Innovation in Service of Life
Our mission is to enable science and innovation through products that advance human and animal health, research and conservation.
We believe meaningful innovation should balance progress with responsibility, creating lasting value for people and the planet.
We Create Differently
We believe great products should move innovation forward responsibly. That means balancing performance, usability, manufacturability, and environmental impact to create solutions that are thoughtful, practical, and built to make a meaningful difference.
Terri Smith
Founder & Principal
Why Tiburon?
My career has been built around turning complex ideas into real products. Over more than two decades in Silicon Valley, I've led product design, engineering, and development across medical devices, biotechnology, consumer electronics and emerging technologies. From developing scientific and medical products to building engineering teams and bringing complex hardware to production, I've seen firsthand the impact thoughtful engineering can have.
Along the way, I became increasingly interested in using that experience to support work with a broader purpose. Thousands of dives around the world gave me a deep connection to the ocean and a firsthand view of both its extraordinary beauty and the environmental pressures it faces. That experience changed how I thought about innovation and the responsibility we have as designers and engineers to consider the impact of what we create.
I founded Tiburon Product Development to bring those ideas together. Today, my work focuses on helping science driven companies transform promising technologies into meaningful products. I partner with founders and teams across human health, life sciences, animal health, and conservation, bringing product leadership, engineering expertise, and practical development experience to complex challenges.
My perspective has also been shaped by hands on work in marine mammal care and conservation. Working alongside veterinary and animal care teams has given me a deeper appreciation for the role science, medicine, and technology play in improving the lives of animals and advancing our understanding of the natural world. It has reinforced my belief that some of the most meaningful opportunities for innovation exist at the intersection of science, engineering and real-world need.
The ocean and conservation remain an important part of who I am and why Tiburon exists. Through diving, underwater photography, animal care, and engineering, I continue to explore how technology can serve people, animals and the planet.
At its core, my work is about enabling science and helping good ideas become useful products. I believe innovation can move us forward while still being thoughtful about the world it affects. That balance between progress, purpose, and responsibility continues to guide both my work and Tiburon.