Krysti’s art practice developed after a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome, which became Persistent Post Concussion Syndrome. Although people frequently commented on her creativity, she never made art before her injury. After her accident, she began picking up rusted metals on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. That led to a land art practice at Fort Tilden Beach, which led to taking welding classes. Five years after her accident, she made her first sculpture. She was awarded an Artist in Residency at Wassaic Project in April 2020, attending in September 2022. Many synchronicities occurred in 2023 and Krysti knew she wanted to work with people who had TBIs. During an overdue, self-healing journey, she realized how much being part of a community would have supported her healing journey. The application process to the dual Masters Program in East-West Psychology and MFA at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) provided clarity for her as she wrote about the impact the degree work would have on a population of people who have suffered neuro-disruptions and found art, or a creative process, soothing during their healing.

Professional Experience and Education:

Krysti holds a dual MBA from Columbia University and The University of California, Berkeley. She is a second-semester student in the East-West Psychology Master Degree and joint MFA program at CIIS. She’s completed the Hakomi Somatic Coaching Certification, ACT Leadership Coaching Program with Brown University, the Sacred Vibes Spiritual Herbalism Apprenticeship, the MIT Neuroscience for Business Course, the Plant Spirit School Integration Coaching program, the Mycology Psychology Microdose Practitioner program, and the Boulder Hypnotherapy program with special course work in Trauma & PTSD.

Before her accident, she was a Managing Director at Guggenheim Partners. She was a Corporate Officer at Walmart, where she ran a $2.5B business and was selected for the CEO Leadership program. She has led Merchandising, Design, E-commerce, Sourcing, Licensing, and Marketing teams. Her retail apparel experience extends to Old Navy and Macy’s.