Chrystan Carlton is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Carlton Law, Ltd., a Chicago-based boutique legal firm operating under the Tax & Contracts brand. She has spent nearly 15 years helping small business owners, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit founders turn their ideas into legally protected, financially sound enterprises — supporting more than 300 entities and counting.
Before launching her firm, Chrystan spent nearly two decades in financial services as a Vice President and Financial Advisor at institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and BMO Private Bank, holding the FINRA General Securities Series 7, 63, and 65 licenses. That Wall Street foundation gave her a unique lens on the intersection of law, finance, and business strategy.
Her path also took her across the globe. As Managing Director and General Counsel of Teixeira Development Group in Angola, she helped build a business from angel investment to a $53 million valuation — spearheading the first all-digital cinema in Africa, securing the Hard Rock Café license for Angola, and negotiating partnerships with brands like Nike, Adidas, and InterSport.
Chrystan holds a JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law with a concentration in Taxation and International Law, an MBA in Finance and International Economics, a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Chicago, and a BS in Mathematics from Excelsior College. She is a licensed Illinois attorney and a digital nomad who has lived and worked across multiple continents.
She is passionate about demystifying law and finance for the next generation — especially young people from communities where access to legal counsel and financial education has been out of reach. Her message to students: your background is not your ceiling. With the right knowledge and the courage to bet on yourself, you can build something extraordinary.