Meet our CEO
Dr. Kimberly A. Janha, Chief Executive Officer
"I get to 'care for the caregiver', but I cannot do it without a strong collaborative system!"
Dr. Janha, 2020
What is a life of abundance if one does not pour into the cups of others? At an early age, Kimberly A. Janha knew that to live a fulfilling and purpose-driven life, she must serve boldly and stand fearlessly for those who lacked the voice or power to do so themselves. As a child, she witnessed firsthand what a village resembled. Elders and community members invested in her upbringing and filled her esteem with affirmations. Unbeknownst to her young mind at the time, Kimberly was being groomed to one day return the same act of selflessness into her community.
Raised in South Carolina, Kimberly received her first taste of kinship care. When two cousins of hers suffered the loss of a parent, Kimberly’s grandmothers adopted them. Kimberly’s parents were there to serve as her grandmother’s support system. After watching the dynamics of her family shift, she came to admire the intricacies and various levels of support it took to care for a loved one. Years later, when the need arose to support the rearing of five of her nieces and nephews, after the death of their mother, Kimberly served through her lived experiences. With a desire to lead a life of service, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She later earned her Master of Arts from Webster University, and her Doctorate from Capella University. The now Dr. Kimberly Janha focuses her research and expertise in human services, nonprofit management, and organizational development.
Kimberly’s work as an advocate for kinship care has remained a focus of her career. She is devoted to providing avenues to amplify the voices of the unheard. She currently serves as: a member of the SC Kinship Care Advisory Council- an initiative of the Sisters of Charity Foundation, a member of the SC Department of Social Services Kinship Care Advisory Panel, the Executive Chair of the SC Citizen Review Panel, and a Kinship Care Consultant. Dr. Janha served as an adjunct professor for Purdue Global for over five years and is currently an Adjunct Professor for Columbia International University in Columbia, SC.
After witnessing the lack of support and resources for kinship caregivers, Dr. Janha knew that this void was hers to fill. In 2020, she birthed Kindred Hearts of South Carolina with her husband. As Co-Founder and CEO, Dr. Janha seeks to bring awareness to the age-old phenomenon of kin caring for their kin and build a community that is equipped to support this population. Dr. Janha serves through the belief that intentional collaboration can be the force that sustains a community. This drives her to passionately explore partnerships that can strengthen the network of service providers.
When she is not developing and enhancing support systems for caregivers, Kimberly can be found spending time with her family. She chooses to live by the words of Mahatma Gandhi– “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others.” By immersing herself in work for vulnerable populations, she has managed to find her own life’s purpose. Simply put, Dr. Janha and her work for kinship care has only just begun.
