Kim is  a conservation scientist with almost 20 years of experience of work in Central America. Her main research interests have involved the role of matrix habitats (i.e., the usually degraded or human-managed lands beyond protected areas) in wildlife conservation in the Neotropics. She served as the Director of Conservation Science for Paso Pacífico, a non-profit dedicated to biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods in southwestern Nicaragua. Kim also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan, where she focuses on engaging with students interested in sustainable agriculture as she transitions from inside scientist to farmer. Along with her partner, in late 2017 she started her own farm where they are establishing climate-resilient, tree-based agriculture. Her work draws from diverse disciplines, from ecology to anthropology to agricultural sciences.