The CEO of Allbirds' new AI biz has a plan. Now she needs a "brand-new team"

Allbirds Reborn: The Dramatic Pivot to Smartbird and Its AI Future

The corporate world often sees companies adapt, evolve, or even reinvent themselves in the face of changing markets. Few transformations, however, are as striking as the recent journey of Allbirds. Once celebrated for its eco-friendly wool sneakers and a symbol of sustainable consumerism, the company has shed its footwear roots entirely, rebranding as Smartbird, Inc., and making an audacious leap into the burgeoning field of AI infrastructure. This bold move, spearheaded by a new CEO and backed by substantial capital, signals a significant shift not just for the former Allbirds, but also highlights a broader trend of companies seeking relevance in the AI-driven economy. The feed item hinting at "the CEO of Allbirds' new AI biz" and her need for a "brand-new team" captures a snapshot of this pivotal moment, though the full picture reveals a corporate reinvention rather than a separate startup by its original co-founder. The "CEO" in question is now Nadia Carlsten, leading the newly formed Smartbird, Inc., and her plan involves building robust AI compute solutions for enterprises.

The Dramatic Pivot: From Wool Sneakers to GPU Clusters

Allbirds, co-founded in 2015 by Joey Zwillinger and Tim Brown, quickly rose to prominence with its comfortable, sustainably made sneakers, even achieving a $4 billion valuation at its 2021 IPO. However, the company faced mounting competition and declining sales in recent years, leading to a significant drop in its market value. In a series of rapid announcements in early 2026, the company embarked on a radical strategic overhaul. In March 2026, Allbirds sold its footwear assets to American Exchange Group for approximately $39 million, effectively exiting the shoe business. This was followed by an initial rebranding to "NewBird AI" in April, signaling its intent to shift towards AI compute infrastructure and hardware. The stock market reacted with enthusiasm, with shares surging dramatically on the news, reflecting the intense investor appetite for anything AI-related. The transformation culminated in June 2026 with the formal rebranding to Smartbird, Inc., officially marking its complete departure from consumer footwear. The company's stock continues to trade under its familiar "BIRD" ticker on Nasdaq, but its business model is now fundamentally different. This pivot represents one of the most drastic corporate reinventions in recent memory, moving from a direct-to-consumer sustainable fashion brand to a high-tech AI infrastructure provider.

A New Leader for a New Direction: Nadia Carlsten Takes the Helm

With such a profound shift in strategy, a change in leadership was essential. Joe Vernachio, who had taken over as Allbirds CEO in March 2024 from co-founder Joey Zwillinger, oversaw the initial stages of the pivot. However, Smartbird's definitive step into the AI arena brought a new leader with deep expertise in the field: Nadia Carlsten. She was appointed President and CEO of Smartbird, Inc. in June 2026, also joining the company's board. Carlsten brings an impressive technical background to her new role. She previously led DCAI, an AI infrastructure company where she launched a sovereign AI supercomputer in partnership with NVIDIA. Her experience also includes serving as Vice President of Product at Google spin-off SandboxAQ and leading product development for AWS's quantum computing service during her tenure at Amazon Web Services. This extensive background in cutting-edge AI and cloud infrastructure positions her as a highly capable leader for Smartbird's ambitious new direction. In an interview, Carlsten expressed her enthusiasm for the opportunity, noting that few founders get to launch a company with access to over $100 million in capital from day one. She emphasized Smartbird's mission to solve real problems by meeting the growing need for enterprise-grade AI infrastructure.

Smartbird's Vision: Enterprise AI Infrastructure

Smartbird's core business model is now centered on being an AI infrastructure provider. The company aims to offer dedicated, managed private AI cloud solutions, specifically targeting the enterprise mid-market. This includes sectors like pharmaceuticals and finance, which often require secure, compliant, and high-performance computing infrastructure for their AI operations, but without the significant capital and operational burdens of owning and managing hardware themselves. The company's plan is to build a business around renting access to Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), the specialized chips crucial for training and running complex AI systems. This strategy addresses a critical bottleneck in the current AI landscape: the high demand for powerful compute resources that often outstrips supply. Smartbird aims to bridge this gap, allowing businesses to leverage advanced AI without the prohibitive upfront investment or the complexities of managing their own GPU clusters.

