Behind the Velvet Rope: The Journey of Joaquin Smits

Basic Information

Early Life and Education

Joaquin Smits was born in 1983. He was the second child of actor Jimmy Smits and Barbara Smits, who worked at Cornell Cooperative Extension. He kept a private life as he grew up.

He finished elementary and high school in an undisclosed location before going to Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. At Lynn University, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied subjects that helped him be creative and work with clients.

He graduated in 2005. He became part of an alumni network of over 12,000 people and set the stage for his work in hospitality and his occasional acting roles.

After graduation, Joaquin moved to Brooklyn, New York, because of its lively nightlife and diverse culture. He used his university’s career services and networking events to meet industry professionals. This led to his first job in guest services at a small venue in Manhattan.

By age 25, he had more than 500 hours of client-interaction training and was known for running high-profile events smoothly.

Family & Personal Relationships

Joaquin comes from a family involved in the arts and community service:

He is single and has no publicly known partners. He is close to his sister Taina, and interviews say she inspires his creativity, especially during family gatherings with plays and community events.

Career Journey & Achievements

Joaquin’s career covers hospitality leadership and some acting roles. His work in hospitality includes:

While he was VIP Host at Marquee and Avenue for seven years, he managed guest lists of up to 2,000 people per event. He led teams of 15–20 staff and kept guest satisfaction at 95%.

In early 2017, he became Director of Guest Development at TAO Group, a top hospitality and nightlife company with over 10 venues in the U.S. In this role, he leads 30 event planners and hosts. He designs guest experience plans and starts partnership programs that raised VIP revenue by 25% each year.

Alongside his hospitality work, Joaquin has been in three feature films using the name Kino Smits:

He has more than 20 minutes of screen time, showing he can act in both scripted and improvised scenes. Even so, he did not choose acting full-time and stayed focused on his leadership role at TAO Group.

Public Profile & Influence

Joaquin keeps a low public profile. He has only a private Instagram account with about 4,500 followers, mainly colleagues and industry contacts. He does not have public Facebook or Twitter accounts, and he does not make influencer-style content.

On LinkedIn, he has over 500 connections. He focuses on his professional network there, not on consumers. He shares quarterly insights on guest experience trends, posts case studies of big events, and joins hospitality discussion forums. He has more than 200 endorsements for skills like client relations, event management, and leadership.

On IMDb as Kino Smits, fans sometimes ask him about managing two careers. Colleagues say his skill in switching between nightlife work and film sets shows he is adaptable and manages time well.

Recent Highlights

As of July 2025, Joaquin has not been featured in big media outlets. Last week, a cultural website ran a short story that repeated his background and work milestones without adding new facts.

Key recent business results under his leadership at TAO Group include:

• 30% increase in VIP program membership from 2023 to 2024
• 15% growth in cross-venue package bookings in the year ending June 2025
• He oversaw the launch of two new rooftop venues in Miami and Los Angeles in 2024

Inside the company, he led the launch of a cloud-based guest management system in the first quarter of 2025. It cut check-in wait times by about 40 seconds per guest and raised satisfaction scores by 12 points.

FAQ

What is Joaquin Smits’s current job?

He is the Director of Guest Development at TAO Group. He manages VIP programs and guest experience projects there.

Where did he complete his undergraduate studies?

He got a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lynn University in 2005.

Has he pursued acting full time?

No. He has three film credits under the name Kino Smits but mainly works in hospitality leadership.

Does he have any public social‑media presence?

He only has a private Instagram account (about 4,500 followers) and a LinkedIn profile with over 500 connections.

Who are his immediate family members?

His father is actor Jimmy Smits, his mother was Barbara Smits (1955–2010), and his sister is theatre director Taina Smits Beasley.

References