Born and raised in St. Louis, MO, Chip Smith graduated from Denison University in Granville, OH, and began working for NASA in Washington, DC. He later returned to St. Louis to complete law school and focused his legal practice on labor & employment law, commercial litigation, mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity investments, and restructurings.
Chip stopped practicing law to start Greenleaf Capital Partners and invest in small businesses and start-ups with proven, passionate management teams. In 2012, he formed ATIS Elevator, which grew to become the largest full-service elevator and escalator management, consulting, and inspection company in the US.