Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt represents the sixth generation of Thalhimers living in America. For five generations, her family managed Thalhimers department stores, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, for 150 years. At its height, the store had 26 locations across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Since 2001, Elizabeth has been an entrepreneur in her own right. She runs freelance naming consultancy Smartt Ideas, creating brand names for products and companies including DuPont, Electrolux, Cisco, and Wachovia. She graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and earned a Masters degree in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently lives with her husband Ryan, daughter Lyla, son Ethan, and pug Deacon in Richmond, Virginia.