The PM Podcast: Through This Together — A Conversation with Kym Renner
Date: March 13, 2026
Host: Jay Frost
Guest: Kym Renner, Executive at LA County’s Department of Children and Family Services & Co-founder, Renovation Foundation

Episode Overview

This episode features an intimate conversation with Kym Renner—career public servant, child welfare executive, and sister of actor Jeremy Renner. Host Jay Frost guides a candid discussion covering Kym’s small-town upbringing, her family’s journey through trauma following Jeremy’s life-threatening snowplow accident, and how these experiences fueled their partnership in launching the Renovation Foundation and the “Pave Your Way” program, focused on supporting foster youth aging out of care. Kym shares honest reflections on the realities and pressures of celebrity philanthropy and sustains a deep focus on the power of community-driven, long-term impact.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introducing Kym Renner: Identity & Motivation

• Kym discusses her identity as a mother and public servant, often known publicly as “Jeremy’s sister” but intent on being seen for her work in child welfare.
• Grew up in Modesto, CA in a close family, “middle class, if that’s what it was called back then” [04:38].
• Her transition into child welfare emerged from recognizing, after leaving her sheltered upbringing, that not everyone had a safe, loving childhood:

  "When I found out everyone didn't [have a safe childhood]...it really became kind of a calling for me to want to give those that didn't have the same things I was able to have as a kid." [05:34]

Sibling Dynamics: The Renner Family Foundation

• Kym and Jeremy are close in age (“about two years apart” [06:56]), and their sibling dynamic shaped much of their outlook.

• Jeremy was “painfully introverted,” even in his garage band days—Kym:

  “It was a really big surprise to us as a family when he decided this was something he was going to explore because he was so introverted...” [08:24]

• Kym’s initial dream was law enforcement and public service, driven not by money, but making an impact:

  “I was more motivated by what it felt like at the end of my day, if I was doing something that made the world better.” [10:22]

Jeremy’s Rise, Family Adjustments, and Lessons of Visibility

• The Renner family followed Jeremy’s slow and steady rise in Hollywood—celebrating his earliest commercials and films with hometown “premieres”:

  “Any time he was in a movie, we’d do a Modesto premiere...the whole community came out.” [17:40]

• The shift to global fame brought unique pressures—for Jeremy and those close to him:

  “There’s a fine line between I want to put things out there in the world to do good. And no good deed goes unpunished, right?...People want things from you.” [21:05]

• Kym discusses the burden of discerning genuine philanthropic interest from those merely attracted by celebrity:

  “What I realize is...wait, are they trying to help us or are they ...trying to just see if he can do...I don't really know how to do that very well. That’s not my expertise.” [22:42]

• Notable moment:

  “He started crying and he said, ‘It’s the first time anyone has seen me in my family this way’...to be seen and to be understood in a nice, quiet moment between brother and sister, I think it just felt really good.” [22:57]

The Accident: Trauma, Family Resilience, and a New Mission

• Kym recounts the infamous New Year’s morning snowplow (snowcat) accident:

  “He looks at me and he says, ‘Jeremy’s on the way to the hospital. It was really bad, Mom. His eye was coming out of his head. He wasn’t talking. He’s bleeding everywhere. He got run over by the Snowcat.’” [00:00], retold [28:44, 29:10]

• The family’s trauma was collective:

  “The secondary trauma and trauma I experienced...has changed me forever. I’m different today because of it...Jeremy will say that, he goes, ‘I wasn’t the only one who went through this. We all went through this.’” [28:44]

• Raw moment at the hospital:

  “I’ll never forget that moment because I thought they were coming to tell me, like, he didn’t make it.” [34:41]

• After Jeremy’s survival and long recovery:

  “He was always determined that there was a reason, right, that he came back…Life’s too short and we don’t know how long we have, and we’ve got to help these kids. It was like six months after the accident...and he has his first community event telling people that what he wants to do.” [37:13]

Launching the Renovation Foundation & “Pave Your Way”

• The foundation pivoted from a “plan after I retired” to immediate action post-accident.
• Kym became the operational lead, leveraging her child welfare experience and family partnership:

  “He’s always been the older brother. Maybe it was my turn to...make sure his voice was heard when he didn’t have a voice.” [40:29]

• The program’s core: Summer camps, tangible support for foster parents, holiday events, and crucially:
• Pave Your Way: Support for “transition age youth”—young people aging out of foster care at 18.

Challenge of Aging Out: The Foster Youth “Cliff”

• Kym vividly illustrates the isolation of foster youth at milestones:

  “Imagine now walking the stage and not one person is clapping for you...That’s real, that’s heavy. I say foster youth don’t have a network when they age out...” [44:06]

• Systemic gaps:

  “The money ends at 18, but kids aren’t grown at 18.” [44:24]
  “We found our feet...Now we have a home housing project supporting foster youth aging out of the system...” [42:16]
  “Our ‘pave your way’ model is...independent apartment housing where they can live on their own with lots of bubble wrap around them.” [46:51]

Scaling and Funding Community Solutions

• Nearly 400,000 foster youth in America—“almost a half a million children living with a system as their parents rather than people.” [47:39]
• Vision: Expand the “Pave Your Way” model beyond Nevada, with interest from national partners.
• Biggest challenge:

  “We have to find and ensure we have sustainable funding...because this is what is needed to fill the gaps.” [49:52]

• The aim: Family-like support, life-skills training, and a level playing field for all youth, regardless of their backgrounds.

Personal Reflections and Moving Forward

• On working with Jeremy:

  “His creative brain and my execution brain, I think, blend really well together...I feel super honored that I get to do it.” [52:29]

• On her own journey:

  “I think my life is good. I really love doing this with my brother...It’s great to be me, I think.” [52:29]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No good deed goes unpunished, right?...People want things from you. Oh, you’re giving over here. Can you give over here too? ...That could be the noise you have to manage.” – Kym Renner [21:05]
• “It's the first time anyone has seen me in my family this way...to be seen and to be understood in a nice, quiet moment between brother and sister, I think it just felt really good.” – Kym recounting Jeremy’s words [22:57]
• “Imagine now walking the stage and not one person is clapping for you. That's real. That's heavy. …Foster youth don’t have a network when they age out...” – Kym Renner [44:06]
• “We all went through this. He wrote that in his book. We did this. You know, we went through this together.” – Kym on collective family trauma [29:10]
• “His creative brain and my, like, execution brain, I think blend really well together.” – Kym on working with Jeremy [53:16]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:38] – Reflections on childhood, lack of early awareness about foster care
• [08:24] – Jeremy’s introversion, surprise at his choice of acting
• [15:00] – Tracking and celebrating Jeremy’s rise in Hollywood as a family
• [21:05] – The realities of celebrity philanthropy and public judgment
• [28:44] – Snowcat accident and its aftermath
• [37:13] – Jeremy’s resolve to accelerate foundation plans after recovery
• [42:16] – Launch and lessons of the Renovation Foundation
• [44:06] – The emotional experience of aging out of foster care
• [46:51] – “Pave Your Way” housing model explained
• [49:52] – Comments on sustainability and vision for scaling
• [52:29] – Kym reflects on her current life and partnership with Jeremy

Final Thoughts

This powerful episode offers a raw, unpolished look at family, trauma, and how private pain can become public impact. Kym Renner’s candor is inspiring and instructive, underscoring why building real, enduring support systems for vulnerable youth demands empathy, community commitment, and the willingness to “go through this together”—long after the spotlight fades.