# Ryan Smith (Qualtrics)

**Type:** person
**Status:** Draft
**Confidence:** Medium
**Focus:** enterprise software, experience management, Utah tech ecosystem, civic leadership
**Location:** Salt Lake City, UT
**Updated:** 2026-06-19
**Relates:** cites [Profile: Ryan Smith — Qualtrics Co-Founder](ryan-smith-qualtrics-bio.md)

## Summary

Ryan Smith co-founded [Qualtrics](qualtrics.md) in 2002 in Provo with his brother Scott Smith, his father Jared Smith, and Stuart Orgill. Qualtrics became the largest software company built in Utah — SAP acquired it for $8 billion in 2018, spun it out as an independent public company (NASDAQ: XM) in 2021, and Silver Lake and CPPIB took it private again in 2023 for approximately $12.5 billion. Smith served as CEO for most of this arc. He is also the owner of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise and a prominent civic figure in the state.

## Impact

Smith's Qualtrics run is the defining proof point of Utah enterprise software at global scale. More than the exit itself, his decision to keep Qualtrics headquartered in Utah through SAP ownership and IPO — resisting pressure to relocate — reshaped the ecosystem's sense of what was possible. The Jazz ownership is a permanent public signal: he bet on Salt Lake City's future in a tangible way. His influence on Silicon Slopes is less about mentorship and more about precedent.

## What They Offer

The Qualtrics playbook — build in Utah, serve enterprise buyers globally, exit at scale, stay. For founders and the ecosystem, Smith's primary contribution is as a case study and civic anchor, not a day-to-day advisor. He has spoken publicly about company culture, the deliberate choice to stay in Utah, and what it takes to compete globally from the Wasatch Front.

## What They Are Looking For

Not known from public sources. Smith appears focused on the Utah Jazz and remaining engaged with Qualtrics's direction as a majority-private-equity-controlled company. Ecosystem events and civic leadership remain his primary public outputs.

## Proof of Work

- Co-founded Qualtrics (2002); SAP acquisition for $8B (2018); NASDAQ IPO (2021); $12.5B take-private (2023)
- Maintained Utah headquarters and Utah workforce through SAP ownership and post-IPO phases
- Owner of the Utah Jazz NBA franchise

## Good Fits

Utah enterprise-software founders who want to understand what it takes to keep a global company rooted in the state; ecosystem researchers studying Utah SaaS scaling; civic leaders working on Utah's talent and business competitiveness.

## Public Connection Path

Silicon Slopes events and Utah civic venues; Utah Jazz organization channels. Not known to have an open founder intake process.

## Evidence

- [Profile: Ryan Smith — Qualtrics Co-Founder](ryan-smith-qualtrics-bio.md)
- [Qualtrics](qualtrics.md)

## See Also

- [Qualtrics](qualtrics.md)
- [Josh James](josh-james.md) — Omniture/Domo founder; comparable Utah enterprise SaaS lineage
- [Aaron Skonnard](aaron-skonnard.md) — Pluralsight co-founder; third pillar of Utah's defining SaaS exits

## Open Questions

- What is Smith's current day-to-day involvement with Qualtrics under Silver Lake ownership?
- How is the Utah Jazz ownership shaping his public persona and civic platform?