Kristal Pacific

Kristal Pacific is a Brooklyn-born, first-generation Caribbean New Yorker who is deeply committed to driving positive change. An integral part of her origin story and continued practice, Kristal is a trained soprano (B.M. Music History & Classical Voice, Boyer College of Music) with varied international performance experience as a soloist and member of several prolific ensembles.

Kristal has had an active career as a cultural worker, holding fundraising positions for organizations such as Symphony Space and Harlem Stage, and serving as an adjunct instructor for Drexel University’s Arts Administration and Museum Leadership graduate program (her alma mater). Devoted to being an empathic cultural sector changemaker, she was selected as a Sphinx Organization LEADer in Excellence, Arts & Diversity in 2019, and as a member of artEquity’s inaugural BIPOC leadership circle in partnership with Yale School of Drama in 2020. A recipient of a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University, Kristal has since emerged as a philanthropy practitioner dedicated to promoting equity and supporting those who make our communities more enjoyable for everyone.

As the first Director of Social Equity and Grantmaking at OPERA America, Kristal implemented national grants programs and social justice initiatives. Later, she managed hyper-local cultural investments in organizations near her current residence in Harlem as a Program Officer at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation. Now, as a Program Officer at the Howard Gilman Foundation, Kristal is thrilled to champion New York City’s vibrant cultural community, ensuring equitable access to the arts for all in the city she loves.