Editor’s Note: This October, we will celebrate our 30th class of 40 Under Forty honorees. Each week in 2022, The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia will highlight one of our 2021 40 Under Forty honorees leading up to the announcement of our milestone class this fall.
Kyle Kramer has no shortage of individual achievements to his name, but he is a big believer in the transformational power of teamwork.
“When you get a band of people together and set high standards and high goals, you can motivate a large group of people to make positive change in the community,” Kramer said.
In his role at Eastman, Kramer has a knack for bringing everyone to the table and getting results.
Armed with a 3-D model of Eastman’s fibers pilot plant, Kramer gathered individuals from all over the organization to brainstorm ways to create a more efficient workflow. Those in attendance were able to add, move and remove equipment from the model in an effort to create efficiencies, and Kramer worked with Eastman engineers to make those ideas a reality.
Kramer now works in the Corporate Innovation office where he works as a Growth Process Steward in an effort to help Eastman carry out its circular economy initiatives. He is also involved in the community in many ways both through his role as Eastman and beyond.
Being raised in our region, Kramer is passionate about extending his roots here and making our area a better place for all people to call home. His work through a non-profit organization called AdaptoPlay allows him to take his engineering background to improve the lives of children with different abilities by adapting toys in a way that allows the children to play with them.
Kramer said Alex Nelson, a fellow board member at AdaptoPlay, has served as a mentor to him.
“In terms of having that mentor and that coach, it’s fundamental, especially as a young and riding leader,” Kramer said.
Kramer added that Nelson’s most valuable advice has been not to sweat the small stuff and instead keep his eyes on the big picture. That has been particularly useful as Kramer worked to earn an MBA degree from Duke University during the pandemic with designs on finding new ways to help make our region a better place.
“I want to stick around the community and continue to make a positive change,” he said.
Next week we will profile Cameron Lanier of Johnson City Medical Center. If you would like to nominate someone for inclusion in the 2022 class of 40 Under Forty, visit 40under.com and follow the instructions.
