She graduated from Conway School in the suburbs of St. Louis and John Burroughs High School in 1998, where she began to show interest in theater and improvisational comedy. She studied at Princeton University for some time. In 2010, she was nominated for the "Screen Actors Guild Award" for "Best Acting Ensemble" in the comedy series "Office." Since 2015, Kemper has been playing the title role on Netflix's "Unbending Kimmy Schmidt." She is also known for her role in the 2011 film "Hen Night in Vegas."