Make every curveball your competitive edge with the THRIVE Code.
Six plays. Measurable wins. Proven from the kitchen table to the C-suite.
Trusted by Global Leaders to Drive Resilience, Innovation, and Inclusion
Expertise That Matters
Expertise That Transforms Organizations & Families
Resilient Parenting
Guiding families from “devastation to dignity” while raising high-achieving champions. Practical strategies for parents facing unexpected challenges.
Blindness Advocacy & Accessibility
World-renowned leader changing how the world “sees” blindness. Transforming perceptions into possibilities through advocacy, education, and systemic change.
The THRIVE Code™ (Resilience)
A proprietary formula for moving from frustration to flourishing in any environment. Science-backed strategies for individuals and organizations.
The Framework
The THRIVE Code™: Your Blueprint for Resilience
Thriving is LESS about perfect circumstances and MORE about finding the perspective, purpose, and possibility in the situation you’re currently facing. This repeatable, scalable model is used by Fortune 500 companies and school districts to transform setbacks into breakthroughs.
T
Transform
H
Harness
R
Resilience
I
Innovate
V
Vision
E
Execute
Research & Entrepreneurship
A Global Leader in Rare Disease Innovation & Clinical Strategy
As the founder of the Curing Retinal Blindness Foundation (CRBF), Kristin is a clinical strategist who helped bring the first gene therapy for an inherited retinal disease to FDA approval.
She is currently bridging the gap between patient experience and medical breakthroughs through her upcoming published study and advocacy work at the highest levels of medical research.
Meet Kristin
The Expert Who Cracked the Code on Adversity
Kristin Smedley is the award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and mother who defied every grim prediction by raising two blind sons who became champions on and off the field.
Her signature strategies—developed in the face of the impossible—now fuel Fortune 500 companies, universities, and global conferences with tools to thrive, innovate, and win.
Audiences don’t just leave inspired—they leave equipped to transform setbacks into breakthroughs and achieve extraordinary success.
“I defied every grim prediction by raising two blind sons who became champions on and off the field.”
In Their Own Words
What People Are Saying
“She just changed my life.”
ACRP Annual Conference Attendee
“Kristin’s participation in ACRP’s panel discussion opened the minds and hearts of our members and conference attendees. She helped to raise awareness for the critical topic of accessibility.”
Susan Landis
Executive Director, ACRP
“Sharing her personal stories not only kept my attention, it made this talk relatable. Kristin’s journey has given me great insight for my work.”
Mississippi Association for Education and Rehabilitation
“Kristin is a passionate advocate for rare eye diseases. She is a recognized leader and often sought after for her insights and guidance. She has moved mountains for her community.”
Nicole Boice
Founder, Global Genes
Featured Talk
How I Learned to See Through the Eyes of My Sons
TEDxLincolnSquare
Watch Kristin in Action
Featured Videos
DEI Keynote Panel
Executive Director, ACRP
Curveball: The Movie
If Erin Brockovich & Rocky Had a Baby It Would Be THIS FILM
EXPLORE
Ways to Work with Kristin
The Book That Started It All
Thriving Blind
This book will transform your idea of what is possible for people who encounter a devastating life event and will catapult your motivation to set extraordinary expectations for your own life.
Stories of real people succeeding without sight—proving that thriving through life’s curveballs is NOT about waiting for perfect circumstances.
Hey there! I’m Kristin. You’ll see around my website here that I smile a lot. It’s kind of my thing. I can find happy no matter the hell that is happening. I’m wired that way. However, there was a time that I couldn’t find happy anywhere in anything. It was when I heard the words, “Your son is blind.”
That little sentence was a sucker punch to my heart that knocked me down for a while. I was scared. Terrified actually. And honestly, I was pissed off. Blind? Are you kidding me? As if that wasn’t enough, my second child was diagnosed with the same blindness three years later.
A double dose of darkness.
Well, not exactly. Once I learned to SEE blindness differently, my life filled with light and joy… and my smile returned! When I stopped seeing blindness as a barrier and instead focused on addressing the real barriers (access to the right tools, etc) my fear, anger, and grief disappeared and I was able to enjoy the journey of raising three humans with unique purposes in this world.
I will help you through your challenge too.
I know what that unexpected sucker punch to your heart feels like. I can’t take your challenges away, but I can walk with you and give you the tools I use to come through that stuff brilliant, not broken.
If you are a parent or caregiver of a blind or visually impaired child or are struggling with blindness yourself, please START HERE.
Look Again!
What if the first story you tell yourself isn’t the whole story?