Our Team

Meet the Founders

LyraConnect was founded by two industry veterans who believe brands deserve visibility into how AI is shaping consumer decisions.

Heather Nichols

Heather Nichols

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

CRO New Engen, CEO Acorn Influence

  • 14 years driving omni-channel revenue across in-store, digital ad tech, influencer, mobile and analytics channels; instrumental leader for an IPO and two exits
  • Award-winning executive, recognized for innovation in creator-led commerce through retailer and brand partnerships, delivering measurable ROI
  • Turned around, scaled, and exited a creator and media marketing company by exceeding operational and growth benchmarks in under two years
  • Launched and scaled analytics-driven mobile ad tech, surpassing revenue targets with sustained double-digit year-over-year growth
  • Generated $150M+ in net new revenue over 5 years across enterprise business
Ali Smith

Ali Smith

President & Co-Founder

16+ years of experience driving marketing growth. Head of sales and partnerships, leading digital tech, influencer agencies and retail media in startup and enterprise companies — including Walmart’s agency of record.

  • Strategic leadership at Acorn resulted in a 300% YOY revenue growth
  • Elite growth operator, scaling businesses from $0 → $10M+ twice and delivering 300% YoY revenue growth through productized, profitable solutions
  • Executive commercial leader, owning sales architecture, OPEX, commissions, CRM and CEO/CRO-aligned execution across 17+ person teams
  • Retail partnership powerhouse, driving 400% YoY innovation revenue growth through retailer alliances