Ariel D. Smith, PhD

Assistant Teaching Professor
smitha@wfu.edu

Ariel D. Smith is an entrepreneur and academic professor whose work has been centered in Black community and economic advancement for the past decade. She has been a consultant for municipalities, nonprofits, small businesses, tech, and higher ed institutions. Ariel joins Wake Forest after 4 years of serving as the Scholar-in-Residence of the Purdue University Black Cultural Center.

Currently, Ariel’s research examines the experiences and representation of African Americans within the food truck industry. Her flagship company The Food Truck Scholar and book Before You Launch a Food Truck have been recognized by local, national, and international platforms including Museum of Food and Drink, Whetstone Magazine, the Coalition for Food and Health Equity, ESPN’s Andscape, and many others.

Ariel holds a PhD in American Studies from Purdue University and a Master of Education in Learning, Diversity, and Urban Studies from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a Human Resource concentration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business with distinction in Global and Community Leadership