Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins

Dr. Kevin Ahmaad Jenkins is a national leader in health equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Jenkins is a two-time award-winning journalist, Ivy League researcher and lecturer, and speaker whose work focuses on addressing racial health disparities. His commitment to health equity is rooted in personal experience, as his mother faced significant challenges in the health care system due to misdiagnosis and lack of attention to her concerns.

Jenkins holds a bachelor's degree from North Carolina Central University and master's degrees from Florida A&M University with a focus on medical and legal history. He earned a doctorate in sociology, criminology and law from the University of Florida and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania. At the University of Pennsylvania, Jenkins serves as a lecturer of health equity in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy within the Perelman School of Medicine, with additional appointments in the School of Nursing, the School of Social Policy & Practice, and the Annenberg School of Communications. His research explores the intersection of chronic disease, health care delivery, and organizational performance, with a focus on how complex systems impact access, engagement, and outcomes.

Jenkins developed the Racism-Focused Trauma Informed Care (RETINA) Framework, a significant contribution to the study of racism in medicine. His research on algorithmic bias in clinical care and the RETINA Framework informs his systems-based approach to health care transformation. Jenkins received the inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Supplemental Award from the Veterans Health Administration for research on algorithmic bias in chronic kidney disease care among Black veterans. He has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 Leader in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum and as a New Connections Award recipient by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Jenkins has contributed to national initiatives through the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Minority Health and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Roundtable on Health Equity. As an author, his book "I Ain't Woke, I Just Can't Sleep: Racism, Resilience, and the Rest that Eludes Us All" addresses racism and resilience in health care. He is also developing "Hue Process: The Quantitative Measurement of Racism in Medicine" and serves as executive producer of the documentary "Refund My Freedom: Black Health in America."

Jenkins is chairman and CEO of Konquered Holdings, an international DEI-focused research and consulting organization with brands including Konquered Healthcare Solutions, DEI Concepts, GradDepot, and the I AM Research Institute. He has collaborated with more than 50 hospital associations and numerous health care systems to redesign clinical processes, improve care delivery, and align institutional strategy with patient-centered outcomes. Jenkins has worked as a consultant with organizations such as McKesson Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald's, Duke University, and the Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. His work extends into systems performance, translational measurement, and AI-enabled health care delivery, developing frameworks that connect theory, methods, and real-world implementation.

Before his academic career, Jenkins worked as a broadcaster and journalist. He served as the public address announcer for North Carolina Central University and the on-field announcer for the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Durham Bulls, and was the first announcer to host the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association's Super Saturday. His work has been featured in media outlets such as ABC World News, The Grio, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Tribune, and NBC. Jenkins is recognized for his ability to facilitate conversations about race and equity in health care and to drive actionable change in the industry.