Ian Smith

Ian Smith is an environmental educator, outdoor guide, paddleboard athlete, and entrepreneur from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with nearly two decades of experience connecting communities to their waterways through adventure and creativity. He is the founder and executive director of the Watersmith Guild, a nonprofit that enhances watersheds and communities through arts and outdoor exploration. Under his leadership, the Guild’s flagship program, First Waves, and its companion initiative, Aqua Lab Adventures, have received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in both 2023 and 2025. Ian launched SurfSUP Adventures in 2011, becoming the first to offer whitewater paddleboarding outfitting in the Eastern U.S. He later created First Waves in 2014, which empowers underserved youth through paddleboarding, filmmaking, and environmental education. Since then, he has designed and led programs for organizations including the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Envision Blind Sports, the City of Pittsburgh, and many more. Ian is a Master Instructor Trainer with the Professional Standup Paddleboarding Association—one of only four worldwide. He also serves as an ambassador for NRS’s LEAD Initiative (Leaders in Environment, Access, and Diversity). His creative work and conservation storytelling have appeared on PBS, World Channel, and in publications like Standup Journal, SUP the Mag, and Pittsburgh Magazine. Ian’s leadership in environmental education has earned national recognition, including being named Boating Educator of the Year (2025) by NASBLA and Partner of the Year (2015) by Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also presents regularly on innovative outdoor learning—most recently at the 2024 North American Association for Environmental Education Conference and as the 2025 Keynote Speaker for the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Educators. Through all his work, Ian continues to inspire conservation and community through the shared language of water, creativity, and adventure.