In episode 170, Kerel flies solo and has a conversation with Kim "Kimfer" Flanery-Rye, Founder, Principal DEI and Culture Practitioner, owner of Inclusion Equals, a go-to resource for learning and growth around racism, sexism, ageism, ableism and beyond and also the new owner of The F Bomb Breakfast Club, a peer support community for women, femmes, and gentlethems who are company founders and business owners. Kimfer has a passion for philanthropy in many areas including youth, LGBTQIA, and the arts.

Born in South Korea, adopted by a family from small farm town Iowa, Kimfer had an anything but easy childhood dealing with food scarcity and general insecurities about being different from everyone around her. Even though times were hard, she had a loving family along with more adopted siblings, learned a lot of skills that help her today and her early years have greatly influenced the work she does and invests in today. Kimfer believes greatly in servant leadership, ethical and authentic DEI practices and efforts, and gives importance to aligning investments with personal values for positive social impact.

Timestamps

0:38 : Intro to Kim "Kimfer" Flanery-Rye, Founder, Principal DEI and Culture Practitioner

1:14 : Kimfer shares the story of her childhood, born in South Korea, adopted by a family from a small farm community in Iowa where she face insecurities related to food and abandonment
3:31 : Kimfer credits her ability to navigate these early years to learning how to read the room quickly and avoid potentially harmful situations
4:27 : How Kimfer’s early years influences the work she does now, what it means to be a servant leader, and why philanthropy is so important to her, emphasizing the importance of lived experience and social justice
12:49 : What is fascinating to watch for Kimfer in the DEI space, the pendulum swing coming back around, and making an impact on the people who want to see the change.
17:44 : How Kimfer acquired the F Bomb Business Club, a peer support community to support women business owners in a safe space for peer support and networking
24:24 : Advice for anyone listening who has been adopted or had a similar background of Kimfer’s and how to move forward powerfully in life
25:58 : The things Kimfer wishes she were better at - including playing guitar and her curiosity
27:10 : Music in Kimfer’s current rotation and getting into Korean rap
28:53 : Getting in touch with Kimfer on social media

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