Kim’s perspective comes from not only her personal experience, but also her impressive academic background. She is a Presidential Scholar from American University in Washington, D.C., and spent a portion of her studies at Oxford University, graduating with a degree in International Development in Africa. Kim also holds an Honorary Diploma in Community Studies from Niagara College for her exceptional work in the non-profit sector.

Kim’s personal journey as an advocate began, much like Craig Kielburger’s, at the age of 12, when she first learned about the issues facing women and girls in developing countries. While still a child herself, Kim lobbied the Canadian government to tighten import laws, ensuring products made by children wouldn’t enter the Canadian market.

During high school, Kim continued making an impact through unique volunteer work. She spent a week in silence, not uttering a single word, in order to raise awareness about the value of women’s voices and contributions, which so often go unheard. She organized the first now-annual WE Scare Hunger campaign for the entire Halton District School Board, collecting thousands of pounds of food donations. Kim has invested hundreds of hours listening to and learning from women and girls around the world—hearing their stories while standing in the shadows of towering garbage dumps in Jamaica, or on cool dirt floors in rural India.

At 18, Kim saw an opportunity to fully apply her passion and began working full-time with WE (formerly Free The Children), then a budding youth-led organization. Since then, WE has grown to become a unique and world-respected platform at home and abroad, buoyed by Kim’s experience and insight every step of the way.

Today, WE has built over 1,500 schools around the world, empowering more than 200,000 children with an education. The award-winning international organization uses a holistic and sustainable development model to help lift over 1 million people from poverty. WE has empowered over 30,000 women with financial independence and actively engages more than 5.3 million youth around the world in service.

Throughout this expansion, Kim was instrumental in creating and leading many of the organization’s most vital initiatives. She established WE’s first U.S.-based regional office in California, building a foundation that has allowed hundreds of thousands of youth to give back to their communities. She also helped launch the pivotal O Ambassadors program, created in partnership with Oprah’s Angel Network.

She has shared extraordinary stories from this work around the world, most recently on the WE Day stage where she delivered her inspiring message of empowerment alongside world leaders and some of the greatest entertainers of our time.

Kim passionately believes that all people—regardless of age, gender or circumstances—can make a difference in the world. Kim herself, a lifelong champion and advocate.

From the steps of Parliament to the center of bustling Haitian IDP camps, Kim Plewes has spent the last two decades helping women discover the power of their own voice.

Today, Kim acts as Senior Advisor to WE’s co-founders, where she is responsible for programs that lift up entire communities and engage over 3.8 million youth. Her personal journey, however, began when Kim was only 12 years old and first learned about the issues facing women in developing countries. Her growth as an activist coincided with personal tragedy, and she confidently shares her strategies for turning seemingly insurmountable obstacles into indispensable opportunities for growth.

An accomplished speaker, Kim brings a unique perspective on the international dialogue around women’s empowerment. She’s shared her incredible story with tens of thousands of people around the world, at events ranging from international conferences to WE Day.

Kim Plewes’s story and the growth of the WE movement have been inexorably linked for nearly two decades. Much like Craig Kielburger, Kim was inspired to take action when she was only 12 years old, and she’s dedicated her life to service on a global scale ever since. From youth activist to international change-maker, Kim has grown alongside WE every step of the way, and in her latest talk she captures just how much power every individual has to make a difference.

Through this speech, Kim breaks down the process of creating a movement that tackles the world’s foremost challenges into six clear steps. She’s watched millions of youth come together with the common goal of achieving lasting change, and has a unique understanding of what it takes to inspire an entire generation. During her tenure with WE, Kim has led many of the organization’s most vital initiatives, including its largest-ever fundraising drive to celebrate the movement’s 20th year, and the establishment of its first U.S.-based regional office in California.