As the strategist and chief marketing officer for Chicago-based tech accelerator, elmspring, Kim Kleeman built a brand for Elmdale Partners. Kim helped with the concept, developed the branding and became a board member as well when the accelerator launched. The brand extends past the website, onto its social media presence and events that included the popular RUSH pitch event where over 350 investors attended a Shark Tank-like evening.

Kim also built an extensive mentor network that stretched to Chicagoland and beyond, including partnerships with Zillow, Waterton Associates and Harrison Street Capital. She built an affiliate program for start-up companies and taught classes on branding and marketing in an accelerated manner.

Kim was named one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 and grew an Inc. 500 company (ranked #5 in Education). She went on to garner additional recognitions: Working Woman magazine named her company one of its Best Places to Work and she received an Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards for “2007 Today’s Young Entrepreneur.”