Steven Smith (teamaker)

Steven Dean Smith (May 29, 1949 – March 23, 2015) was an American tea entrepreneur, best known as the founder of Tazo tea company, co-founder of Stash Tea Company, and co-founder of Steven Smith Teamaker in Portland, Oregon. Smith was recognized internationally as one of the tea industry's leading entrepreneurs, and often spoke to various industry groups about branding, product development, and origin projects. He was an active investor in, and consultant to, multiple business ventures in North America and abroad. A philanthropist, Smith supported numerous community projects locally and internationally, ranging from work with Mercy Corps to local schools and arts organizations, creating special tea blends for the Oregon Ballet Theatre and the Oregon College of Art and Craft.

Steven Smith was born on May 29, 1949 and raised in Portland, Oregon. His first introduction to tea came at the home of his grandmother. Smith's father, Daniel Smith, imported and sold an eclectic array of used foreign cars. His mother, born Verla Slick, known to all as "Babe," was a grocery cashier, bowling enthusiast and partner at Cornucopia — one of the first coffee, tea, and spice shops in Portland. After graduating in 1967 from Franklin High School, Smith attended Portland State University and served aboard the USS Hancock during the Vietnam War.

As a manager of Sunshine Natural Foods, the first natural foods shop in Portland, Smith co-founded Stash Tea Company in 1972 with partners Stephen Lee and Dave Leger and investors Tom Mesher and Jay Garner. Noting the interest in their teas and herbal blends by university and college students outside of Portland, the partners started the mail order division, which was run out of Smith's barn by Smith's then-wife Teri (formerly Schwarz; now Duncan) with Leslie Lee and Colleen Leger. Stash introduced herbal and specialty black teas to retail and food service accounts throughout North America, eventually growing to become one of the largest-selling food service specialty tea brands in America. During this time, Smith also started Universal Tea Company, which traded in wild-crafted botanicals. In 1975, Smith, Lee, and Leger pioneered the market for domestic peppermint and spearmint, selling Oregon-grown mint to Lipton, Celestial Seasonings, and others.

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