Electricity powers nearly every aspect of the modern economy, yet the engineering required to deliver that power often goes unnoticed.
Before homes, hospitals, manufacturing facilities, data centers, and commercial developments receive electric service, engineers design the distribution systems, substations, and utility infrastructure that make those projects possible.
KDM Engineering has built its business around that responsibility.
Today, KDM Engineering is one of the largest Black woman-owned electrical engineering firms in the United States, specializing in power distribution, natural gas distribution, telecommunications, utility coordination, permitting, and substation engineering. Headquartered in Chicago with a growing presence on the East Coast, the company provides engineering services that help utilities modernize infrastructure and expand capacity for growing communities.
From Engineer to Entrepreneur
Long before founding KDM Engineering, Kimberly D. Moore developed a passion for understanding how things worked. Growing up on Chicago’s South Side, family members nicknamed her “Ms. Fix It” because she enjoyed solving technical problems and finding practical solutions.
Moore earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Northern Illinois University while competing as a Division I basketball player. She began her career at a nuclear power plant before moving into electrical distribution engineering and engineering management, building experience across multiple areas of the utility industry.
She launched KDM Engineering in 2008 to provide engineering consulting services. The recession, combined with her father’s illness, forced the company to temporarily close while she cared for him full time. After his passing in 2011, Moore restarted the business with a renewed sense of purpose. Under her leadership, KDM Engineering has grown to more than 100 employees and completed more than 5,000 engineering designs while earning recognition as one of the country’s largest Black woman-owned electrical engineering firms.
Designing the Infrastructure Behind Modern Communities
Every utility expansion begins with engineering. Before contractors install power lines or energize new developments, engineers design the systems that safely and reliably deliver electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications services.
KDM Engineering provides services across the full utility engineering lifecycle, including distribution engineering, natural gas distribution design, civil engineering, utility coordination, permitting, drafting, telecommunications, project management, and substation engineering. That combination allows the company to support utilities through multiple phases of infrastructure development rather than a single engineering discipline.
Substation engineering has become an increasingly important part of the firm’s portfolio as utilities replace aging infrastructure, improve grid reliability, and prepare for rising electricity demand. These projects strengthen the systems responsible for transmitting and distributing power across residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and industrial facilities.
Growing Alongside the Utility Industry
As KDM Engineering expanded, the company broadened both its geographic footprint and technical capabilities. From its headquarters in Chicago, the firm now serves clients across multiple regions while maintaining a growing presence along the East Coast.
Its growth has been recognized through industry and business awards, including placement on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, Forbes’ Best Startup Employers, Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, and Crain’s Chicago Business lists recognizing the region’s largest businesses owned by people of color and biggest women-owned businesses.
The company has also become an Engineer of Choice for several large utilities, reflecting its ability to manage complex engineering programs across electric power, natural gas, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Expanding the Engineering Pipeline
Moore’s impact extends beyond building KDM Engineering.
She founded Calculated Genius, a nonprofit dedicated to introducing underrepresented students to engineering through STEM education, mentorship, entrepreneurship programs, and scholarships. The organization reflects her commitment to expanding opportunities for future engineers while strengthening the industry’s talent pipeline.
That same philosophy shapes KDM Engineering’s workforce. The company views diversity as a competitive advantage, bringing together engineers with different backgrounds and perspectives to solve increasingly complex infrastructure challenges. According to the company, those varied experiences contribute to stronger collaboration and more innovative engineering solutions.
Engineering the Future of the Grid
Utilities across the United States continue investing in grid modernization, underground distribution systems, renewable energy integration, and substation upgrades to meet rising electricity demand. Those projects require engineering firms with expertise spanning planning, design, permitting, and utility coordination before construction begins.
KDM Engineering has positioned itself to support that work through its specialization in electrical distribution, telecommunications, natural gas infrastructure, and substation engineering. What began as a small consulting firm has grown into one of the largest Black woman-owned electrical engineering firms, demonstrating how technical expertise, long-term client relationships, and strategic investment in people can build a nationally recognized engineering company.
