Dear Distinguished CKA Members and Friends,
I hope this message finds you in good health and high spirits. I am thrilled to introduce 20 exceptional individuals who have recently joined the Council of Korean Americans.
This Fall 2023 membership cohort consists of remarkable individuals, each with their own unique skills and expertise. Coming from fields such as nonprofit, tech, and sports, these new members have made significant contributions through their innovative work.
As we warmly welcome them to our growing CKA family, we eagerly anticipate their active involvement in upcoming programs. Their valuable insights and experiences will undoubtedly enhance our collective knowledge and empower us to continue on the path of success.
Congratulations to our newly joined members, and a sincere appreciation to our current CKA members for their constant 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 every quarter.
Eddie Ahn
Executive Director
Brightline Defense
Eddie Ahn is the executive director of Brightline Defense, an environmental justice nonprofit focused on policy and legal advocacy, and Brightline also provides direct services ranging from youth leadership to low-income tenant empowerment to job training programs. In December 2021, Eddie was inducted into the State of California’s Clean Energy Hall of Fame for his work in equity and clean energy.
Nicolle Beaury
Marketing & Operations
Brian Beaury Jiu Jitsu
Nicolle Beaury is an events producer, marketer, and operations manager. She has over 15 years of event production and marketing, with projects ranging from medical conferences, galas, weddings, concerts, trainings, to nonprofit fundraisers. Nicolle loves curating spaces to convene people together to celebrate, learn and grow.
Jena Boccetti
Senior Manager, Corporate Governance (Legal)
The Oversight Board, LLC
Jena Boccetti is the Senior Manager for Corporate Governance for the Oversight Board, LLC which was established by Meta. Her prior working experience includes over a decade in private banking assisting clients with their trust and estate plans.
Jen Chung
Vice President, Real Estate Banking Treasury Sales
J.P. Morgan
Jen Chung works as a Vice President of Transacting Banking Sales at J.P. Morgan, focusing on selling cash management products to commercial real estate clients. She has extensive experience in the financial services industry across multiple functions like internal consulting, analytics and product strategy.
Zena Ho
Partner
McDermott Will & Emery, LLP
Zena M. Ho is a seasoned real estate attorney with a focus on real estate transactions and finance. Zena represents a wide range of clients from lenders, investors, developers, real estate investment trust companies, and private equity funds.
Sun Min ‘Izzy’ Jung
Partner
MPGA – Mental Performance Golf Academy
Sun Min ‘Izzy’ Jung joined MPGA – Mental Performance Golf Academy as one of the founding partners. In his role, he advises operations and partnerships to support golfers and coaches to build a masterful mindset, emotional agility, and peak performance results.
Joyce Kang
Senior International Affairs Analyst
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Joyce Y. Kang is a Senior International Affairs Analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the independent non-partisan “congressional watchdog” of the federal government. In addition, she is a certified diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) facilitator and adjunct instructor at the agency’s learning center. She has been recognized by her agency for sustained commitment to DEIA efforts, community service, and modeling inclusive leadership.
Julie Kim
President, U.S. Business & U.S. Country Head
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Julie Kim is President of the U.S. Business Unit, U.S. Country Head and member of Takeda’s Executive Team. The U.S. Business Unit portfolio encompasses gastroenterology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies and rare diseases.
David Y. Kim
Children’s Court Attorney
Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers
David Y. Kim is a children’s court attorney running for office in California’s 34th Congressional District. Throughout his career, David has fought for the underrepresented and the most vulnerable parents and families in Los Angeles County, as a children’s court attorney and an immigration attorney.
Hannah Lee
Product Manager for Android Privacy & Security
Google
Hannah Lee is a Product Manager for Android Privacy and Security at Google. She originally trained as an environmental engineer, and realized her passion and mission is to ensure innovation and technological growth happen safely.
Ricki McCaroll
Founder & CEO
NUNA Consulting Group, LLC
Ricki McCarroll is the Founder + CEO at NUNA Consulting Group, LLC – a strategic communications agency specializing in public affairs driven by quantifiable communications strategy. Born and raised in the Los Angeles Beach Cities, she spent over 10 years in Washington, DC serving policy-based organizations at the national level.
Celina Min
Senior Director of Brand Strategy & Innovation
SmartyPants Vitamins
Celina Min is the Senior Director of Brand Strategy and Innovation at SmartyPants Vitamins based in Marina Del Rey, CA. She leads the transformation of the brand post acquisition from Unilever and the 3 year growth plan by defining the portfolio architecture and creating an innovation pipeline.
Dona Murphey
Founder/Managing Partner; Chief Scientific Officer
PrognosUs; Synthesys Brain Health
Dona Kim Murphey is a neurologist, neuroscientist, historian of science, community organizer, and promotora. She considers health as telescoping connections within and between individuals, families, communities, and society at large and frames all policy as health policy. She advances a critical civic consciousness and electoral participation as key to transforming structural oppressions.
Sarah Nam
Former Associate Partner
McKinsey & Company
Sarah Nam is a biotech advisor and executive that bridges the life sciences, technology and business to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics to improve patient lives. Sarah previously served as a global leader of McKinsey and Company’s life sciences R&D practice, consistently rated in the top 10% for overall performance by other partners and highest people leadership scores by direct reports.
Jean Oh
Disability Programs & Services Counselor/Learning Disabilities Specialist
Chaffey College
Jean Oh works in public service as a Learning Disabilities Specialist and Disability Programs and Services Counselor at Chaffey College. She has a passion for working with students with disabilities.
Isabella Park
Physician Executive Leader
Northwell Health
Isabella Park is a Physician Executive Leader within Northwell as the Associate Medical Director and the Director of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at LIJ Forest Hills hospital. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Zucker School of Medicine and also a clinical Bioethicist. Dr. Park holds several system positions, including being an executive sponsor in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
Junghoon Park
Assistant Professor of Management
Loyola Marymount University
Junghoon Park is an assistant professor of management in the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University. Junghoon’s research expertise focuses on global sustainability strategy, inspired by a strong interest in exploring how firms can design and implement strategies to tackle pressing sustainability issues, such as climate change and public health deficiencies.
Robert Peterson
Independent Consultant
Robert Peterson is a world-renowned expert and highly engaging public speaker, recognized as an academic scholar, community activist, feminist, and experienced subject matter expert with interests in the intersectionality of Race, Class, & Gender; Masculinity and Sexuality; Social and Health Policy; HIV and Sexual Behaviors and more recently addressing anti-racism, specifically the increase in Anti-Asian Hate-Violence, and advocating on behalf of both AAPI and Black communities.
Diane Yoo
CEO & Founder
Fenix Global
Diane is CEO and Founder of Fenix Global, a network of senior executive women investment managers. With access to venture capital and private equity firms representing $100 Billion Asset Under Management. Fenix Global previously established an Asian American Investment Managers network to advance underrepresented asset managers and launched the industry’s first “State of Asian American Women Investment Managers” report.
Jeongseok (Jay) Yu
Partner
Foley Hoag, LLP
Jeongseok Jay Yu is a partner at Foley Hoag where he works with private equity and public and private companies in connection with domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters, minority investment, divestitures, joint ventures, restructuring, and other corporate matters across a variety of sectors. His clients include private equity and venture funds, their portfolio companies, and strategic buyers and sellers in public and private acquisitions.