Katherine Johnson Autin

I am an innovative 43-year entrepreneur, starting my first company in 1982 less than six months after my son Michael was born. I created a retail jewelry company that developed into a 28-year wholesale design and manufacturing jewelry firm selling internationally. 2004 my husband, John David Autin (David) was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD), and I became his 24/7 caregiver. In 2012 I started my third company, Parkinson Partners, LLC to be a Patient Advocate consultant, educator, and coach for people living with PD and their family caregivers, https://parkinsonpartners.com. In 2018, I was one of 149 individuals to be recognized nationally as a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA). As of April 28, 2025, I am a published author of "My Unexpected Detour Becoming a Parkinson's Expert & Patient Advocate the Hard Way", an honest, raw story about my 20-year journey as David's caregiver, with each chapter offering specific caregiving tips from a spouse caregiver. David passed on July 1, 2025, after a very rare, aggressive cancer was diagnosed at the end of April 2025. I am now in transition pivoting to a new beginning. I'm a Parkinson's expert, a Board Certified Patient (BCPA) consultant, speaker, trainer, writer, and a Cross-cultural Training Specialist. I also have a podcast, Visionary Caregivers Show with Katherine Autin, https://visionarycaregivers.com/podcast.