Kathy Nicholas joined Women in Media as VP of Programs in September of 2024 bringing her longtime commitment to promoting gender equity in STEM careers and her belief in the power of TV, film and new media to activate change.

While working at the San Diego Zoo, she learned the power of storytelling to connect visitors with the zoo’s conservation mission. She wrote and produced educational video shorts, published several articles in ZooNooz magazine and created programs that steered girls into STEM careers. As the education representative for the Panda Team, she translated complex scientific concepts into true tales of a phenomenal panda mother and the determined animal experts working tirelessly to save the entire species. After a decade at the Zoo, she worked for Polar Bears International conducting live streams from the tundra and leading programs for teens taking climate action for the bears.

Kathy graduated from UC Irvine with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. With a master’s in nonprofit leadership, Kathy has run large events for a broad range of cause-based organizations including EOD Warrior Foundation and TEDxSanDiego, where she was a producer, the experience director in charge of activations, and the event MC. At International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw), she produced content and events showcasing the work of specialized emergency responders who rescue pets from disaster zones and women rangers who protect elephants from poachers. 

Kathy loves podcasts and occasionally makes episodes of her own called Kathy on Earth.  She also enjoys supporting the success of filmmakers. She volunteered at the Sundance Filmmakers Lodge and launched the Screenwriting Competition at Coronado Island Film Festival. She attended the Stephens College program for TV and Screenwriting which is committed to bringing more female and underrepresented voices – and female-focused stories – into mainstream media while studying film with a female gaze. Kathy writes comedy TV about animals, people and the climate emergency, and is committed to environmental sustainability at events, on screen, and on set.