He Sold His Startup to Microsoft—Now He’s Using AI to Build an Off-Grid Luxury Retreat in Vermont

Meet Ari Smith, co-founder of Balanced Farm, a visionary micro-resort in Vermont that blends sustainable luxury with the power of AI. Ari’s journey began in tech entrepreneurship, where he sold a company to a Microsoft subsidiary and learned hard lessons about innovation, scale, and adaptability. But it was meeting his wife, Hillary (co-founder of Folly Collection), that inspired him to fuse his tech-savvy background with hospitality. Today, on 540 acres of pristine land, Ari and Hillary are reimagining what it means to offer a truly bespoke travel experience. From personalized amenities crafted through intelligent data to off-the-grid energy solutions, Balanced Farm is more than a boutique stay—it’s a living lab pushing the boundaries of comfort, connectivity, and creativity. In this conversation, we explore: Ari’s early tech ventures and what selling to Microsoft taught him about growth The role of AI in delivering hyper-personalized guest experiences Why blending nature, design, and cutting-edge innovation is key to future-forward hospitality How hands-on experimentation, from hydroponics to hidden IoT sensors, shapes their vision What happens when entrepreneurial grit meets the timeless desire for meaningful escapes If you’re curious about the next frontier of hospitality—where authenticity meets ingenuity—this episode is for you. Connect with Ari  Discover Balance Farm Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.  Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at joinjourney.com/alliance.