered national press recognition as a cult-favorite in Bon Appetit, Forbes, Refinery29, Healthline, Eat This Not That!, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, Epicurious, and more. Honey Mama’s is beloved for its one-of-a-kind texture, often compared to brownie batter, chocolate truffles, or fudge – the real treat is discovering each bar is made from only a limited number of nutrient-rich whole food ingredients. Setting the gold standard for what it means to be clean label, all Honey Mama’s products are free from refined sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and additives. Just imagine your favorite candy bar went to a meditation retreat and came back enlightened. Our mission is to further the food-as-medicine movement by giving you a uniquely memorable indulgent experience that contributes simultaneously to health and vitality. In September 2021, Honey Mama’s announced the close of a Series A2 investment round, led by Amberstone Ventures. Yes, our master plan is to bring more joy to the world with every Honey Mama’s bar we make (and you eat!).
Investor
Jan 2022
The Friendly DMS for Emerging Life Science Companies
Investor
Jan 2022
Wayfinder, developed at the Stanford University d.school, offers a comprehensive K-12 curriculum that equips students with essential future-ready skills. Rooted in research, Wayfinders curriculum focuses on Self-Awareness, Adaptability, Empathy, Collaboration, Agency, and Purpose. These skills aim to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications, preparing students for lifelong success. Wayfinder is designed to build meaningful connections, enhance student engagement, and improve school climate. It includes the Waypoints assessment suite, which provides real-time insights into student growth, enabling targeted instruction and timely interventions. The programs flexible implementation options work across settings and grade levels, and it integrates seamlessly with all major learning management systems. Wayfinder has been positively received by both students and teachers since 2015, with significant improvements reported in student engagement, social awareness, and sense of purpose​ post-implementation. The program has served students from over 65 countries across the globe, including major US districts like Omaha Public Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Portland Public Schools, and The School District of Philadelphia.
mid stageEducation
Investor
Jan 2022
We’re on a mission to make the best tasting beverages on the planet, using the highest quality organic ingredients we can source. Organic doesn’t just taste better – it’s better for you, for our planet, and for the future generations who depend on us. We celebrate the doers, the achievers, the game changers, and the collaborators The clean taste of our organic ingredients shines through in our refreshingly smooth lineup of nitrogen infused cold brew coffee, oat milk lattes and our dairy free oat milks. Were proud to be nitro cold brew coffee pioneers, launching on tap at a single restaurant in Brooklyn, NY in 2015 and now you can find our products nationwide at a major grocery store near you. Say Hi: hello@risebrewingco.com
Member & Investor
Dec 2021
Seed stage venture capital fund investing in software companies and consumer brands primarily in the Pacific Northwest
Investor
Jul 2021
Clocr (short for cloud locker) is an all-in-one digital legacy planning and disbursement platform” for online accounts and digital assets. Clocr empowers you to efficiently organize your digital assets (online accounts and files), identify your heirs, and allow them to access what is needed in case of an emergency and death. You can also provide a hierarchy of instructions on how your digital assets can be disbursed to your selected beneficiaries. Clocr’s proprietary, patent-pending, multi-layered security protocol is built on IPFS and blockchain concepts. We digitally shred the encrypted files, encrypt the pieces and spread them across different cloud storage locations. Even if someone hacks into a single storage location, they will not be able to view the file. We are the only solution that offers all-inclusive legacy planning features, patent-pending security and simple user interface 1. Set up your Estate Plan for online accounts in 3-clicks. 2. Use our super secure digital vault to consolidate all important documents and information, share them with your guardians. 3. Our unique digital time capsule feature allows you to pass on your memories, messages, values to your friends and family.
Investor
Jul 2021
Cardiac Monitor
Investor
Jun 2021
TrovaTrip offers a platform and marketplace that enables Content Creators to host group trips around the globe with their communities. Offering 150+ unique itineraries in over 50+ countries, TrovaTrip is changing the way people travel through easy to use technology. From summiting Kilimanjaro, practicing yoga in Bali, or hand making pasta in Italy with like-minded individuals, TrovaTrip makes it possible. Founded by a leadership team committed to inclusivity, TrovaTrip's mission is to make travel easier, safer and more accessible to all.
