Prior to REDF, Kim served as CEO of Cara Collective, a social enterprise on the move to eradicate relational and financial poverty. At Cara, Kim helped to deepen its impact for thousands of Chicagoans from untapped talent pools, while bringing its services to a national stage.
Kim serves on the advisory boards of the First Women’s Bank and the University of Chicago Inclusive Economy Lab. She is a 2008 Leadership Greater Chicago fellow, a 2012 American Marshall Memorial fellow, a former cochair within Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s 2019 transition team, and a 2020 Presidential Leadership scholar. Maria holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.