About Us
Get to know the people behind Sweet [T]ea
About Sweet [T]ea
Those of us at Sweet [T]ea feel it’s the perfect time to create a women with technology event that brings like-minded women together to meet, listen and learn from one another, and to build connections they can use to further their professional development, careers and businesses.
What's in a Name
Sweet tea is the South’s quintessential drink and a lot of talking and connecting is done over a glass of it (You can read the longer fascinating version here) .
It’s also the first drink William and his wife were served as they rolled into Franklin after their cross-country drive from California.
Truly, it was their first taste of the South, an area of the country they’ve fallen in love with, where people are as warm as the sunny days of summer; where new friends are open and have not lost the art of striking up a conversation; where people look you in the eye while speaking to you; where food, family and time are valued and treasured; and where everyone seems to have tapped into a new and vibrant seam of creativity just by being in this magical place.
Our Founders
Tee Smith – Founder
Tee Smith spent years climbing the corporate ladder in executive positions, such as sales director, general manager, project engineer and financial director.
After deciding to put away those ladders and make a living guiding and advising others as they pursue their passions – Tee now pens “Tee’s Rave”, an inspirational and travel blog, exploring the South on her motorcycle, and keeps her husband, four children and five grandchildren in line.
William Vablais – Advisor
Having worked for Fortune 100 corporations, which include Microsoft BlackBerry and now Samsung, William brings a breadth of experience from founding, creating and running several start-ups, to grow companies at all levels.
William leads a meetup group for tech start-ups in the area, which is 200+ members strong and growing. His favorite color is #0125ff, loves fried chicken (now), and has even adapted to drinking sweet tea – a big change for this native Englishman.
