Dr. Kimberly S. Clay is the Founder and CEO of Play Like a Girl, a Nashville-based non-profit organization working to level the playing field for girls by leveraging the skills gained from sport to propel young women into male-dominated careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Since its inception, Play Like a Girl has reached over 25,000 girls and young women across the United States and Canada, as well as in Africa and the Caribbean. Dr. Kim began her career as a public health analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early in her career, she saw the gender gap in education and health firsthand while working in underserved communities across the South. This led her to establish Play Like a Girl during her doctoral studies in health education. In 2007, she returned to the classroom—this time, as a tenure-track professor—at the University of Georgia where she taught and conducted research exploring long-term cancer survivorship in women.
Dr. Kim is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana, Tulane University Schools of Public Health and Social Work, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she received her PhD in Health Education and Promotion. Her work on behalf of young women has earned her the following national recognitions: Daily Point of Light Award; Toyota Everyday Hero; Xavier University’s 40 Under 40; and, Nashville Business Journal’s 50 People on the Move, among others. She is a semi-finalist for the 2020 L’Oréal Women of Worth Award.
Dr. Kim serves on the leadership team for the Nashville Chapter of Ellevate Network, which is an international community of professional women committed to a more equal world where women achieve career success. She is also a member of the leadership team for Tennessee Girls Collaborative, the local affiliate of the National Girls Collaborative bringing together organizations across the nation that are committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM. In addition, she mentors college women and is a member of the Scholarship Committee for Women in Technology Tennessee. Her past service includes appointments to the Board of Directors for YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee and Junior League of Nashville.
Dr. Kim enjoys dual residence in Nashville and Dallas with her husband, Mark Clay, MD, their sons, Joshua and Isaac, and their beagle, Brooklyn.
