Wanted...Women Warriors, Kimberly Olsen at TEDx TurtleCreekWomen

Kimberly Olson is a retired United States Colonel, author and CEO/ President of Grace After Fire, an organization designed for women Veterans. With a foundation of selfless dedication to standing for women Veterans until they can stand for themselves, Kim's military career allowed her to change perception about women serving in the armed forces. Now her work with Grace will drive the knowledge that women Veterans can have immense value and resulting success, with a support network customized for their unique needs.

An advocate to influence policy on behalf of thousands of women Veterans and Veteran issues, she recently convinced Texas legislators to pass a resolution naming March as Texas Women Veterans Month from 2011 to 2020. Her legacy of having been part of the first generation of female military pilots imbues her commitment to her fellow female veteran. Her generation opened doors for women; under her leadership Grace helped over 2,000 women overcome PTSD, moral injury and trauma through shared experiences assuring these Veterans a seamless, successful transition to workplace, family, and community.

After 25 years of military service, with deployments to the combat zones of Bosnia and Iraq, Pentagon (surviving 9/11 attack) and becoming a command pilot with 3,700 flying hours in six different aircraft, Kim and her family live in Texas.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)