Hyeok Kim - Principal
Hyeok has over 20 years of experience in the public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors. As an immigrant and woman of color, she has often been in the minority representing these identities in rooms where decisions are made. Her personal journey has always been a source of strength for her, as it is through this journey where she learned invaluable lessons about equity, resiliency, creative problem solving, and empathy.
At the same time, her skills and experiences in policy analysis, crisis management, community building and development, and electoral engagement help her understand how the levers of government work and how people, organizations, and businesses can most effectively influence those levers.
“Insa” is the Korean word for “greeting.” It reflects both Hyeok's heritage and her approach to public affairs, community relations and organizational development, which is that meaningful relationships matter and should be nurtured.
Every relationship starts with an introduction or greeting, and with her diverse background working both in and outside of government in Seattle and Washington State, Hyeok has built up a strong network of relationships in politics, the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, and business. Building these relationships has taught her many important lessons about what motivates people and how those motivations influence systems.
Professional and Civic Experience Highlights:
• Deputy Mayor, City of Seattle
• Nonprofit executive
• Commissioner, White House Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders
• Marshall Memorial Fellow
• Annie E. Casey Foundation Casey Fellow
• Philanthropic board member: Washington Dental Service Foundation (now ACORA Foundation), Northwest Area Foundation
• Nonprofit board member: Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
• Executive-branch transition team member at City (Seattle), County (King County), and State (Washington) levels
