Hey there, to say I’m glad you’re here is an understatement!!

I’m Kristina, the heart and hustle behind October Olives.

A 41-year-old healthcare leader, proud mom of two incredible kids, and married for 13 years. I’m also a full-time doctoral student pursuing my DBA (Doctor of Business Administration), balancing career, family, and academia one coffee-fueled day at a time.

This site is more than just a space to support my dissertation research; it results from years of lived experience, love, and loss. After the passing of my brother, I founded a nonprofit focused on reducing the stigma surrounding addiction and advocating for organ donation. That mission has evolved into something much bigger, and today, I co-chair the Gift of Life BERG (Business Employee Resource Group) at my workplace, helping to drive awareness and systemic change around organ donation from within one of the largest healthcare organizations in the U.S.

After experiencing the second deeply painful loss of one of my dearest friends, CJ, a woman who embodied ambition, deep love for her son, and an unwavering commitment to doing it all, I found myself heartbroken again, and searching. CJ could light up a room with her drive and make space for her career dreams and her family with grace and grit. She was one of us, the women trying to balance everything, bedtime stories, late-night emails, and early-morning day care drop-offs. She gave her all. And still, it didn’t feel like the world gave enough back.

In the months that followed, I kept returning to this quiet, aching question: How many other women are out there doing the same… pushing, stretching, sacrificing, often without the support they deserve? And how could I create something that made a slight difference for them?

That question became the tiny seed of October Olives.

In my professional life, I’m lucky to work alongside some of the most inspiring mentors and leaders in the field. I’m passionate about improving the patient experience and endlessly grateful for the network of support that surrounds and challenges me every day.

I am the firstborn to my parents, and with that comes its own set of expectations. I always knew I wanted both a career and children. While I was told, “You can do anything,” the unspoken message seemed to be, “...but maybe not everything at once, and also, you may have to give something up.” And that’s where things got complicated: how do you “do it all” when traditional gender roles are still whispering in your head and heart?

That tension between motherhood, ambition, guilt, and growth is the heartbeat of this journey. My kids may no longer be newborns, but their need for me hasn’t lessened; it’s just transformed. Instead of midnight feedings, it’s late-night chats about their day or their own set of challenges they are experiencing and looking to vent about, it’s cheering on the sidelines at hockey and soccer games, and quietly wondering if I was kind enough and did I apologize when I was wrong? Did I pay too much attention to meetings where I was needed even though I had a little voice behind me that needed me… but I was able to drown out the guilt that comes with that entire scenario. The challenges evolve, but they never really disappear.

October Olives is where the personal and professional collide… a space rooted in resilience, purpose, and unapologetic honesty. Whether you’re here for inspiration, shared experiences, or to follow the journey of a woman refusing to shrink in the face of complexity, I’m so glad you’re here.