Fueling the Future: Significant Capital and Growth

To power this ambitious pivot, Smartbird has secured substantial financial backing. The company expanded its senior secured convertible note facility, increasing its available funding to over $100 million. This capital is earmarked for acquiring high-performance GPU assets and building out its AI computing infrastructure. The availability of over $100 million in initial capital provides Smartbird with a strong foundation to execute its strategy, acquire necessary hardware, and attract top talent. The company anticipates delivering its first GPU clusters and generating revenue within the next year, signaling a rapid deployment phase for its new services.

Building the "Brand-New Team": The Talent Hunt

The feed item highlighted the need for a "brand-new team," and this is precisely what Smartbird under Nadia Carlsten is building. Transitioning from a footwear company to an AI infrastructure provider requires a completely different skill set. Smartbird will need to hire extensively for roles in AI engineering, data science, cloud architecture, cybersecurity, and specialized product management. Carlsten's vision for an "exceptional team" suggests a focus on recruiting individuals with deep technical expertise in AI and cloud computing, critical for developing, deploying, and managing the sophisticated infrastructure Smartbird aims to offer. This talent acquisition effort will be crucial for the company to compete effectively against established players in the AI infrastructure market and deliver on its promise of enterprise-grade solutions.

Joey Zwillinger's Separate Path: Biologica

It's important to clarify that Joey Zwillinger, the co-founder and former CEO of Allbirds, is not involved in this AI pivot. He stepped down as CEO of Allbirds in March 2024, two years before the company's dramatic shift. Instead, Zwillinger has embarked on a completely different entrepreneurial journey. In December 2025, he co-founded Biologica with his wife, Liz Zwillinger. Biologica is a women's hormonal health company that focuses on developing tailored nutritional supplements for women across different life stages. This startup successfully raised a $7 million seed round and plans to initially sell its products direct-to-consumer and through Amazon. Zwillinger's move into women's health highlights his continued interest in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, albeit in a sector far removed from either footwear or AI infrastructure.

Industry Implications: A Bold Bet in the AI Gold Rush

Smartbird's transformation is a powerful example of a public company making a high-stakes bet on the AI boom. This kind of dramatic pivot, where companies reinvent themselves to align with investor excitement and technological trends, is not unprecedented. Similar phenomena were observed during the dot-com bubble and the crypto mania, where companies added ".com" or "blockchain" to their names and saw their stock prices surge. While such moves can generate immediate investor interest, the long-term success hinges on the company's ability to build a viable and competitive business in its new domain. The shift underscores the immense pressure on companies to find growth in the current market, with AI being the most compelling narrative. Smartbird is entering a competitive space, with established cloud providers and specialized AI infrastructure companies already vying for market share. Its success will depend on its ability to differentiate its offerings, attract and retain top AI talent, and efficiently deploy its substantial capital to build a robust and reliable GPU-as-a-service platform. This bold move will be closely watched as a case study in corporate reinvention in the age of artificial intelligence.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Smartbird, Inc.?

Smartbird, Inc. is the rebranded name of the former sustainable footwear company Allbirds. It has completely pivoted its business model to become an AI infrastructure provider, offering dedicated, managed private AI cloud solutions and GPU access to enterprise clients.

Who is the CEO of Smartbird, Inc.?

The CEO of Smartbird, Inc. is Nadia Carlsten. She was appointed to the position in June 2026 and brings extensive experience in AI infrastructure from her previous roles at DCAI, SandboxAQ, and Amazon Web Services.

What problem does Smartbird aim to solve?

Smartbird aims to address the growing demand for high-performance AI compute resources, particularly GPUs, which many enterprises struggle to acquire and manage. It provides secure and compliant AI infrastructure without the capital and operational burden of hardware ownership for its clients.

Is Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds' co-founder, involved in Smartbird's AI venture?

No, Joey Zwillinger is not involved in Smartbird's AI venture. He stepped down as CEO of Allbirds in March 2024 and has since launched a separate women's hormonal health company called Biologica in December 2025.