Kim Winter Mako (born Kimberly Winter) is a born and raised Jersey Girl, graduating from Indian Hills High School in Bergen County. She went on to study Theatre at Syracuse University's school of Visual & Performing Arts, as well as a semester at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center/National Theatre Institute, in New London, Connecticut.

Early acting years were spent In New York City, where she was a founding member of aTheatreCo., a non-profit theater company that produced primarily original plays. Members consisted mostly of Syracuse University Drama alumni, including founder Craig Walker and Tom Everett Scott. She is also one of the original students of acting coach, Bob Krakower. After a few TV and indie film credits in the 90's, Kim left the business for 18 years. Today Kim is based in both Asheville, NC and north Jersey, working in both the southeast and NYC markets.

Kim is of German, Polish, English, Irish, and Scottish descent.

Some of Kim's short stories and poetry have been published in literary magazines such as Sou'wester, The Nervous Breakdown, The American Literary Review, Ducts.org, Stoneboat, The Citron Review, and others.