Kristin is an absolute wellspring of knowledge, perspective, and advice about sustainability, social/environmental impact, and CSR. However, what’s more impressive is the truly personal attention and commitment she shows to every single one of her clients. She balances her true passion and enthusiasm for the field with a strong sense of practicality, derived from a career’s worth of experience and accomplishments. For over a decade I’ve had the privilege of knowing Kristin and having her be one of my most trusted mentors. She’s played an invaluable role in helping me launch a non-profit venture as a student, write, submit, and successfully receive a significant grant to implement agricultural research in Africa, and think through my company’s short and long-term plans to be as sustainable and positively impactful as possible. As we continue to grow and think of ways to improve our social efforts, Kristin will absolutely be who I lean on for help and assistance in the process. I wouldn’t be who I am and where I am today without Kristin’s support and guidance. I cannot think of a better individual to help you focus and strengthen your commitment to social impact and “doing good” than Kristin. Actually, I really just can’t think of a better person - period.
Abhi Lokesh, CEO, Fracture
http://www.fractureme.com
In his book, The Tipping Point, author Malcolm Gladwell talks about three different types of people: mavens, connectors, and salespeople. At sixty years old, I’ve met many types of people in many walks of life. I have only met ONE who combines all three in their daily mantra. I have had the distinct honor of meeting and working with Dr. Kristin Joys. Kristin has never simply thought of great ideas and kept them to herself. She has consistently shared these ideas, while connecting others, and then actively “sells” the concept and the strategy for others to follow. Infectious in her argument, she has professionally helped others who could not only help themselves, but desire to help others after receiving her guidance. Kristin was instrumental in helping NobleHour™ achieve B-Corporation Certification. When we first launched, we were a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we believe in the power of business to make a positive impact in communities and thus Kristin helped as we transitioned to become a certified B-Corporation. She was great to work with and made what seemed like an overwhelming process quick & painless. We were proud to be one of the first B-Corporations in Florida (there were just two others when we were certified in 2013). I would encourage anyone, who is looking for sound guidance in today’s changing world, to contact Kristin if they are in need of a consultant worth their salt. I’m glad we did!
Scott Fore, Managing Partner, TreeTop Commons http://www.treetopcommons.com
Kristin has been such an inspiration to our business and our mission to be a part of saving the world - a tall order, but we all have to do our part. From the beginning, Kristin not only supported our mission, but helped us work through some complex issues, like how to have a sustainable mission, but not to the detriment of the business and our bottom line. Kristin's ability to help us navigate leveraging our business to 'do good' is unparalleled. She has been such an asset that we asked her to join our Board of Advisors to help us continue to push our growth toward becoming a more sustainably-minded organization. There have been multiple occasions where we reached out to Kristin, because sometimes the "right thing" can be a bit grey. Her research and communication in these situations were invaluable to making these tough decisions, and she helped us navigate around some potentially dangerous pitfalls for our business. Hiring Kristin, is like hiring an attorney or buying insurance. You have an attorney to navigate legal concerns, insurance to protect you from worst-case-scenarios, and Kristin to insure you're making the most ethical decisions. She is undoubtedly a must-have if you want to drive the triple bottom line. Kristin has been the biggest inspiration for our core value of Sustainability. We feel so lucky to have found her and to have her in our corner.
Chad Paris, CEO, Parisleaf
https://parisleaf.com
I've worked with Kristin over the past five years, first as the owner/manager of a cafe serving locally & sustainably sourced lunches and most recently as she helped me to transition into pursuing a career with a modern design architecture firm. At each step along this path, she exemplifies and brings out what is best for our community and personal growth so that we may contribute our very best in doing good for the betterment of all. She is an abundant resource for all-things-sustainability (for example, when I ran Tempo Bistro she encouraged me to apply for Green Restaurant Certification, explaining that we'd likely qualify given our local-sourcing & waste-minimizing efforts) in an array of business practices and shares information & resources like no one I have ever encountered. The successes I experienced both while running my neighborhood cafe and now while working in my dream job position (where she provided mid-life career transition advice, resume-building, prep for the interviewing process, and contract negotiation advice) in the design world are testament to her mentoring skills and global connectedness. I took a huge leap with her support and the net magically appeared, just as she said it would. Kristin inspires me to be a better Being, every day; I proudly carry that torch, sharing my light with the world.
