Dr. Kimberly Clay is a nationally recognized nonprofit founder and social impact strategist working at the intersection of gender equity, workforce development, and corporate engagement. As the founder and CEO of Play Like a Girl, she leads a bold movement that mobilizes companies and their employees to close the confidence gap for girls and build a stronger, more diverse STEM workforce.
Dr. Kim understands that the future of STEM depends on bold talent strategies today. Her work demonstrates how corporate volunteerism—especially when driven by purpose-led employee resource groups—can empower girls, inspire employees, and deliver measurable social impact. By equipping girls with confidence, skills, and access to mentors and careers, Dr. Kim helps companies strengthen their talent pipelines and drive real, lasting change.
Since founding Play Like a Girl in 2004, Dr. Kim has reached more than 580,000 girls globally through programs that blend the confidence-building power of sport with hands-on STEM learning, career exploration, and mentorship. Through flagship initiatives like the Inside Look corporate field trip series and the Girls Rock STEM+ Summit, she connects middle school girls with women professionals across industries—helping them see themselves in the roles of the future.
Dr. Kim regularly partners with Fortune 500 companies to activate employee volunteers as coaches, role models, and mentors. Her model of episodic flash mentoring and skills-based volunteerism meets the needs of busy professionals while driving deep engagement and belonging within corporate teams. Under her leadership, companies like Amazon, Google, Nike, Wells Fargo, the NFL, and Bridgestone Americas have leveraged Play Like a Girl programs to advance DEI, boost employee morale, and expand community impact.
Before launching Play Like a Girl, Dr. Kim held leadership and research roles with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Georgia, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her work focused on adolescent health, chronic disease prevention, equity-based education strategies, and community program design.
She holds a Ph.D. in health education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, dual master’s degrees in public health and social work from Tulane University, and a B.A. in mass communications from Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Kim is a graduate of Nashville Young Leaders Council and a founding member of the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Equity Project Team.
Today, Dr. Kim advises corporate leaders on how to align CSR goals with meaningful community engagement and talent development. She is a sought-after speaker for CSR summits, ERG leadership programs, social impact forums, philanthropy meetings, and executive roundtables. Her message to business leaders is both urgent and inspiring: If you’re serious about building a diverse STEM workforce, invest in girls—and the employees who inspire them.
Speaking Topics Include:
- The Confidence Gap: How Sports Prepare Girls for STEM Careers
- Purpose at Work: The Power of Corporate Volunteerism
- From Field to Future: Building Career Pathways for Women
- Equity Meets CSR: Investing in Women & Girls to Achieve Business Goals
- Mentorship That Matters: How ERGs Can Shape the Future Workforce
Why Book Dr. Kim?
- 580,000+ girls worldwide reached through Play Like a Girl programs
- Trusted partner to companies like Amazon, Nike, Bridgestone, and Wells Fargo
- Expert in equity-centered program design, volunteer engagement, and youth leadership and mentoring
- Featured by Forbes, ESPNW, ESSENCE, Black Enterprise, O, The Oprah Magazine, and more
