About the Author – Kristen Nicole Powell
Kristen Nicole Powell
I am a writer, advocate, and storyteller whose work is grounded in lived experience.
My life has been shaped by foster care, incarceration, human trafficking, and systemic harm—and by the ongoing work of surviving those experiences while building something beyond them. I do not write from distance or theory. I write from memory, reflection, and lived consequence.
My writing lives at the intersection of survival, healing, and justice. It explores what it means to navigate systems that were never built to protect you, to parent and lead while still healing, and to transform pain into purpose without romanticizing the cost.
Beyond Writing
My advocacy grew out of survival—and into Action.
I am the co-founder of The Lost & Found Institute, a nonprofit organization committed to people impacted by trauma and systems to heal and honor our humanity while working to eliminate oppression. Through this work, I collaborate with youth and young adults impacted by systems of care, incarceration, trafficking, and violence—supporting transformative organizing, liberation, and healing rooted in lived experience.
My work spans public speaking, journalism, policy advocacy, and community-centered organizing. I have worked alongside justice-centered organizations and national initiatives focused on youth leadership, survivor-informed systems change, and healing-centered policy. Across every space, my role remains the same: to elevate lived experience as expertise and to ensure directly impacted people are not only included, but trusted and valued.
This work informs my writing—and my writing informs the work.
Why I Share My Story
I believe lived experience is expertise.
I believe healing is not separate from justice.
And I believe telling the truth—even when it’s unfinished—matters.
I share my story for connection, accountability, and change. This website is a place where survival is honored, complexity is allowed, and becoming is still in motion.
This space holds that belief.