John Drum, Greenville SC/Jacksonville FL
https://www.johndrum.com/about
With all things we do finding the right people to help support and lift us to be greater are just as important as the task at hand. When I was invited to give a Ted talk in 2016, I knew that Kristin was someone I wanted by my side. She encouraged, she probed with the right questions, and she helped me flush out the tough parts of the editing process. When Kristin agrees to work with you on a project, she goes beyond being a consultant and helps as if it is her own. I'm grateful to have had the support of Kristin and I would recommend her to anyone seeking her expertise.
Payal, co-founder Starter Space
http://starterspace.com
Dr. Joys has helped me more than anyone else in my life. She continually went above and beyond to help me achieve my personal goals and my business's goals. When my goals pivoted she was able to quickly adapt with new strategies for the greatest impact. Dr. Joys truly knows sustainability, social impact, CSR and social entrepreneurship better than anyone I have encountered. Her impact on this planet is even greater than she even knows because she turns every client into a changeagent who in turn inspires more changeagents. I am positive she will be able to help you, help the world and use the power of business as a force for good. She has the capacity to connect on a personal level and truly find out what makes your heart sing and then turn that passion into progress and find the right opportunity for you. Dr. Joys has connections all over the world in diverse industries and is the best connector I have ever met. Dr. Joys will go above and beyond researching her proposed strategy and will send you countless resources to help you in a plethora of ways. Dr. Joys has helped me on a personal level in many arenas. She has helped me decide what is the right grad school to best suits my goals. She helped me perfect a winning resume to not just bring out my best side but to stand out from the crowd of over 3,000. Dr. Joys was/is an integral part of every company I have launched and continues to follow through with unparalleled advice regardless of the issue. She has been there from ideation to implementation on my new venture Sustainable Breakthroughs and her impact is helping us make a global impact. Dr. Joys's advice will be with my the rest of my life and I will never forget all she has taught me. Her industry experience and intelligence matched with her kindness, understanding and over all emotional intelligence makes her the best consultant out there. I know if you open up to Dr. Joys she will help you achieve your wildest goals. I think if everyone on this planet just had five minutes of her time, the planet and generations to come would be forever positively impacted!
Grant Kendzior, Sustainable Breakthroughs, Miami, FL
Kristin encouraged me to believe that I too had a path towards creating social change. For the past nine years, not only has she been a mentor – but also a role model, sounding board, champion, friend, and ally. Kristin saw potential in me and invested in my leadership. With her guidance and support I was able to reach and obtain new professional opportunities and carve out a path for professional development. I love what I do and where I am today and it all started with Kristin.
Camila, Deputy Director, Search & Selection, Echoing Green
http://www.echoinggreen.org, New York, NY
I met Kristin my junior year of high school. I wasn't doing that well, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to go to college. I met with Kristin to discuss what options were available and what programs might be a good fit. Within just a few short sessions, I felt incredibly empowered and excited to go to college! Kristin is the most inspirational person I have ever met. She found me an amazing undergraduate program that was perfect for me, I moved to New York City and attended Pace, where I earned my undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurship. I was eager to learn more and was accepted to the Masters of Science in Entrepreneurship program at the University of Florida, where I had the pleasure of taking Kristin's Intro to Social Entrepreneurship course. Her class inspired me to launch a company called Reciprocity and Co., a socially conscious business. The advice and guidance that Kristin provided me with was out of this world. I am now 28 years old and am in the process of launching my second social venture: siftlocal.co. I owe my continued enthusiasm for doing good in the world to her. If you ever have the pleasure of spending time with Kristin, you are one of the lucky ones!
Sam McPherson, Pace c/o 2011, UF MSE c/o 2013, founder Appella
https://www.appella.io
I don’t know how I could have possibly managed the college application process without Kristin’s guidance and advice. Applying to college is a tricky, lengthy, and complex endeavor. Kristin helped me navigate it, coaching me step-by-step along the way: from coming up with a solid list of schools, to writing killer essays and applications. At the same time, Kristin guided me in managing my time and my stress — hers was the voice of reason I needed to get me through. I ultimately got into Yale and Princeton, my top choice schools. For that, I can’t thank Kristin enough. And although I’ve already graduated, I continue to reach out to Kristin. Whenever I need to talk about important decisions relating to my education or career, she’s the one I call.
