Krystal Hardy Allen

Krystal Hardy Allen is the Founder & CEO of K. Allen Consulting™, a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, an education advocate, and well-respected former school leader. K. Allen Consulting™ is a global education consulting firm that equips and empowers nonprofits, businesses, and school systems through provision of professional development, thought leadership, and philanthropy. Having served over 196 organizations within the United States, South Africa, and Nigeria, K. Allen Consulting™ 's team of associate & senior consultants coach and develop organizational leaders through customized 1-on-1 sessions and whole group workshops; design curriculum and programmatic initiatives for schools and nonprofits; design strategic plans for a variety of organizational types; provides thought leadership around topics and issues within diversity, equity, and inclusion; and donates thousands of dollars annually directly to K-12 student initiatives and public education classroom teachers. She began her career teaching elementary school, serving as an instructional coach, then Asst. Principal, and finally leading as Principal. Krystal has been a guest of the White House in attendance of ESSA Policy formulation, as well as shadowed and featured by national media, such as Yahoo News, The Hechinger Report, Education Weekly, and The CS Monitor. She is a 2019 Gambit 40 Under 40 recipient for the city of New Orleans, was internationally named a 2019 Aspen Institute Ideas Festival Scholar, the 2016 Urban League of Louisiana Activist Award recipient, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of KID smART. A first-generation college graduate, Krystal earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, IN), M.Ed. from NLU-Chicago, and is currently completing her Ph.D in K-12 Urban Educational Leadership from Columbia University (NYC). Krystal's work and passion for social justice, adult learning, and organizational development are the driving forces of her firm’s work, her leadership, and her commitment to educational equity.