Dear Distinguished CKA Members,
I am proud to introduce our 14 newest members to the Council of Korean Americans. Our Fall 2021 membership cohort is composed of trailblazers and innovators in government, business, finance, health, academia, research, and the arts. These new members represent some of the brightest Korean American leaders in the country.
We are honored to have them join our ever-growing CKA community and look forward to their active participation in future programs.
Congratulations to our new members! Thank you for all your support.
Warm Regards,
Abraham Kim, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Council of Korean Americans
INTRODUCING OUR NEW CKA MEMBERS
If interested in becoming a CKA Member, please submit your member application here. CKA’s Membership Committee reviews these applications on a quarterly basis.
Chris Bang
Assistant Professor
Auburn University at Montgomery
Dr. Bang was appointed as an assistant professor to AUM. He holds his master’s and doctorate degree in Management Information Systems from the University at Buffalo after 10 years of experience in various positions such as programmer, DBA, system engineer, and project manager in the IT industry.
Sophie Choi
Sr. Director, Strategy & GTM
Affirm
Sophie Choi is the Senior Director for Strategy and GTM at Affirm, a Fintech company based in San Francisco, CA. International expansion and core growth strategy are her main focus areas.
Jin Chun
Chief Operating Officer
SilverBox Capital
Jin Chun is Chief Operating Officer of SilverBox Capital, an alternative investment manager operating across multiple platforms, including sponsoring a series of special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC). Jin also serves as Chief Operating Officer of SilverBox Engaged Merger Corp I (NASDAQ: SBEA) and is a Partner of Boxwood Capital, a private equity investment firm.
Daniella Kim
Executive Director
Moelis & Company
Daniella Kim is an Executive Director at Moelis & Company in the Private Funds Advisory group. Previously, Ms. Kim was a Director in the Firm’s Human Capital Management department overseeing Global Performance Management and Training & Development, and the Business Management department focusing on strategic initiatives and business development.
David H. Kim
Tax Principal
Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
David is a Tax Principal at Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP’s Washington DC metro office and a part of the firm’s Private Client Services practice. He specializes in personalized tax compliance, planning, and consulting services for complex tax issues with a unique combination of specialties in the areas of gift and estate taxation, wealth transfer, retirement, and succession planning.
Lami Kim
Assistant Professor
US Army War College
Lami Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. Her research interests are all things nuclear, emerging technologies, and security issues in East Asia.
Leo Kim
Head of Business Planning and Operations, Haematology R&D
AstraZeneca
Leo serves as the Head of Business Planning and Operations for the Haematology R&D group of AstraZeneca, and he has risen through the ranks in diverse technical areas including strategy & operations, market access, and healthcare policy. A neuroscientist by training, he started his career as an R&D program manager at an oncology/neurology start-up and earned the business training as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised a regulatory agency and several major pharmaceutical companies.
Paula Kim
Co-Founder, Co-Director and Senior Research Fellow
Global Advocacy Leadership Academy and George Mason University, Center for Health and Risk Communication
Paula Kim brings more than 29 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience in business and not-for-profit ventures. Paula is recognized on the grassroots, national, and international levels for her consumer-focused leadership and innovation in business, healthcare, and advocacy strategies.
Sunhee Kim
International Director
Gana Art Center
Sunhee Kim was most recently the director for the Busan Art Museum, and in the past have been the director for museums such as the Kim TSchang Yeul Art Museum, Daegu Art Museum in Korea, Bund18 Creative Center in Shanghai, Director of Chinese Contemporary Art Awards (CCAA) in China. She was the Senior Curator of Mori Art Museum in Tokyo in Japan, and the Exhibition Department Director of the Gwangju Biennale, and the Chief Curator of Gwangju Art Museum in Korea.
Kunwoo Lee
CEO
GENEDIT
Dr. Kunwoo Lee is the Co-Founder and CEO of GenEdit. He received a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in the Department of Bioengineering. He is the inventor of several delivery technologies for CRISPR/Cas9, which have shown great potential to revolutionize the treatment of genetic disorders.
Danny Seo
Co-CEO
Modern Global Sourcing
Danny Seo is the Founder and Co-CEO of Modern Global Sourcing. He is also a partner at Caerus Investment Advisors, a multi-family office of predominantly technology executives, and managing principal at Brandview Capital Partners, a commercial real estate investment firm.
Hye-Won (Grace) Shin
Chief Scientific Officer & Chief Global Affairs Officer
RIIID Medical & RIIID Research
Dr. Hye-Won (Grace) Shin is the Chief Scientific Officer & Chief Global Affairs Officer at RIIID Medical & Research. She is responsible for establishing the RIIID’s scientific research roadmap, developing scientific-evidence-based community education programs, and building domestic and global R&D collaborations with top-notch academic institutions, research centers, foundations, and community-based organizations to bring broader impact to the communities we serve.
Benjamin White
Captain
US Army
CPT Benjamin K. White is currently a Civil Affairs Officer Candidate at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Command and School (USAJFKSWCS) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Benjamin graduated Cum Laude with Honors and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Chemical Corps from The University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida in May of 2016.
Charles Yook
Director
No Chain
Charles Yook is the director of a non-profit organization that supports human rights for North Koreans. Charles also manages the Category Management Program at the IRS where he works across the organization to implement efficient supply chain practices.