Tori Kaplan

About Tori Kaplan

Raised in hospitality, I learned to read a room, anticipate needs, and design experiences where people feel valued. That foundation in relational intelligence and experience design has shaped every step of my career, from boardrooms to community partnerships, anchoring my belief that business is about people, trust, connection, and shared outcomes. Today, I bring that blend of hospitality instincts, corporate strategy, and systems-level thinking to new frontiers, whether advising on community affairs, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, or guiding philanthropic investment. My work is fueled by creativity, optimism, and a belief that business can be a catalyst for resilience, sustainability, and progress.Across these experiences, I have reported to boards, regulators, and institutional investors, translating vision into strategy and strategy into impact. I thrive in ambiguity, turning complexity into clear direction and decisive action. I am known for expansive vision, disciplined execution, and the ability to mobilize and align diverse stakeholders around shared goals. By embedding sustainability, governance, stakeholder engagement, and reputational stewardship into enterprise strategy, I have helped organizations mitigate risk, attract investment, and unlock growth opportunities that endure.Over the course of my career, I have grown into Fortune 300 leadership, building enterprise strategies that embed corporate responsibility, sustainability, and community and public affairs into the DNA of multibillion-dollar organizations. At CSX, I reimagined rail corridors as civic assets and pioneered Beyond Our Rails, a cultural shift in how infrastructure companies engage communities. I navigated crisis with transparency, aligned public-private partnerships, and turned operational urgency into opportunities for trust-building and long-term impact. At Truist, I built the bank’s first corporate responsibility and sustainability function during its high-stakes merger. I established governance and reporting frameworks, mobilized philanthropic platforms, and aligned strategy with stakeholder trust at a time of rapid transformation. I co-led pandemic relief and recovery programs that integrated philanthropy, lending, and volunteerism to support communities at scale.Board service as Chair of Carolina Farm Trust and Trustee of the Atlanta Botanical Garden deepens my commitment to mission-driven governance and reinforces the value of aligning organizational priorities with community impact.

Experience

1. Founder

   The Tori Collective, Llc

   Sep 2025 — Present · Atlanta, GA, US

   The Tori Collective, LLC is a creative strategy and impact consultancy that bridges business, culture, community, and sustainability. Advises corporations, companies, and leaders on how to align business goals with cultural resonance, mobilize partnerships, and design legacy programs that endure.From sustainability and philanthropy to experiential design and stakeholder engagement, The Tori Collective curates initiatives that inspire action and deliver measurable outcomes. Its work spans guiding executives, supporting family offices, and building community investment platforms—all with a focus on integrating strategy, innovation, and long-term sustainability into business objectives.

Education

• LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine

  Grand Diplome

• James Madison University

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Business Adminstration and Hotel Restaurant Management

Skills

• Leadership
• Foundation Management
• Corporate Communications
• Public Speaking
• Team Building
• Management
• Program Management
• Hospitality
• Budgets
• Community Outreach
• Freight
• Operations Management
• Project Management
• Event Planning
• Customer Service
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Sustainability
• Nonprofits
• Event Management
• Crisis Response
• Fundraising
• Community Relations Management
• Marketing Strategy
• Collective Impact
• Public Relations
• Logistics Management
• Change Management
• Executive Leadership
• Strategic Planning
• Logistics
• Business Outcomes
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Social Media
• Transportation Management