Women's History Month Spotlight: Jane Kim-Ware
Posted by KinderCare Jobs
It's National Women's History Month and we're celebrating strong female leaders by recognizing some of our very own here at KinderCare. As one of our critical five-year transformational initiatives to bring more children and families into Champions, the team recently created a dedicated role to lead and support this work cross-functionally. You may know her as one of our talented district leaders for KinderCare Education at Work centers in California and Alaska. Please join us in celebrating and welcoming Jane Kim-Ware, our new Director of Champions Summer Programming! Learn more about Jane and what makes her a fearless woman leader below.
Tell us about your professional background. How did you get your start at KinderCare?
“I started working at KinderCare five years ago. I had been working in retail as a District Manager. I remember receiving an email from Phil Goodrich, one of our amazing Talent Acquisition Business Partners. He said that KinderCare was looking to recruit a district leader for the At Work team and sent me a job description on LinkedIn. My initial thought was ‘I’m not sure I’m the person you’re looking for!’ At the time, I wasn’t confident I had the skills, education or experience necessary to be successful. But Phil was very reassuring and encouraged me to be open-minded and to continue our conversation. I’m so thankful I did!”
What excited you most about working for the company?
“I felt so inspired by the way Phil described the brand, leadership, and mission. The opportunity to be a small part in shaping the lives of little people inspired me in a way I hadn’t felt in previous organizations.”
What excites you about your new role as Director of Summer Programming for Champions?
“What I’m most excited about is the impact we can have on our communities by growing our summer footprint. Growing our existing sites gives us the opportunity to retain more families and teachers through the summer season. And getting creative and thinking outside of the box gives us an opportunity to make summer a bigger and unique experience.”
You’re a huge advocate for growth and development, stemming from your own journey with the company. Can you share more about that experience?
“The way I describe KinderCare growth and development is almost like a spiderweb. There isn’t a specific path you need to take to try new things or to explore other areas of the company. It’s unique and not something I’ve often seen or experienced in other organizations. I encourage everyone to be curious, speak up and share about their interests. It’s important to be your own advocate and just as important to build great relationships with others throughout your journey who support and advocate for you also. I have many peers and leaders to thank here for my growth and development journey at KinderCare.”
You’re also a core part of our DEI cross-functional team. Anything you’d like to share about that experience and why this work is meaningful to you personally?
You’re also a core part of our DEI cross-functional team. Anything you’d like to share about that experience and why this work is meaningful to you personally?
“I feel very fortunate to work for an organization that is prioritizing and building DEI from within. Over the last 2 years, in partnership with the Advisory Caucus and the Strategy Team, employees from within KinderCare shared their experiences and perspectives that helped shape the strategic priorities for our DEI journey. It’s a people-centric approach to a people-centered journey.
As an Asian American who has immigrant parents, this work is completely personal. We all want to belong and feel valued, and that’s what this work is all about.”
Tell us more about who you are outside of work. What are some things that bring you joy?
“My family is a big part of who I am. I’m a mom to two amazing kiddos - Avery and Adam, and my partner and I have been together longer than we’ve been apart. We are just a short distance from Disneyland, so we spend lots of time together as a family there. We love being outside, hiking, going to the beach and just playing in the park. Being active together is important to me and something we’re fortunate to be able to do often in southern California.”
National Women’s History Month is this month and we’re celebrating strong women leaders. Is there a strong woman leader in your life that you look up to?
“Is it cliché to say my mom? At a very young age, she decided to create a better life for her children by immigrating to a country that she had no ties to and has been here and created her own success. She raised me with the mindset that the voice in your head can be your biggest critic, but it should also be your biggest cheerleader.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received or given?
“In the spirit of Women’s History Month, strong women empower strong women. If you’ve been fortunate to take the elevator up in life and leadership, it is our responsibility to send the elevator back down for the next generation of women leaders.”
~ original article written by Emily Snyder
- Interview
- Employee Interview
- Women's History Month
- Leadership
- Women in Leadership
- ECE
- Early Childhood Education
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