Kim Michelle Janey is the President & CEO of Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families experiencing poverty dramatically improve their economic mobility. EMPath offers a unique combination of direct services; legislative advocacy; a global learning network of human services organizations; and research for what actually works.

Prior to leading EMPath, Janey made history when she was sworn in as Boston’s first woman and first Black mayor, successfully leading the city through a multitude of unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. Janey began her tenure with a citywide agenda of recovery, reopening, and renewal to address systemic inequities exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Janey re-opened Boston’s economy and its public schools by centering equity and prioritizing health and wellness. She invested millions to support small businesses, expanded protections for renters and homeowners, and launched fare-free public transit. Under Mayor Janey’s leadership, Boston experienced its safest summer in 5 years and became one of the most vaccinated big cities in America. Prior to leading her city as Mayor, she led the most diverse City Council in Boston’s history, where she authored groundbreaking legislation.

Devoting her life to public service, Janey has 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector. In her role at Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Janey championed systemic policy reforms to increase equity, excellence, access, and opportunity in Boston Public Schools. Prior to that, Janey worked as a Community Organizer, advocating for affordable, quality child care.

Janey was recently named as a 2023 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow where she and her cohort are working to advance the prosperity and well-being of children and families all across the United States. Previously, Janey served as a Spring 2022 Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School where she designed and led a study group entitled Racial Justice and Recovery: Leading American Cities to a More Equitable Future. She also served as an Inaugural Fellow at the Berry Institute of Politics at Salem State University and as a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Janey serves on a number of non-profit boards and has been recognized for her years of service with numerous awards, including the ARCKBoston Global Citizenship Award, the Mass Dems Eleanor Roosevelt Award, BAAF Champion Award, Boston NAACP Difference Maker Award, the Sapphire Award, and the Jewish Community Relations Legislative Leadership Award to name a few.

A proud fourth generation Roxbury resident, Janey comes from a long line of educators, entrepreneurs, artists, and advocates. Janey was raised with values that guide her to this day: the importance of education, the power of community organizing, and the fundamental principles of equity and justice.