Our 4 Priorities and 6E Initiatives

To achieve its ambitious vision and mission, CKA adopted four priorities and six initiative programs.

To carry out these priorities, CKA launched six initiatives called the “6Es” as programmatic tools to empower, engage, elevate, enrich, enlighten and envision. We are constantly innovating to educate, train, connect and mobilize our community to make an impact in the different worlds our members are engaging in.

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ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Strengthen the voice of Korean American leaders in the media and public policy arena, and leverage their influence to shape important issues affecting our community.

BUILD COMMUNITY ACROSS BOUNDARIES
Strengthen communication and collaboration among Korean American leaders across sectors and regions, and improve relations with other ethnic and racial groups.

CELEBRATE OUR IDENTITY AND IMPACT
Highlight the important contribution and uplift the reputation of the Korean American community by educating the public about Korean American history, culture and arts, and celebrating its role models.

DEVELOP BOLD AND COMPASSIONATE LEADERS
Provide training for emerging, professional, and executive- level leaders; and establish a community where leaders can mentor and invest in future generations.

Webinars

CKA hosts dozens of webinars each year, interviewing top thought leaders and decision-makers about important issues that shape the Asian American community, this country, and the globe. Topics of conversation range from diversity in the workplace to Korean American history and culture to the current state of U.S.-Korea relations.

National Convenings

2023 ENVISION GALA & SUMMIT

The 2023 CKA Envision Gala & Summit was an unforgettable three-day event filled with celebration, motivation, and meaningful connections. With over 500 guests in attendance, our Congressional Reception, Breakfast Forum with Artists, National Summit, and black-tie Gala were all extraordinary highlights. It was an honor to recognize and celebrate four exceptional leaders in the Korean American community: Ashley Park, a Tony, Grammy, and Critics Choice Nominated Actress; Sunny Park, Chief Executive Officer of the Great American Scholarship Foundation; James Rhee, Owner & Author of Red Helicopter; and L. Song Richardson, President of Colorado College.

2022 ENVISION GALA & SUMMIT

At 2022 Envision Gala & Summit and had the honor of presenting the Trailblazer Award to Judge Lucy Koh (Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit), the Empower Award to Songyee Yoon (President & CSO, NCSOFT), the Voice & Leadership Award to Min Jin Lee (Award-Winning Writer), and the Embrace Unity Award to Africa Yoon (Author, CEO, Blackyoonicorn).

2021 VIRTUAL GALA

On November 21, 2020, CKA hosted its first-ever virtual gala program. Together with over 650 registered individuals and 20 virtual watch parties, CKA honored and recognized Korean American leaders across the nation. It was also a night of celebrating the greater Korean American community and its resilient spirit during these turbulent times of uncertainty.

2020 VIRTUAL GALA

With COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, CKA hosted a virtual gala that connected 650 attendees from across the globe to celebrate the resilience and strength of the Korean American community. We honored Miky Lee (CJ Entertainment), David Chang (Founder of Momofuku), and Steve and Mary Park (Little Lights Ministry) for their service to our community.

2019 EMPOWER SUMMIT

During the fall of 2019, CKA hosted its first Empower Summit in Washington, D.C., where top thought leaders and decision-makers from across the country assembled to share their experience and insights about leadership and mentorship.

SUMMIT & GALA

Each year, CKA hosts one or two flagship black-tie gala events in Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles, California, with executives, thought leaders, civic leaders, and innovators from around the country. Their purpose is to celebrate the national Korean American community, our identity, the rich culture, and the many role models across sectors. Here are examples of recent events:

2018 NATIONAL SUMMIT & GALA

CKA’s fourth annual National Summit & Gala convened in November 2018 in Washington, D.C., gathering Korean American leaders from government, business, academia, and entertainment in our nation’s capital to reflect on key issues and celebrate our contributions to the United States. We honored Daniel Henney (Actor), Hesung Koh (Co-Founder, East Rock Institute), and Timothy Hwang (CEO, FiscalNote).

INSPIRE GALA

The Inspire gala was hosted in 2018 as a celebration of Korean American excellence in design, performance, sports, and esports, as well as our community’s creativity, ingenuity, and influence.

EMBRACE UNITY

The Embrace Unity gala was hosted in 2017 to commemorate the 25-year anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. CKA members, the Korean American community, and other community groups came together to raise funds for nonprofits serving underserved youth in ethnic communities.

Leadership Development

The Korean American legacy depends on cultivating the next generation of leaders. Each year, we bring together the best and brightest Korean Americans from around the country to explore issues of identity, build networks, and lift our community’s voice. The next generation of Korean Americans will be the leaders who ensure the voice of our community continues to be heard.

PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The CKA-KALCA Public Service Internship Program places college and graduate students in full-time summer internships throughout Washington, D.C., and New York and provides a generous scholarship per student. We also provide high-impact leadership training and closed-door mentoring with senior Asian American leaders throughout the summer, including CKA members, influencers, policymakers, and opinion-makers.

IGNITENEXTGEN PROGRAM

IgniteNextGen is a six-week online fellowship program hosted by the Council of Korean Americans and Korean American Coalition – Los Angeles for college students, recent graduates, and young professionals to gain leadership skills, and civic awareness to create a positive change in their environment.

MENTORSHIP CONFERENCE

CKA’s annual mentorship conferences introduce youth, students, and young professionals to business leaders and leading professionals from various disciplines. Through these conferences, we provide guidance & mentorship to the next generation of Korean American leaders and focus on inspiring civic engagement across industries and professions.

ENRICHMENT DINNERS

Across the country, CKA has hosted a series of enrichment and civic dinners with senior mentors and experts to explore professional development themes and share wisdom, life experiences, and insights. The goal of the enrichment dinner series is to provide a space to learn from each other and get targeted advice in a small, intimate setting.

ELEVATE TRAINING

CKA’s Elevate Training will focus on developing practical leadership skills, ranging from public speaking to media training to fundraising. CKA’s inaugural Elevate Training was held on Saturday, April 13, 2019, at Columbia University, in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association to train attendees on how to publish op-eds and prepare for on-camera interviews.

PUBLIC BOARDS TRAINING

CKA aims to get more Korean American leaders better prepared and positioned to be recruited into corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. CKA also has a partnership with Equilar Inc., the top provider of critical data on corporate executives and key stakeholders.

Korean American Perspectives Podcast

The Korean American Perspectives Podcast series aims to explore complex issues that shape the Korean American community and share the inspirational life stories of Korean American leaders.

Community Outreach

The need for community building and civic activism among Korean Americans is greater now than ever before. CKA promotes community building and civic activism to influence issues that impact us both domestically and internationally. We collaborate with partner organizations to improve race relations, educate voters, and speak up on the issues that impact our community. Our members and staff educate Congress, media, and decision-makers, and CKA utilizes its voice to represent the community through op-eds, interviews, and briefings.

Honoring Our Heroes

Nomination of Colonel Young Oak Kim for the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom