Her story
As a serial entrepreneur, tech educator, fashion designer, philanthropist, and public speaker, Dr. Sabrina Kay has led a diverse professional life and influenced thousands of millennial leaders hack their career and life paths to achieve their own American Dreams. She believes everyone, regardless of wealth or social status, should have access to an elite education and education is the ultimate social justice for all.
Immigrating from South Korea as a college student who didn’t speak a word of English, she started as a computer fashion designer and caught the entrepreneurial bug at a very early age out of necessity to provide for her daughter, as a single mom. She founded, operated, and exited 7 successful enterprises, which allowed her to retire in her 30s to become a celebrated philanthropist. She earned four graduate degrees, while serving on more than 30 charitable and civic boards, received various awards, and taught at the University of Pennsylvania, USC, and UCLA.
Currently, she is most passionate about being Chancellor and CEO of Fremont College. Dr. Kay aims to revolutionize higher education and corporate learning. Fremont College utilizes Dr. Kay’s most innovative and technology-driven learning models to bridge the gap between the classroom and the 21st-century workplace through pre- and post-employment training, offering PATHS (Paralegal, Administration and Business, Technology, Healthcare, and Sports and Rehabilitation Therapy) programs that matter to the world.
As Chairman of Fremont Private Investments, Dr. Kay personally serves on the diverse boards of companies she has invested in to add value and inspire entrepreneurs to realize their full potential for growth.
She is the founder of California Design College (now Art Institute of Hollywood), the nation’s first institution for computer-aided fashion design; Premier Business Bank; Fremont Private Investments; Fashion Umbrella; The Sabrina Kay Collection; and LA Designs.
As a self-proclaimed recovering nonprofit junkie, Dr. Kay founded The Sabrina Kay Charitable Foundation, chairs After-School All-Stars and is a current board member of International Medical Corps Leadership Council, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, American Friends of the Louvre, The Kitchen Community, and YPO Bel Air Chapter.
Dr. Kay’s achievements have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Education Award from After-School All-Stars presented by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, United Nations Global Goals Award at the UN General Assembly by Novus Summit, the Humanitarian Award from International Medical Corps, and the Lifetime Education Leadership Award from Learning Consortium. She was inducted to Hall of Fame by California Association for Private Postsecondary Schools, named Woman of the Year by the California Legislature, Rising Asian Woman by the World Affairs Council, and was a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
Dr. Kay received her joint doctorate degree in work-based learning leadership at the Wharton School and Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds double master’s degrees: an MBA from USC and a Master of Science in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, both with honors. She is a lifetime member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
Past affiliations include serving as commissioner of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission; commissioner of the ScholarShare Investment Board; chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Bel Air Chapter; executive committee member of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors; chairman of the California Association for Private Postsecondary Schools; director of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU); chairman of the Independent Coalition of Private Educators’ Political Action Committee (ICEPAC) and Career College Association PAC; accreditation evaluator for the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS); and board member of Imagine America Foundation, Weingart Center, Getty House Foundation, LA Inc., and Korean American Coalition (KAC).
She has also executive produced over 50 fashion shows internationally. Her TV show “Assimilating into America” ran for two years, her radio show for over eight, and she has contributed to various newspapers and magazines as a columnist for more than a decade.
She was a commencement speaker for USC Marshall School of Business and keynote speaker at various conferences, including United Nations General Assembly, ASU GSV Summit, TED WPOLA, Learning 2015, Montgomery Summit, Social Media Week LA, Digital LA, SoGal Summit, METal International, Kairos Society, Business Rockstars, Higher Education Innovation Council Forum, and LEAP Foundation, just to name a few.
