Our Founder
Kristin Smith Westbrook
July 3, 1961 - February 29, 2024
In Memoriam
Kristin Elizabeth Smith Westbrook, a visionary creative, wellness entrepreneur, and passionate meditation teacher, passed away on Thursday, February 29, 2024, at the age of 56 after living with metastatic breast cancer.
Kristin moved from New Jersey to New York City in 1985 to attend the School of Visual Arts, where she studied graphic design. She went on to build a distinguished career as a designer and art director, holding leadership roles at Allure, Elle, Elle Decor, Harper’s Bazaar, and Shop Etc. She also served as Art Director for American Express Custom Publishing, Design Director for Sears Roebuck and Kmart, and Creative Director for DirectTV.
She began meditating in 2001 to manage the high-pressure demands of her creative career and the relentless pace of New York City. Over time, meditation became a deeply personal and healing practice, especially after her diagnosis with metastatic breast cancer. Drawing inspiration from the food trucks that dotted midtown Manhattan, Kristin envisioned a mobile sanctuary where New Yorkers could step inside for a few quiet moments of stillness—without needing to travel far or commit hours of their day.
That idea became Calm City, New York’s first mobile meditation studio. In 2015, Kristin purchased and renovated a 1976 GMC RV, transforming it into a peaceful oasis on wheels. By 2017, she was parking Calm City on some of the city’s busiest streets, inviting curious passersby to experience 10-minute meditation sessions—many for the first time. As word spread, Calm City began to appear at health fairs, wellness events, corporate offices, and schools.
Kristin’s work soon expanded into custom programming for Fortune 500 companies, universities, and city agencies—including the Brooklyn Public Library, the Brooklyn Half Marathon, Fordham University, the Swedish Institute, and NYC Health + Hospitals. She also partnered with the City of New York to support WorkWell NYC, reaching over 380,000 municipal employees across departments such as Child Protective Services and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. During the pandemic, she continued to offer mindfulness through virtual sessions and online programs.
Beyond Calm City, Kristin developed Good Life, a line of meditation timers and self-care tools; co-created Good Work!, a board game designed to promote compassion in the workplace; co-founded MyndSet, a curated collection of wellbeing resources; and authored The Luckiest Unlucky Person I Know: A Practical Memoir in 2023.
Kristin was certified in meditation instruction by the Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science in partnership with The Path. Her extensive training also included:
Compassion Cultivation Training with Dr. Leah Weiss at Stanford University
Mindfulness Fundamentals and Mindful Communication with Mindful Schools
Transcendental Meditation technique
Mental Health First Aid
Kristin’s life was guided by a quiet determination to help others heal. Through her innovative work, she made meditation accessible, inclusive, and truly mobile—bringing moments of calm to people right where they were. She credited meditation with helping her face life’s most profound challenges, and she dedicated herself to empowering others to find peace within.
Kristin’s creativity, humor, and compassion live on through the many lives she touched.
A Personal Note
I met Kristin several years ago when she was looking for a meditation teacher for Calm City. Though we had attended the same trainings at the Nalanda Institute — just at different times — we quickly became fast friends. It felt as though we had known each other for years. We often joked that we were “sisters from another mother.”
Our values were deeply aligned — both in our approach to teaching meditation and mindfulness with care and responsibility, and in our shared backgrounds as creatives in the fields of design and art. Before long, we were working together, and I became Calm City’s program director. As two often-lonely freelancers, we were both thrilled to have found a collaborator and a kindred spirit. I never set out to take over Calm City — Kristin was its founder, and I was simply grateful to be part of its growth.
Kristin was a truly wonderful person — warm, open-hearted, and deeply generous with her time and spirit. She was surrounded by a wide circle of meaningful friendships, each one a reflection of her capacity to connect with others on a deep level. I admired her tenacity, her humor, and her unshakable drive. What amazed me most was how she founded and built Calm City during some of the most difficult years of her life — all while living with metastatic breast cancer.
Cancer never defined Kristin. It was simply part of her reality, one she met with grace, courage, and honesty. She continued to show up — for her work, for her friends, and for herself — and in doing so, she inspired so many, especially those facing similar challenges. Kristin embodied the power of mindfulness in action. She was a living example of how these practices can support us in navigating life’s most painful experiences — not by escaping them, but by meeting them with presence and compassion. Through her life and work, she showed us that even in the midst of suffering, it is still possible to live with joy.
This has been a profoundly difficult time as I step into the role of carrying Calm City forward. I miss Kristin every single day. And yet, alongside the sorrow, I feel immense gratitude — for the responsibility she entrusted to me, and for the rare and beautiful friendship we shared. It is my heartfelt intention to continue building on her legacy, guided by the values we held in common and the vision she brought to life.
The last thing Kristin said to me during a hospital visit was, “It was kismet that we met.” At the time, I wasn’t ready to fully grasp that she was preparing for a different journey — but I understand now. And I carry those words with me as both comfort and calling. It was kismet. And it’s with that same sense of purpose and connection that I will continue the work we began together.
With Love,
Patricia
