Every child has a story. The stories that stick with Chris Hoyt have inspired him to dedicate his career to helping youth build brighter futures.
Long before helping organizations strengthen their strategy and operations, Chris was working directly with children and young people. What began as managing a summer camp for kids grew into a lifelong passion for helping children discover their potential. That passion eventually led him to a career in international development work for the past two decades, where he saw firsthand how transformational support can change the trajectory of a child’s life.
“I have always been drawn to the people and stories behind our mission. The relationships are what make the work so meaningful. My role is helping to turn that purpose into action so we can serve children and families more effectively,” says Chris, who holds two leadership roles at Children International, a global nonprofit that empowers children and youth in 10 countries to forge a path out of poverty. He is the organization’s Vice President of Enterprise Transformation and Chief of Staff for the Chief Operating Officer.
Some of the most inspiring stories for Chris come from former program participants who are now creating change in their own communities. During a recent visit to Zambia, he met George S., an entrepreneur who owns a thriving construction company.
“Several of George’s employees in his company are former participants in our program who grew up alongside him,” Chris shares. “Hearing him speak about the encouragement, training and opportunities he received through Children International was a powerful reminder of what is possible when potential is met with opportunity.”
Chris (far right) with Children International’s leadership team and George (in hard hat), a former program participant who now owns a construction company.
Chris’ journey has taken him across continents in a variety of leadership roles. He spent 11 years living throughout Mexico, Cameroon, Malawi and Guatemala.
Before joining Children International in 2020, Chris was with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), where he was National Director in Guatemala before moving into the role of Chief Operating Officer. There, he worked closely with national directors across multiple countries, helping transform organizational processes so teams could better serve children and families.
Along the way, he gained a unique perspective on both the relational and operational sides of development work. He values planning, strategy and organizational effectiveness, while staying connected to the people at the heart of the mission.
Driven by a desire to reach even more children, Chris joined Children International to help deliver on its mission to help break the cycle of generational poverty.
As the VP of Enterprise Transformation, he ensures the organization’s strategy of growing the number of children served and deepening its impact becomes reality. His team supports change management, project management and internal communications – enabling employees across the world to stay aligned around shared priorities and goals. In Chris’ additional responsibility as Chief of Staff, he tackles day-to-day operations for the organization as well as making sure annual goals move forward, top priorities remain clear and teams can respond quickly to challenges.
See Chris’ bio on Children International’s leadership profiles.
Chris seeing Path of Opportunity in action with Barbara Paanakker, Global Philanthropy Council co-chair.
“At its core, the work is about bringing people together around a common vision,” Chris says. “Strategy doesn’t live on a piece of paper. It comes to life through the people carrying it out every day. When we’re all working toward the same goals, we have a greater impact on the children and communities we serve.”
For instance, Children International recently launched its evolved program model, The Path of Opportunity. Through its robust curriculum and supportive environments, the organization empowers youth - ages 2 to 24 - at every stage of development and brings the programming to local neighborhoods for easier access. It was a two-year effort to pilot and scale the program across multiple countries. This took the entire organization working in lock-step together to successfully deliver.
As Children International celebrates 90 years of impact and helping children break the cycle of poverty, Chris is energized by the opportunities ahead. He believes the organization’s greatest strength is its people, including staff, volunteers and supporters around the world who make the mission possible.
“As we look to the future, I invite our supporters to continue growing with us,” Chris says. “I’m excited about our path forward. Together, we can help more children reach their potential and create lasting change for generations to come.”
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