At the core of Kim Normand Dobrin’s work lies the continuous aspiration to improve people’s lives. Kim’s path very much started with recording personal stories of oppression and making them accessible to prevent history from repeating itself.
With a focus on the young generations, Kim is now working on Free the Mind Co.: an organization that is helping children, parents, and their immediate surroundings to develop real-life skills & tools for Social Emotional Learning & Wellbeing.
Kim Normand Dobrin has had a successful international career for over 30 years with several milestones such as:
- Representing Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Institute – Founded by Steven Spielberg in South Africa for 18 years.
- Founding Director of the Apartheid Museum – Johannesburg South Africa.
- Human Rights Commission for Education – Board Member.
- Founder/CEO – Tolerance Foundation.
- Founder – Tomorrow Trust until 2019
Though this is not what makes her an exceptional woman. It is her story and her path. So join us today and learn more about Kim.
Learn more about Kim here:
If you are an entrepreneur, what motivated you to start your own business?
I am a serial social entrepreneur. As a young mother, I had a real awakening walking out from seeing “Schindler’s List” – If I wanted my children to be raised in a better world best I get involved. Every decision I have made since then has been based on this thought.
What does success mean to you?
Success is a personal journey. For me, it means to keep understanding and growing myself in order to live a life of meaning making a positive impact on both my inner and outer world.
What is your mantra or favorite saying? (If it's a known quote, please let us know who said it first!)
Trust; Faith; Love; Commitment; Courage; Strive – I am making it happen !!!
What failure taught you the most about life or business? What was the lesson?
I was running start-up with a close friend. She was controlling to say the least and I did not have the skill to navigate the relationship. I felt totally disempowered and had my hands tied to do what needed to be done. It ended with both the business closing and our friendship falling apart. I learned to trust myself to do what is needed and not to go into business with a friend.
What's your favorite book - fiction or non-fiction! - in the past year?
The Untethered Soul – by Michael Singer; Inner Engineering by Sadhguru
If you could teach the world one five-minute lesson, what would it be?
BE KIND, BE HUMBLE, BE COMMITTED, BE INVOLVED!!! We are all dealing with challenges in life and the majority of time we do not know what others are facing. We are all in progress …
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting out?
I would have taken the time to study more instead of learning through self-experience
What does women's empowerment look like to you in action?
Women empowerment is for a woman to understand who she is within. To trust her intuition which is such a gift that we possess. To go out into the world and create what you want to without making and blaming circumstance or those around you. Life can be tough. It’s about rising above or drowning below.
What would you tell 19-year-old YOU?
You’ve Got This !!!
What will 86-year-old you want you to know TODAY?
Focus on what makes you happy, joyful and fulfilled. Let the small stuff go – its just not worth the energy!
Congrats! You just met a Genie in a Bottle. You get three wishes. One can be worth $0-100, one is worth $100,000, and one is worth $100 million. What are your wishes?
Tough one!!!
- a delicious vegan meal
- I would give a % to each of my children and invest the rest in my organization to support more children
- Give a % to each of my children for them to have their own homes;
- save for my retirement;
- donate to organizations I believe in and
- invest into my organization to do more in supporting children, teachers, and families with the social-emotional skills and tools to live a meaningful life and to make positive change in the world
