Florida Atlantic: Making an Impact

When Carly Yoost ’09 was growing up, she witnessed her father’s impact in law enforcement firsthand as he developed technology tools for online background investigations — which officers still use today.

After he passed away in 2013, Yoost made it her mission to carry on his efforts. That’s when she and her sister, Desiree, co-created the Child Rescue Coalition, a nonprofit organization centered on building technology for law enforcement to hunt online predators.

Since then, the organization has trained officers in more than 100 countries, leading to the arrests of more than 15,000 predators. That technology also has allowed police to rescue more than 3,400 children from abuse and prevented the abuse of more than 750,000 children.

"I started this thinking I really believe in it, and I hope others do as well," said Yoost, who is also the board chair of Child Rescue Coalition. "People really care about this mission and this work, and also believe in the power of our technology and the work we’re doing to identify predators and rescue children that are being harmed."

Child Rescue Coalition averages three arrests of predators each day. Two recent instances stand out for Yoost. Police officers utilized Child Rescue Coalition’s technology in North Carolina to find the location of a predator who was trading illegal material outside his home. When police officers tracked down the residence, they learned it was being used as an in-home daycare.

"[Police] immediately went to the home. There was a child being brought to this person’s home that day for the first time," Yoost said. "The officer really believed, ‘What if I hadn’t come sooner and intervened when I did? Would this child have been abused?’ That was an amazing early eye-opening case."

The second instance hit closer to home, when Child Rescue Coalition’s technology brought police directly to a sexual predator who was working as an instructor at a gymnastics facility in Boca Raton.

Over the past decade, actress Blake Lively has served as an ambassador to the organization. So it’s no surprise that Yoost and Child Rescue Coalition have received global acclaim for their work, including:

• The M&A Advisors’ 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders Award in 2015
• The 211 South Florida Child Abuse Prevention & Awareness Award in 2015
• L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth National Honoree 2016-17
• The Florida Atlantic University President’s Distinguished Service Medallion in 2019
• Florida Atlantic’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023

"It’s really inspiring to see how Carly has created such a meaningful impact and a safer space for children, not only in our community, but across the world," said Katie Burke, Ph.D., ’08, ’10, ’15, ’17, assistant vice president of alumni and community engagement.

"To see how many predators have been taken off the street thanks to her organization is truly remarkable. She makes me proud to be an Owl."

Yoost, who lives in Palm Beach County with her two children, said she frequently gives back to Florida Atlantic, speaking to students at various colleges about how they can make an impact and a difference.

She also enforces to students the importance of surrounding themselves with people who share their passion and encourage them to chase their dreams.

"Keep using your voice, keep being passionate," Yoost said. "Because you will build and find your people who want to get really involved and care so much about the work that you do. I think that feels really hard in the beginning, and all of a sudden, you just create momentum and it really begins building."