Kristin Johnson

CEO & Co-founder, Hotwire Communications, Fort Lauderdale

Johnson co-founded Hotwire Communications, now a national leader in fiber optic technology, in 2002. The company provides voice, video and internet services to residential customers. Its high-speed service is prized by gamers throughout the Southeast, earning PC Magazine’s “Best Gaming ISP” in 2021. The company’s network footprint reaches across Florida, Georgia, Texas, Nevada, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and California, with more than 1,100 employees. The company's charitable arm, the Empowering Communities Foundation, has focused its attention on the digital divide. Established in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation helps school-aged children who did not have the digital connectivity required for at-home learning. Along with devices and internet access, their connection kits provided headphones and school supplies.

EDUCATION: Lawrence University (BA)