Kristen started Tierra Encantada with the sole purpose of creating a place she would send her own children - which she proudly did. Kristen had experienced childcare at other centers - and knew families wanted more. A place where diversity and inclusion weren't buzz words, but were embedded in the classroom environment ensuring all families felt welcomed and appreciated. A place where children learned a second language during the most critical time for language development, leaving them fluent in Spanish by age 5. A place where screens weren't used by children, and meals weren't chicken nuggets and pizza. And most importantly, a place where the hard-working educators were paid a living wage and provided a career with benefits.Since founding Tierra Encantada in 2013, Kristen has led the company through those values. Today, Tierra Encantada is the leader in Spanish immersion early education® and its unique approach to childcare includes an elevated culinary program providing children with fresh-cooked organic meals designed to expand young palates. Tierra Encantada has grown exponentially, first through corporate growth and then in 2019 launched franchising. Tierra Encantada has corporate and franchise locations across the country, and has aggressive growth plans to continue its national expansion. Kristen leads the company's senior management team, oversees strategic growth, and sets the vision for the company. She has led the company through year over year double-digit growth every single year since opening. Kristen has received numerous industry accolades for her business acumen and leadership, including Inc Magazine's "Top 100 Female Founders" and "10 Hottest Franchise Businesses in America", Financial Times "Fastest Growing Companies in the Americas", and the U.S. Small Business Administration's "Small Businessperson of the Year".Kristen is a serial entrepreneur and experienced speaker. Her entrepreneurial journey began with consulting, where she provided evaluation assistance to over twenty nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and tribal nations, such as designing Twin Cities Pride’s evaluation for its annual festival and parade. Kristen's real estate development company currently has a portfolio of over 100,000 square feet of commercial space, and she also co-founded two other companies that she later sold - a dog daycare and an event rental company.