kim@hitstrat.com 
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
-Racial and Ethnic Politics
-LGBTQ+ Politics
-Social Movements
SKILLS
- Interviewing
- Survey data analysis
- Qualitative analysis (interviews and focus groups)
Kim Cardenas joined HIT Strategies as Senior Analyst in April 2024. Kim is committed and passionate about using high-quality quantitative and qualitative data to empower communities that have historically been excluded from the political process. Kim brings over seven years of experience in social science research and project management inside and outside academia. Prior to joining HIT Strategies, she worked at Research Support Services, Inc. supporting a variety of qualitative research projects for non-profit and government clients.
Kim earned her PhD in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023, where she developed a strong research acumen and became an expert on the intersection between race, sexuality, and political participation. Triangulating survey and original interview data, her dissertation examined the factors surrounding the political participation of LGBTQ+ Black and Latino Americans. Kim was recognized as a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow.
Kim graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in government in 2017. She currently lives in Southern California, and outside of work, enjoys discovering nature and new music.