Originally from Oakland California, Kristine began InSpira in May 2002

with 14 kids in the basement of a church. With hard work, building the right

relationships and perseverance InSpira has grown to have almost 300 students and

16 faculty and administrative team members. She has been dancing since she was

age 3 and truly has a passion for impacting the lives of others through dance, music

and cultural experiences. Kristine received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass

Media Arts, from Clark Atlanta University. She received her Master of Science

Degree in Sports Administration from George State University. In 2010, she was

the winner of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership’s Business Plan

Competition in which she won $25,000. In 2014 she graduated from the prestigious

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program. Kristine is among the

prestigious High Performance Forum Alumni with World Thought Leader Darren

Hardy. In December 2018, she became a graduate for the Rutgers University

Entrepreneurship Pioneers Initiative Program and October 2019 she became an

Alumna of the Small Business Administration Emerging Leaders Program.

Because making an impact in the lives of children as at her core on November 17,

2019 she launched her children’s coloring book Let’s Dance “An Inspirational

Coloring Book for Kids Who Love to Dance”. The proceeds for this book go

toward dance scholarships for children interested in dance at InSpira. On InSpira’s

Founders Day May 14th, 2019 she and her husband Leon announced that they are

opening a second location in Newark in Teachers Village in the Fall 2019. This

dream actually happened January 25, 2020!

Family, Community and Service are Kristine’s lifeblood. InSpira began their formal scholarship program in 2006 and is now in its sixth year of a scholarship partnership with Franklin Middle School’s Dance Program. Kristine served on the Board for Dance New Jersey the state organization that gives voice to dance and its supporters from 206-2021, and is currently on the advisory panel for Youth Protection Advocates in Dance. She is proud of InSpira’s name in the community. InSpira performs at various events including The Three Doctors Foundation Holiday Basketball Benefit and Hyacinth World Aids Day celebration. A truly proud moment was when InSpira had the honor of performing for the UNCF’s Mayor’s Ball in Newark in 2015. Kristine is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was initiated at Clark Atlanta University’s Sigma Chapter and is a current member of Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter. She has received numerous honors including Woman of Achievement Award from the Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Pearl Award of the Arts from the, Nu Xi Omega Chapter’s Charitable Arm of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Citizen of the Year from the Omicron Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and the 2019 Leadership in the Arts from National Council of Negro Women NJ Chapter. She has been a member of More Than Just Great Dancing since 2016 and in 2019 received the Inspiration award from Founder Misty Lown.

Kristine is the proud wife of Leon Smith and they have twin daughters Kiara and Kiana.