Who will walk the runway during New York Fashion Week and win $20,000? You decide.
Kimberly Jackson MD
About Kimberly Jackson MD
Physician, author, and nonprofit founder who believes purpose and confidence never go out of style. My life is dedicated to service, but I’m taking the runway to prove that stepping outside your comfort zone is the ultimate act of growth.
Learn More About Kimberly Jackson MD
What makes you the Next Runway Star?
I am the next Runway Star because I represent a multi-dimensional vision of beauty and success. As a physician, author, and advocate, my life has been defined by service—but fashion is where art meets agency. I want women everywhere to look at the runway and realize they never have to fit into a single box. You can lead a team, treat a patient, and still command a runway with grace and absolute confidence. This isn't just about a moment in the spotlight; it's about showing women of every age and career path that they belong in any room they choose to enter. We can be caregivers, leaders, and creators all at once. If my walk inspires just one person to shatter a glass ceiling or step into a bold new chapter, then every single stride I take on that runway will have true, undeniable purpose.
What would this once in a lifetime experience mean to you and why?
This once-in-a-lifetime experience would quite literally mean the world to me. For my life’s work as a physician and nonprofit founder, it offers an incredible global platform to amplify the message that purpose, wellness, and service never go out of style. It proves that intellectual depth and creative expression can beautifully coexist. Most importantly, it allows me to set a powerful living example for my daughters. I want them to look at that runway and see their mother refusing to be defined by a single box or limited by a single career path. I want to show them firsthand that it is never too late to step into something new, challenge yourself, and pursue your passions with absolute confidence. Walking this runway isn't just a personal milestone; it is a collective invitation for my daughters, my patients, and women everywhere to dream bigger and live without limits.
What are you most proud of about yourself or what have you overcome and why?
I am proudest of overcoming a background designed to limit my trajectory. I grew up in a tiny, rural Mississippi town with a graduating class of just 86, in an environment where women rarely held major leadership roles. When I entered medical school, I was one of only three African American students in my starting medical school class of 100. Navigating that isolation—while surviving personal loss, trauma, and systemic setbacks—taught me how to turn adversity into fuel. Today, I am proud to be a physician, an author, and a nonprofit founder who built her own clinic. But true success isn't just about what I’ve built; it’s about what I pour back. I use my platform to educate communities and fund scholarships for the next generation of medical students and physicians. I overcame the limits placed on my past so that every step I take today inspires and empowers others to realize their own potential is entirely boundless.
What would you do with the $20,000 cash prize?
I will use the $20,000 prize to support my nonprofit, Physicians Working Together (PhysiciansWorkingTogether.org). We are currently facing a critical healthcare crisis; staggering doctor burnout has led to a devastating reality where physicians are taking their own lives. This tragedy hit home when it happened to a dear friend of mine—a heartbreak that became the driving force behind why I started PWT. These funds will directly support our mission to provide medical student scholarships, essential mentorship, and vital resources for practicing physicians. Our health is our most valuable asset. Healthy doctors create healthy patients, which in turn build a healthy nation. If this prize helps PWT touch just one medical student, one doctor, or one person to let them know they are not alone in the dark, every ounce of sacrifice is worth it. This money will actively fund the lifeline our healers desperately need.
Content from Kimberly Jackson MD
Rise is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that helps sexual assault survivors across the country and around the world. They’ve created the most successful legislative reform movement in U.S. history: 120 laws passed, 1 UN Resolution and 112 million people’s lives impacted by their efforts.
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