The CEO of Allbirds' new AI biz has a plan, but no employees

When Allbirds pivoted to AI in April, it felt like a joke from Silicon Valley breaking free of the TV: The direct-to-consumer shoe purveyor whose flimsy kicks helped define what we'll loosely call Silicon Valley style had discovered a new trend to chase.

TechCrunch • Jun 19, 2026

BIRD takes flight: Allbirds pivot to AI company Smartbird is a huge change—that's good for the stock

From shoes to AI to . . . Smartbird?

Fast Company • Jun 18, 2026

Allbirds continues AI pivot with name change and CEO hire, sending stock soaring

Allbirds on Wednesday rebranded to Smartbird and announced Nadia Carlsten as its new CEO. In April, the company changed its name to NewBird AI and shifted from making shoes to Ai compute infrastructure.

CNBC • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds rebrands as Smartbird in AI pivot, hires former AWS executive as CEO

Allbirds changed its name to Smartbird on Wednesday and appointed former Amazon Web Services executive Nadia Carlsten as ​president and CEO, cementing the former footwear maker's pivot ‌to an AI infrastructure firm.

Reuters • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds stock jumps 45% as company rebrands to Smartbird

Allbirds completed its transformation from a footwear company into an artificial intelligence infrastructure provider on Wednesday, changing its name to Smartbird and appointing former Amazon executive Nadia Carlsten as chief executive officer. The announcement sent shares of the company, which continues to trade under the ticker BIRD, sharply higher.

Invezz • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds Names New CEO and Changes Name Again

Allbirds is changing its name to Smartbird and pivoting to an AI business, appointing Nadia Carlsten as its new chief executive.

WSJ • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds is now Smartbirds, and its AI-focused CEO says people won't even remember the shoes'

Allbirds has been rebranded as Smartbird. Instead of selling shoes, it's an AI infrastructure provider.

Business Insider • Jun 17, 2026

Smartbird Appoints New CEO to Advance AI Infrastructure Strategy

Nadia Carlsten, AI and advanced computing industry leader, appointed president, CEO and board member Independent Director Lily Yan Hughes appointed as board chair Allbirds, Inc. name changed to Smartbird, Inc. SAN FRANCISCO, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smartbird, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIRD), an AI infrastructure provider, today announced the appointment of Nadia Carlsten as president and chief executive officer. Carlsten has also joined Smartbird's board of directors.

GlobeNewsWire • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds Changes Name To Smartbird—Stock Skyrockets Again After AI Pivot

Allbirds began as a footwear manufacturer whose wool sneakers surged in popularity with San Francisco's tech workers and executives a decade ago. The company was valued at $4 billion after an IPO in November 2021, but sales began falling during the pandemic.

Forbes • Jun 17, 2026

Allbirds Announces Record Date for the Asset Sale Dividend

SAN FRANCISCO, June 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allbirds, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIRD) previously announced that the Company intends to make a distribution, in the form of a special dividend, to stockholders of record of a portion of the proceeds from the previously disclosed Asset Sale (such special dividend, the “Asset Sale Dividend”). The Company announced today that the Board of Directors of the Company has established June 25, 2026, as the record date for the stockholders of the Company entitled to receive the Asset Sale Dividend, with the payment of the Asset Sale Dividend to occur within 60 days of such record date.

GlobeNewsWire • Jun 15, 2026