Kimberlee S. Williams

Activist, Artist, Brainstormer, Business adviser, Business leader, Business mentor, Change Agent, Christian, Connector, Consultant, Entrepreneur, Event planner, Gay, Idea generator, Investor, Marketer, Producer, Social entrepreneur, Technologist, World traveler, Writer/Editor

I am a TED speaker, TED Resident, and the curator and executive producer of TEDxNewark. A lifelong connector and equity strategist, I am the founder of FEMWORKS, a marketing and communications firm powered by AI and purpose, and the architect behind Consciouspreneur, a platform designed to support wellness-centered purpose-driven entrepreneurship. My work lives at the intersection of community transformation, storytelling, and systems change. I have led multicultural campaigns for institutions like Rutgers University–Newark (where I also serves as Director of Communications & Marketing), the Lincoln Park Music Festival, Audible, and the Apollo Theater. I’’m currently relaunching TEDxNewark with a renewed focus on trust, belonging, and bold ideas emerging from underestimated voices. I split my time between Newark, NJ and Ghana, and believe joy, healing, and economic liberation go hand-in-hand. Let’s connect if you’re building toward impact, scaling story-driven change, or simply believe that new ideas deserve new audiences.

I’’m passionate about designing spaces—real and virtual—where underestimated people can feel seen, heard, and activated. Whether I’m building a business, producing a TEDx event, or coaching first-generation entrepreneurs, my focus is always the same: to elevate voices, foster trust, and catalyze transformation. I believe the future belongs to those who lead with purpose and build with community in mind. I’m energized by big questions—about equity, identity, and technology—and I’m driven to co-create systems that don’t just include us, but are shaped by us. At the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and social impact is where I do my best work—and where I feel most alive.

Trust is the new infrastructure. In a world overloaded with noise, algorithms, and accelerating change, trust is no longer a soft skill, it’s the scaffolding of our future. From health systems to media platforms, from government to AI, we don’t just need more innovation, we need more trustworthiness. What we choose to believe, who we choose to follow, and how we choose to build all depend on our capacity to earn and extend trust. We need new architects of trust, leaders, creatives, and communities who understand that credibility, belonging, and integrity aren’t afterthoughts, they’re the foundation. When trust is built into our systems, our stories, and our spaces, transformation can take root.

anchor institution, Communications, Community & Economic Dev't, community engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Creative Class Entrepreneurs, Cultural Competence, Entrepreneurship, Event Planning & Production, Growth, higher education, Leadership, Localism, Marketing, Messaging, Placemaking, Public Relations and Communication, social mobility

…jumping rope like a pro, growing vegetables from seed, and creating healing rituals that restore my mind and body. I find peace in the soil and strength in motion. Whether I’m cultivating a garden or my inner self, I believe tending to what nourishes us—physically, emotionally, spiritually—is the foundation of sustainable leadership.