Krystal Clark Builds Community and Fosters Inclusion in Nashville and Beyond

Krystal Clark’s personal and professional mission is to “equip others to thrive”—especially those from historically excluded populations. An educator and community builder, Clark launched her own business, Equip To Thrive, in 2020 to offer “compassionate personal and professional development opportunities” to “talented and imperfect” people. With nearly two decades of experience in higher education, student affairs, leadership development, sorority life, and more, she hosts workshops and speaks to thousands of individuals across the country. In this role, her job as Director of Employee Learning and Engagement at Vanderbilt University, and as a Member of the Junior League of Nashville, Clark provides people with life-changing tools to tap into their leadership skills and impact their communities.

After being part of the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties in North Carolina, Clark moved to Nashville. Seeking community, connection, and growth in her new city, she joined the Junior League of Nashville and made it her goal to “serve as an invitation for women from historically excluded populations to want to seek membership, feel able to, and have a positive member experience.” She also aims to “make sure that we are building equity, diversity, and inclusion into all elements of the organization in which I serve.”

Clark’s passion for and experience with building community, leadership, and equity, diversity, and inclusion led her to become the first Black President of the Junior League of Nashville. As President, she focused on expanding communications with other women through social media, chronicling both her League’s work and her experience as President. By embracing social media as a community-building tool, Clark encouraged and inspired other women, especially Black women, to join her League.

As a person who is certified in CliftonStrengths and subscribes to the philosophy of Strengths-based leading and living, Clark believes that no one person has to be everything. We each bring something unique to the table, and we are more powerful when we combine our strengths. “We are meant to complement each other and to create opportunities for all of us to bring our unique mixture of talents to the forefront, to openly appreciate each other's differences, and to deeply understand that we need each to create positive change in this world,” she says.