SMART STATE - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Business Leader and Consultant
• Founder and Leader of Relevant CRM

Harry Shaughnessy is an experienced business leader and consultant with over 30 years of expertise in helping businesses grow and succeed. He is currently a coach and peer advisory board leader with Smart State, LLC, where he provides strategic guidance and support to business owners and executives, helping them achieve their full potential. Harry began his entrepreneurial journey while attending North Carolina State University, where he earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While in college, he founded a business providing IT support to local businesses, growing it enough to support his family while studying full-time. Over the years, Harry skillfully transitioned the business through multiple phases, from IT support services to contact management software sales and support, becoming a Microsoft Gold Partner focused on Dynamics CRM and Power Platform. As the founder and leader of Relevant CRM, Harry grew the company into a leading provider of CRM solutions for equipment dealers, building a team with multiple employees boasting over 10 years of tenure. Under his leadership, the company successfully shifted from an hourly and project-based model to one with over 90% recurring service and product revenue. In 2023, Harry facilitated the acquisition of Relevant CRM by Vertilocity, marking a successful exit from the business. In addition to his business achievements, Harry has been deeply involved in supporting a national non-profit organization as a board member, where he has worked to help students find supportive and welcoming communities on campus. Through his efforts, Harry contributed to the development of programs and initiatives that empower students to connect with like-minded peers and thrive. Outside of his professional life, Harry has been happily married for over 30 years and is the proud father of three children. He enjoys cycling and experimenting with home automation technology. Harry is also an avid dog lover, having trained his dog, Rooney, to understand more than 40 words and phrases-though Rooney still pretends not to hear any of those when there's something more interesting to sniff.

Job Titles:

• Business Leader and Consultant

Keith Weaver is an experienced business leader and consultant with over 40 years of experience managing people and processes and helping businesses owners fulfill the visions they had for their businesses. He is currently the CEO of Smart State, LLC, a business consulting firm and a Franchise Owner of The Alternative Board, a worldwide business owner peer advisory board and coaching organization, where he provides strategic guidance and support to business owners and executives, helping them achieve their full potential. Keith began his career as a night shift supervisor in a textile mill, where he learned how to work with and manage people and processes. From there, he tackled ever increasingly responsible assignments including, Quality Manager, Department Manager, Plant Superintendent, Plant Manager, Director of Operations, General Manager, VP of Sales, President, CEO and Vice Chairman. In 1994 Keith joined the Brenlin Group, a $500 million conglomerate of manufacturing, education management and hospitality companies where he served as President and CEO from 1995 -2006. Throughout his career, Keith has purchased and or sold more than a dozen companies and assisted clients in the purchase or sale of dozens more. He has spent the last 18 years coaching business owners, executives and managers and has spent more than 25,000 hours working directly with business owners. Keith has also served on the board (as director or advisor) of 15 different entities in many different industries. Outside of his professional life, Keith has been happily married for 40 years and is the proud father of three children. He can be seen almost every morning while on a long walk with his three Golden Retrievers and frequently on the local Pickleball Courts. Keith utilizes his deep caring, wide ranging and in-depth business experience and common-sense approach to help clients once and for all fulfill that dream they had when they started their businesses. Keith is a graduate of Virginia Tech with business degrees in Economics and Management.