About Kristyl Nelson
Kristyl Nelson Global COO, Real Estate Developer & Founder, Operator, and Builder Driving Operational Precision and Sustainability
Kristyl Nelson is a global leader in hospitality and real estate, building world-class destinations that merge culture, wellness, and luxury through operational excellence. With over 15 years of experience, she has developed multifamily projects, scaled business operations, and led teams across different industries. Today, she drives large-scale developments throughout the USA, Caribbean and expanding into the Middle East, creating systems that turn strategy into seamless execution.
Early Life & Entrepreneurial Beginnings
Kristyl Nelson is an American businesswoman, founder, and visionary Global COO, a luxury hospitality real estate investor and developer whose career blends entrepreneurial courage with disciplined execution.
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Kristyl grew up surrounded by both creativity and commerce. Her father, John Nelson, is an internationally recognized master pencil artist, and her mother, Cassandra Nelson, is an economist, real estate investor, and businesswoman. From them, Kristyl learned that artistry and enterprise together could build something lasting that vision means little without structure, and creativity becomes powerful when paired with execution.
Her entrepreneurial spirit emerged early. From selling snacks and beauty products in school to producing fashion shows and mentoring peers, Kristyl showed a natural instinct for leadership and innovation. She began working in her parents’ childcare business at 13, where she learned the fundamentals of operations and management. Under her mother’s mentorship, she was introduced to real estate investing and deal-making, gaining hands-on experience as her mother completed more than 60 fix-and-flip and multifamily property projects across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. By 18, Kristyl purchased her first investment property.
In 2003, she attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where she built the foundation for her future ventures in business, design, and hospitality blending her creative eye with the business acumen that would later define her leadership style.
Building Ventures & Mastering Finance
In 2006, Kristyl moved to Negril, Jamaica to run The Palms Resort. As Operations Manager, she alongside her team transformed it into one of Negril’s top boutique resorts. She also launched Kristyl’s International Restaurant, which became the #1 dining destination on TripAdvisor for three consecutive years.
By her late twenties, Kristyl was leading multiple ventures, including co-founding Lash Love, one of the first luxury mink lash brands in the U.S., which she successfully exited and sold to a cosmetics company. Guided early on by her entrepreneurial parents, she embraced financial discipline, legacy building, and the power of imagination to think big. Along the way, she mastered advanced wealth-building strategies from Index Universal Life (IUL) insurance to real estate reinvestment achieving millionaire status by age 27.
Back in the U.S., Kristyl founded Plentii LLC, a financial services firm for entrepreneurs and government contractors, and co-founded University for Kids, with her hand selected team scaling it to 4 locations producing over $3.5M annual revenue per location. She also partnered on 20+ multifamily real estate deals, honing expertise in acquisitions and development.
Global Leadership & Lasting Legacy
Today, as Co-Founder, President & Global COO of Kindah Enterprises, Kristyl oversees operations spanning HR, IT, construction, branding, investor relations, and marketing. She leads large-scale developments such as the 200+ room expansion of High Life Resort & Spa in Jamaica and Kindah City in the Middle East, ensuring execution with precision and accountability. Recognized for reducing liabilities by over 40% and building high-performing global teams, Kristyl consistently delivers measurable and sustainable results.
A wellness advocate and connector, she integrates mindfulness and intentional design into hospitality projects redefining luxury as a lifestyle, not just a destination. Kristyl studied Business, Commercial Real Estate, and Blockchain & Digital Assets at The Wharton School, attended FIT in New York, and serves on the boards of Removing Borders Non-Profit and the Brighter Futures Foundation.
A powerhouse entrepreneur and operator, Kristyl is shaping the future of global hospitality by blending luxury, sustainability, and wellness into iconic developments that create lasting legacies.