Kristin Barber ’93 ’02 MA

Entrepreneur, High School Teacher and Owner of Fearless Management Talent Company

Kristin Barber ’93 didn’t major in expanding her horizons, but she has made a business of it. Since graduating from Montclair State University, Kristin has dabbled in many different industries. Kristin worked for a talent agency in NYC, obtained her master’s of the arts in teaching with a concentration in Biology, became a high school teacher in Newark, started her own production company, Fearless Management, and opened New Jersey’s first cat café.

When asked about her time at Montclair State, Kristin replies, “I loved my time at Montclair State! I went to Montclair State as an undergrad and lived on campus for all four years. My major was Communication Studies and I was able to earn credits doing an internship in my senior year. Because of this internship, I was able to secure a job as an assistant agent before I even graduated at one of the top talent agencies in NYC.”

During her time at the agency where she interned and later landed a job, Kristin represented top clients such as Ellen Pompeo, Hayden Panitierre, Zoe Saldana, and Justin Long, to name a few. She decided after several years to leave the business and pursue a different passion. Kristin set out to obtain a Masters Degree in Biology at Montclair State, so that she would be able to teach. She says, “I was a part of the TRUST program. This program was life changing for me and allowed me to be successful as a teacher. It was in this program that I developed strong friendships with colleagues that I still have today. The support from them was invaluable in my teaching experiences.”

After obtaining her masters, she found herself as Lead Science Teacher at the elementary level before transferring to Central High School and ultimately landing at Science Park High School. While at these two high schools, she taught classes in forensic science, biology, and anatomy. Currently, she works at Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J.

Going back to her arts degree, Kristin still owns her own talent management and production company called Fearless Management. Her company produces about 6-8 shows a year in Rahway, N.J. She represents a broad age range of 20 clients, booking theatre, film, commercials, television, and print work for them.

As if all of this didn’t seem to be enough to keep her busy, Kristin prides herself as a strong advocate for homeless animals and has added this into her line of work. She is the current owner of Rahway Kitty Hall, which is New Jersey’s first cat café. “Opening Rahway Kitty Hall was a dream of mine that came true this past April,” says Kristin. “I partnered with ANGEL Paws Rescue in Colonia, N.J., We worked together to open this unique setting that allows potential adopters to interact with cats in a free-roaming environment. All ten cats are up for adoption!” adds Kristin.

Kristin prides herself in her Montclair State experience, and adds that all of her professors were incredible during her time here. She truly feels as though Montclair State prepared her for all of her past and future endeavors.