As the daughter of Korean immigrants, Hei-ock (pronounced “Hay-o”) Kim had always been taught that a woman had to be exceptional if she wanted to shine among men. In 2016, during a moment of clarity inspired by exhaustion, Hei-ock decided it was time for a better effort to help women simply receive the success they deserve without working extra hard for it.

Her first question was: "Why is it taking so long?" In researching the history of the women’s movement, she discovered three things in particular that hampered its progress:

1. People place the onus on the everyday woman, who is already overly busy, to figure out how to get what she deserves.
2. People measure different factors over time, so it’s difficult to tell what progress is actually being made.
3. People think that deep cultural transformation can happen through national or global prescriptions.

Therefore, Hei-ock created the Kim Center for Social Balance to ensure a future where all workers achieve the success they deserve without working extra hard for it. As a nonprofit, the Kim Center for Social Balance maximizes the spirit of collaboration and always serves the mission first. We will be forever grateful to Liz Bodenhamer, Brian Cohen, Georgia Case, Jane Tanner, and Emilia Pine for their startup investments that made the Kim Center possible!