Kimberly Smith

Age:
33

Neighborhood:
Finneytown
 
How long have you lived in Cincinnati?
I have lived in Cincinnati for about 11 years. I was actually born in Cincinnati, but spent most of my life in Hillsboro, Ohio. My favorite places to go in the city are the parks. In the summer the best place to hang out is Fountain Square, because of all the activities they have going on for couples, friends and family.
 
What's your day job?
During the day I work in banking as a recon analyst identifying and proposing resolutions to non-standard reconcilement problems, and I identify areas of process improvement to increase departmental efficiencies. This is where I learned several years ago about community involvement. I joined an organization through my job that helped teach young, mostly African American children about managing their finances. Working with youth sparked a desire in me to do more for our community.
 
What work or projects do you tackle after the workday ends?
My passion is running LAUNCHCincinnati with my co-founder Galen Gordon. At LAUNCHCincinnati, we are committed to creating opportunities to enlighten and empower the youth of today. Our goal is to identify those youth who will become the leaders of our future through startup business and inventions. These youth are in need of opportunities for mentoring now.

Where are your favorite places to hang out in the city?
My favorite places to go in the city are the parks.  In the summer the best place to hang out is Fountain Square, because of all the activities they have going on for couples, friends and family.

What's the biggest challenge you've faced here?
The transition from small town to Cincinnati was a struggle for the first few years. I was mostly alone with no social networks or friends. I was lost most of the time. Unfortunately, when I arrived there was no welcoming board and no one to really tell me what opportunities where available to me.

What's the biggest opportunity?
My biggest opportunity came when I joined an organization through my job that helped teach young, mostly African-American children about managing their finances. Working with youth, sparked a desire in me to do more for our community. This is where I learned several years ago about community involvement. This opportunity helped me create an idea from a dream which turned into LAUNCHCincinnati

What could be done to improve opportunities for young African Americans in Cincinnati?
While running LAUNCHCincinnati, I found other nonprofits and businesses that shared my same passion for improving the opportunities for young African Americans in Cincinnati. There are so many challenges that youth face in the city on a day-to-day basis that can cause one to go down the wrong path. I want to challenge your readers to help LAUNCHCincinnati, as well as other youth-driven organizations. Ask yourself one question at the end of each day: "How did I impact the youth of today?" To learn more about LAUNCHCincinnati, make a donation or to become an “Ambassador of Youth”, please visit our website or email us.