Allbirds becomes Smartbird, names AI infrastructure CEO

In a dramatic corporate reinvention, the former footwear company Allbirds has completed its transformation into an artificial intelligence infrastructure firm, officially rebranding as Smartbird and appointing AI industry veteran Nadia Carlsten as its new chief executive. The announcement on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, marks the culmination of a pivot first revealed in April, which has seen the company abandon its identity as a sneaker brand to pursue the booming market for AI compute hardware.

Carlsten, who most recently served as CEO of the AI infrastructure organization DCAI, which partners with Nvidia and operates the advanced Gefion supercomputer, will also join the company's board. She replaces outgoing CEO Joe Vernachio. The leadership change was met with strong investor approval, with shares of the company, trading under the ticker BIRD, surging following the news.

This shift represents the final step in a rapid and unusual corporate metamorphosis. In April, the company, then operating under the interim name NewBird AI, announced plans to exit the footwear business entirely and focus on AI compute infrastructure, causing its market value to jump roughly sevenfold. The move...