Investor
Jan 2021
Cloud Campaign makes social media scalable. The platform was designed from the ground up to help digital agencies manage many brands on social media. Cloud Campaign assists with all facets of social media marketing including: - Content Creation - Client Approvals - Post Scheduling - Community Management - Analytics and Reporting Schedule a free live demo today: https://cloudcampaign.com/schedule-demo
Investor
Oct 2020
Eclypsium establishes trust in every endpoint, server and network appliance in enterprise infrastructure (IT, cloud, data centers, network) by identifying, verifying and fortifying 3rd-party software, firmware and hardware in every device. Eclypsium’s platform continuously monitors firmware, hardware and software within each critical asset for threats, backdoors, implants and vulnerabilities, and mitigates supply chain risks throughout the asset lifecycle. Powered by world-class research team, Eclypsium was named as Gartner Cool Vendor, and a winner of Fast Company’s most innovative security companies, CNBC Upstart 100, Cyber Defense Magazine’s Most Innovative Supply Chain Security, and CRN’s Stellar Startups awards.
Investor
Sep 2020
Create personalized customer journeys that engage and convert with our versatile customer engagement platform. Scale, flex, and innovate at your own pace. Because when powered by data, your messages lead to meaningful relationships. Deliver meaningful interactions: Make every message relevant by building unique customer interactions across mobile and web using email, in-app messages, SMS, and push notifications. Designed to help you scale: Manage all your messaging in one place with a platform that seamlessly integrates with the tools you use every day. Data without limits: Put an end to data silos by easily moving real-time data from source to destination and crafting campaigns with unlimited profile attributes, events, or actions.
Show all 34 investments ↓
Experience · 39 entries
All (39)
Investments (37)
Founder (1)
2023
Investor
Sep 2023
Digs AI unlocks happier homes. Digs is an AI platform for builders that focuses on Pre-Construction & Warranty/Aftercare. Digs AI automatically structures documents, enhances collaboration, and generates digital twin homeowner handoffs. Digs’ results in more efficient builds and a full digital understanding [3D digital twin] of the home for the homeowner that is both usable and shareable - Homefax for the home. Unlocking happier homes.
Investor
Sep 2023
Solarcore® is a materials technology company developing the most advanced thermal solutions on the planet.
Investor
Sep 2023
Wicked Saints uses behavioral technology to create interactive media that is wickedly fun and actively good. We combine the power of movements with the pleasure of Games. After emerging from Niantics (makers of Pokémon GO) incubator, our world-class team created World Reborn--the worlds 1st adventure activism game. It’s a real fantasy game where your irl actions fuel your ability to make choices and win the game. At its simplest, WR is a story game with real-life quests facilitated by augmented reality. Join our Discord or sign up on the website to play the beta now>>https://discord.gg/w6YRghmRyc
Investor
Jun 2023
Threat actors are leveraging generative AI to make their attacks more articulate, error-free, in the native language, and life-like with understanding of conversational context. UpSight flips the script by using artificial intelligence to read the next techniques, get ahead of the attack, and rewind the steps.
2022
Investor
Jan 2022
Honey Mama’s is the Portland, Oregon-based maker of delicious honey-sweetened refrigerated truffle bars! Founded in 2013 by Christy Goldsby at the Portland Farmers Market, Honey Mama’s is now sold in over 8,000 stores nationwide. The brand has garnered national press recognition as a cult-favorite in Bon Appetit, Forbes, Refinery29, Healthline, Eat This Not That!, Men’s Health, Food & Wine, Epicurious, and more. Honey Mama’s is beloved for its one-of-a-kind texture, often compared to brownie batter, chocolate truffles, or fudge – the real treat is discovering each bar is made from only a limited number of nutrient-rich whole food ingredients. Setting the gold standard for what it means to be clean label, all Honey Mama’s products are free from refined sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and additives. Just imagine your favorite candy bar went to a meditation retreat and came back enlightened. Our mission is to further the food-as-medicine movement by giving you a uniquely memorable indulgent experience that contributes simultaneously to health and vitality. In September 2021, Honey Mama’s announced the close of a Series A2 investment round, led by Amberstone Ventures. Yes, our master plan is to bring more joy to the world with every Honey Mama’s bar we make (and you eat!).
Show all 39 entries ↓
Investment activity
2017–2023 · 37 investments
201712018102019620206202162022420234
Recent (last 2 years)Earlier