Kristi Hoss Schiller is the visionary founder of K9s.org, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating safer communities through innovative K-9 programs. Since founding K9s4COPs in 2010, Kristi has helped place over 300 highly trained police dogs in communities across the globe. These K-9 teams have confiscated over 300,000 weapons, seized more than $8 billion in contraband and assisted in over half a million felony arrests, all while protecting over 2.5 million students every day.
In 2013, Kristi expanded her mission with K9s4KIDs, focusing on school safety, and in 2024, she launched K9s4CARE in partnership with Davin HealthCare to support healthcare workers facing mental health and addiction crises. These initiatives reflect her commitment to addressing critical public safety and healthcare needs with forward-thinking solutions.
Kristi’s work is inspired by her own journey of resilience, having survived personal challenges, including six strokes, a kidnapping and sexual assault. Kristi is an early internet pioneer, starting her media rise in the 1990s. Kristi has transformed her platform into a force for good, leveraging her influence to champion causes that save lives and strengthen communities.
Through K9s.org and her role as a speaker and storyteller, Kristi empowers others to take action, proving that anyone can make an extraordinary difference with determination and purpose.