Guest Speaker

Dr. Kimberly McGlonn is an award-winning advocate for justice & environmentalism, advocacy that informs her approach to leadership across industries. As Founder & CEO of the manufacturing start-up Grant Blvd ®, she oversees the creative direction and growth strategy of the brand. Grant Blvd’s mission is to construct stylish, sustainably sourced textiles by creating living wage jobs for residents of Philadelphia, particularly women who are formerly incarcerated. Outside of these roles, Kimberly disrupts via her second company, the thrift/vintage concept Blk Ivy, which tells the story of fashion as activism through a curation of garments which amplify the style of 1954-1972, her podcast “The School for Disrupters”, her faculty position at Drexel University, and her role as VP of Social Impact for Fitler Club. 

Her work has been featured by Fast Company, Inc Magazine, Essence, and has been funded by Beyonce’s BeyGood Foundation. In 2022 she was a recipient of the Visa’s “She’s Next in Fashion Award” and the Black Enterprise “Business Disruptor of the Year” award. In 2023 she was named “150 Most Influential Philadelphians”.