For over 30 years, Dave Smith has maintained a contemplative practice rooted in the Insight (Vipassana) tradition. Empowered to teach through the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, he is also certified in Cultivating Emotional Balance, a program integrating contemporary emotion science with contemplative psychology. Dave teaches residential retreats, online courses, and offers individual dharma mentoring.

In 2016, he founded the Secular Dharma Foundation to foster well-being through the integration of mindfulness, psychology, and therapeutic modalities. He has also brought meditative interventions into prisons, youth detention centers, and addiction treatment facilities. Today, Dave lives in rural Colorado with his wife and two sons.