‘AMERICA’S DIGITAL GODDESS”
∗ Born July 1, 1967 in Watchung, New Jersey; mother was a systems analyst at Bell Labratories; father was a manager at United Airlines; Komando is their actual last name
∗ Graduated from high school a year early; earned a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Arizona State University (1985); started her own business while in college teaching people how to operate their computers
∗ Sold computers for IBM, AT&T and Unisys; wrote column in Arizona Business Gazette; hosted late-night weekly call-in show about technology on KFYI-AM Phoenix; quit her sales job in 1992 to focus on media career
∗ Developed her own computer training tapes, selling them though an informercial, which ultimately bankrolled the launch of her radio show
∗ Formed WestStar TalkRadio Network in 1994 with husband Barry Young, who hosted his own radio show on KFYI, to syndicate her program after CBS and ABC passed
∗ Hosts “The Kim Komando Show,” thee-hour live radio call-in show, broadcast from Phoenix each Saturday morning, now carried on more than 435 stations reaching 3.5 million listeners, and in 117 countries via Armed Forces Radio; heard locally on KTAR-FM; hosts one-minute “Consumer Tech Update” radio report five days a week on more than 390 stations
∗ Creates three regular podcasts with nearly 2 million downloads a month; operates web site with 2.7 million unique visitors a month; sends free newsletters to 40 million recipients each month
∗ Served as technology editor at Popular Mechanics magazine (1995 to 1998); writes weekly USA Today tech column (since 2002); appointed to Forbes magazine tech council (2017)
∗ Bills herself as “America’s Digital Goddess”
∗ Received Gracie Award, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media, for Outstanding Program Host (2007); named Talkers magazine’s Woman of the Year for outstanding contributions by a woman to talk radio (2009); nominated for National Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters (2017); nominated for the National Radio Hall of Fame (2018, 2019)
∗ Delivered keynote address at National Association of Broadcasters’ radio show luncheon for industry executives in Las Vegas (2016)
∗ Hosts The Kim Komando Television Show on Bloomberg TV (2019)
∗ Wrote more than a dozen books about computers and technology
∗ Sponsors a scholarship for female computer students at ASU
∗ Lives in Phoenix and Maui, Hawaii
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