Gameday technology earns former student Vetrepreneur of the Year honor

Christopher Smith’s passion for his country, engineering and entrepreneurship united in a powerful way when he was named the 2025 Texas Vetrepreneur of the Year by Military Friendly. The honor, which celebrates veteran-owned business owners who epitomize inspiration through entrepreneurship, was fueled by Smith’s innovation of game-changing technology.

Smith’s path from veteran to engineering entrepreneur began while stationed in Bahrain as an interior communications electrician with the U.S. Navy. There, his passion for football helped build a sense of community with fellow sailors. Upon completion of his military service, Smith headed to Texas A&M University, where he immersed himself in Aggie football and earned a bachelor’s degree in Electronic Systems Engineering Technology (ESET).

While working as an engineer and leading veteran support initiatives, Smith launched a company combining his military-structured mindset, engineering skills and love of the gameday experience.

If you’ve ever seen a stadium crowd raise colored cards to create a massive picture, you know the magic of collective fandom. Those cardboard pieces can now be replaced by synchronized digital graphics on hand-held tablets, thanks to Smith’s company, FanWeb Technologies.

Through this initiative, he hopes to recreate the connection he felt while attending games with his father, who passed away when Smith was 16.  

“I want to help fans build lasting memories through shared experiences with the people they love,” he said.  

Fellow ESET graduates Sherman Wilder ’20 and Brad Hartman ’22 joined Smith on the FanWeb team. All three credited the program with setting them up for success.

“Our degrees provided a solid foundation in electronics, systems design and practical engineering,” Wilder said. “We learned how to effectively read schematics, interpret datasheets and navigate the wide variety of components and systems used in modern products. Most importantly, the program gave us the tools to confidently design, prototype and test hardware solutions.”

The program’s blend of technical depth and creative flexibility provided the perfect blueprint for the aspiring entrepreneurs to raise their game to the next level. 

“FanWeb lives at the intersection of hardware, software and the user experience, and trained us to think across all three,” Smith said. “Whether troubleshooting Wi-Fi modules, optimizing tablet control with various wireless communication protocols or designing interactive fan experiences, we’re pulling directly from the hands-on skills learned at Texas A&M.”

In addition to his full-time job as a design engineer and role as president of the veterans’ group at Peterbilt, Smith recently earned his MBA in Sports Entertainment Management from the University of North Texas while launching FanWeb and raising a family. His hard work in earning his master’s degree is directly contributing to the company’s success. 

“That program opened doors across the Dallas-Fort Worth sports landscape, connecting the company with the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Frisco RoughRiders, Texas Legends and many others,” Smith said. 

FanWeb is proud to give back to the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. They sponsored a capstone team of five ESET students, who designed and manufactured charging and monitoring solutions that benefit FanWeb’s success. 

“Sponsoring a capstone team was an incredible full-circle moment,” Smith said. “Having completed my own capstone project as a student, it was deeply rewarding to return as a sponsor, supporting students as they pursue their academic goals and graduate from this outstanding program. With FanWeb building a strong relationship with the department, we’re excited to sponsor more teams and help shape the next generation of innovators.” 

While continuing his career at Peterbilt and involvement in veteran programs, Smith dreams of engineering the ultimate home-field advantage for Texas A&M football. He envisions a night game packed with 108,000 fans, each holding a FanWeb screen, collectively displaying a motion graphic of Reveille racing down the field. As blazing fireworks light up the sky and heart-pounding music rocks the stadium, the real Miss Rev would sprint alongside her digital counterpart, combining technology and tradition in an unforgettable display of Aggie spirit.