Kymberly Lee, founder of Galaxy Nail Products, passed away on October 3, 2016 at age 54. Kym was a nail technician, nail competitor, and an innovator in both technique and products. Kym founded her company in 1988 with her husband Tim. Her brother-in-law Jeff was also part of the business.

Kym was a serious educator and loved helping nail technicians hone their skills. She worked early on as a mentor to Tom Holcomb and Tom Bachik, both of whom went on to superstardom themselves. Kym was runner up NAILS Educator of the Year in 1996 and was cited for her devotion to the nail industry. Kym would often pick up the phone herself when a nail technician called in with a technical question. She said she knew that nail techs wanted to speak to another nail tech who’d understand the challenges personally.

Kym was a fierce competitor on the competition circuit and was outspoken about competitions. In the early days of competitions, anyone representing a manufacturer wasn't allowed to compete, but Kym changed that. 

Kym is survived by her husband Tim and their three children, Preston (32), Lexy (26), and Stratton (23). She also had two grandchildren, Trinity (9) and Diego (3).

No plans have yet been made for a service, but NAILS will post on our site where condolences can be sent. We invite those who knew Kym or knew of her to share their remembrances in the comment section below.