Ayanna Smith

Ayanna Smith is a Managing Director at SecondMuse Foundation for GET Cities DC. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, startup enthusiast, social impact advocate and longtime executive communications strategist. In 2015, she opened the first live escape room for children in the country, voted best new business of the year in Capitol Hill and “Best of DC” every year until closing.

Prior to entrepreneurship, Ayanna led communications and outreach for Washington, DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), the American Society of Travel Agents & the United Negro College Fund. She obtained a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Communications from Bowie State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Temple University. She is an advocate for underrepresented communities in Washington, DC, mother of two and spouse to a U.S. Air Force Officer.

Ayanna’s biggest inspirations are her daughters, nieces, and nephews. They’re all smart, witty, resourceful, kind, and full of bright ideas. Yet, in a world that doesn’t support or protect Black and Brown people, that may not be enough to guarantee their success, and that’s a frightening reality. Both motherhood and empathy drive her to affect change in a way that directly impacts the people she cares about.

She hopes to bring bold ideas and measurable impact to GET Cities D.C. Women in the D.C. region need to see tech as a viable and attainable pathway to liveable wages, leadership roles, and entrepreneurship. And that will only happen if they are represented at “the table” as decision-makers.