Carole Crist “First Lady of Florida”
Champion for Those in Need
Carole Crist sees her role in society as one of public benefit. After an esteemed career in private business and public life, it’s now all about how and whom she can help. While many know Carole Crist as the former First Lady of Florida, she is equally known in philanthropic circles as a champion for those in need. Her personal and professional experiences in public and private life have honed her understanding of the impoverished and the underserved, giving her a unique perspective on the “who” and “how” one can make a difference.
Fisher Island
Crist is a native New Yorker, but now calls Fisher Island, Florida home. After earning a degree from Georgetown University Business School, she went on to take the reins of her family’s 100-year-old Halloween company for 25 years and built a global private jet business, among her various corporate ventures.
Impact Investing
This path has led Carole into the world of “impact investing.” People invest money to advance a social agenda and expand opportunities for those in need, typically in the technology sphere. Developing disruptive technologies not only shakes things up, but also brings positive 21st-century solutions to the problems facing society today and generates outsized returns to investors. To paraphrase JFK, impact investing is the proverbial “rising tide that lifts all boats.”
Capital with a Conscience
If impact investing is the tide, then Carole Crist is a wavemaker. Carole is the Founder of CLC Global Advisors, a firm that works alongside select clients and family offices whose shared objective is to build businesses that can have a significant impact around the world. Coining the phrase “capital with a conscience,” Carole and fellow business leaders have made waves in various industries. “Investors have myriad choices for how to allocate human and financial capital. Why not deploy it with a purpose into ventures that have a positive impact on people’s lives? It is classic doing well by doing good,” she says.
Women in Leadership
Carole’s foremost passion is the advancement of women in business. She emphasizes a shocking statistic: only 2% of venture capital dollars go to companies founded by women. This is a tremendous disparity she hopes to rectify by both raising awareness and actively engaging in female startups. It is worth noting research shows that businesses with women founders tend to have a higher rate of success. “I see elevating women as my highest calling”, she says. Crist believes we must do all we can to support women in business and fuel their success. “By helping women break into the technology field and the venture capital realm, I know that our world will be more equitable, inclusive and successful for generations to come.” cvlcglobaladvisors.com
