Esther Kim is a seasoned nonprofit executive and business consultant with over 25 years of experience helping organizations and leaders thrive and achieve their goals.
Esther is passionate about building the strength of leaders and organizations to achieve greater social and environmental impact. She brings a unique blend of business expertise, understanding of social and environmental issues, and a focus on race/gender equity. Her consulting approach is straightforward, hands-on, analytical, and action-oriented; yet she also takes great care to center each client's mission, culture, values, language, and context into her work.
Prior to launching Esther Kim Consulting, Esther served in leadership roles for almost 9 years at REDF, a California nonprofit organization investing in social enterprises for individuals facing barriers to employment. She led REDF's programs, including strategy, grantmaking, social enterprise business planning, managing REDF's first Federal Social Innovation Fund grant, creating tools, and measuring impact. As part of REDF's executive team, Esther helped lead REDF itself through dramatic growth.
Prior to REDF, Esther spent four years as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, focusing on energy, environmental, and social sector projects. She also has years of experience as an environmental consultant, including environmental litigation support, EPA program evaluation, and assessing rural electrification projects in the Nepal Himalaya.
Esther holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental engineering, and dual Master of Science degrees in environmental engineering and technology policy, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her graduate research focused on the intersection of corporate sustainability, renewable energy technology, and public policy.
In her free time, Esther enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, backpacking, cycling, volunteering, and playing the ukulele. Born in South Korea, she immigrated to the US as a young child and proudly embraces both her immigrant Korean heritage and her US citizenship. She and her family have lived in San Francisco, California for many years, and love the endless natural beauty and cultural diversity of the Bay Area.
Esther Kim Consulting LLC is a Certified Local Business Entity (LBE), Micro-LBE, Minority-Owned Business Entity (MBE), Woman-Owned Business of the City and County of San Francisco.
Contact Esther below to find out how she can help you achieve your impact goals, or find her on LinkedIn.