Alex Shapiro, Yale c/o 2014, New York, NY
When I began to apply to colleges in 2007, a friend recommended Dr. Joys after she helped them navigate through an overwhelming process and transition. After a few sessions with Dr. Joys, we not only had a list of colleges in the categories of “reach,”good fit”,” and “safety,” but had also completed personality and career questionnaires that were immensely informative. I remember one of the career matches was “Firefighter;” Though I never pursued this recommendation, we discussed how this occupation was centered on service and I knew my future career would somehow be similar. Dr. Joys offered the perfect balance of pragmatism, inspiration, and accountability through the college application process. I received multiple acceptances, scholarship offers, and opportunities I know would not have been available if I had applied alone. She also helped me choose the right school amongst the various options, and prepare to be successful my freshman year. Flash forward five years later, and I was again overwhelmed by the process of applying to medical school. I reached out to Dr. Joys, and was gratefully surprised to find she had helped many students in their transitions to careers and graduate schools. Again, we made a list of schools, drafted hundreds of essay responses, perfected my personal statement, prepared for interviews, and then made the difficult yet wonderful decision to attend the University of Florida College of Medicine. UFCOM has been the perfect place to receive my medical education. I have been inspired by Dr. Joys’ dedication to her students and mentors, the sustainability of the planet, and importance of social entrepreneurship and service. Many other opportunities have come out of working with Dr. Joys- social entrepreneurship summer camp counselor, NobleHour blog writer, University of Florida graduate school TA paid work, and several volunteer positions. I am so grateful Dr. Joys has the passions that she does, for helping me discover my own, and then make them my reality.
Liz, Emory University c/o 2012, University of Florida Medical School c/o 2019
When our youngest son approached college age, he set his heart on the Gator Nation. The first three had swarmed successfully through Clemson so we had no ties to UF and no guidance support. This son was an over-achiever, a campus leader with multiple awards and scholarships, but we had watched great kids and great scores turned down right and left for years. UF Admissions seemed like a black hole, shrouded in mystery. Word of mouth sent us to Kristin, and what a whirlwind of value she turned out to be. Yes, he got into the only school he cared about attending, and yes he loved it every bit as well as he expected to (he’s currently finishing law school there). But for us, the true value gained from Kristin’s consult was far deeper. She helped an 18-year-old to identify and articulate his real purpose in longing for the orange and blue and to weigh what he would get with what he could give—and decide whether his first pick was honestly the best fit. Every family I have sent to Kristin since then has had the same result, with a variety of great schools. That ability to look at one’s purpose and stay the course with it intact is a skillset our son continued to use in class selection, UF student government, Blue Key and countless other campus situations. More important, those Kristin-driven skills will be valuable all of his life. I wish a Dr. Kristin Joys for every young person looking to find their unique, purpose-filled path to success.
Betty, Mom of T.Buddy Miller UF /o 2014, UF Law c/o 2019
Kristin is simply the most knowledgeable, resourceful person I know on a diverse range of topics, which is the reason she is the FIRST person I have gone to for several important needs. Kristin helped me navigate the period of my life in which I was moving through some career changes, and was instrumental in my admission to my graduate program and in my successful application for a scholarship. Her advice and assistance in those applications was invaluable, and resulted in me being able to receive my master's degree while saving approximately $20,000 in student loans. Once I graduated and moved back to Florida to start a new career, Kristin then helped me not only land a job doing exactly what I wanted (in a field that I was brand new in and which was also a very difficult field to find work in) by singing my praises to the organization, but she also helped me start my own business from day one. As she saw in me an ability to work in the world of academics (based on my experience as a graduate assistant), she suggested I try tutoring as a way to build upon my previous work, and then helped me connect with my first and second students as well as market my services. Through her unwavering support, I was able to build a successful business as a full-time tutor. Finally, when I applied for another degree program at the University of Florida, Kristin assisted me in my application process, and I truly believe her recommendation was the reason I was successfully admitted into a highly competitive program. I cannot speak more highly of Kristin's abilities and passion for what she does. She goes out of her way and above and beyond for her clients. She is the hardest working person I know and both knows her values and lives by them. Although I sometimes hesitate to ask because she's already done so much for me, I know that she will be there for me anytime I need it. Her networks run deep, which is why I sometimes refer to her as "The Godmother of Gainesville." No matter my question, she has an answer. If I need to connect with someone, she already knows them and introduces me. In other words, she is the most valuable resource I know, and I can't imagine where I would be now if not for her ongoing support.
Camille Jackson, M.S., All in Flow Tutoring & Mediation
http://www.allinflow.com, Gainesville/Portland