Carolyn Michelle Smith is an Actress, Educator, and Coach with extensive experience in television, film, and theater. Recently starring in the award-winning film Familiar Touch, she’s also held recurring roles on The Chi, And Just Like That, Russian Doll, House of Cards, and Colony. Onstage, she made her Broadway debut in Romeo and Juliet with Condola Rashad and Orlando Bloom.

A Visiting Lecturer at Cornell University’s Performing and Media Arts Department, Carolyn also co-directed the Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab, where she designed and led curriculum for emerging artists. For the past 13 years, she has run Aspire Higher Coaching, helping actors expand both their craft and their sense of purpose.

Her year-long Sacred Artist Residency at Kripalu Yoga and Meditation Center deeply shaped her teaching philosophy, integrating mindfulness, embodiment, and resilience into her work with actors.