Building a Legacy and Nurturing Leaders. As we come to the end of June, we reflect on the significance of building a legacy and the positive impact our leaders leave behind. This month, we bid farewell to two extraordinary Korean American leaders who have made indelible contributions to our community: David Kim, CEO of NAPCA, and William Min, a pioneer and early leader of the Korean American community. Their legacies serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of leadership and the lasting impact it has on future generations.
CKA Honors the Passing of Two Extraordinary Leaders
Photos (L-R): David Kim with David S. Kim and David L. Kim at the 2022 CKA Envision Gala; William Min with Hanna Kim Yoon at the CKA – KAC-LA 2023 SAIGU@30 event.
Both individuals exemplified the core values that define CKA’s mission to Amplify Voice, Build Community, Celebrate Identity, and Develop Leaders within the Korean American community. Their tireless dedication, unwavering commitment, and profound impact on the lives of countless individuals serve as beacons of inspiration for us all. Though their physical presence may be gone, their contributions will continue to shape and guide us as we carry their legacies forward.
Korean Movie Night—a first-of-its-kind outdoor movie series celebrating Korean cinema, food, music, and culture—launched on June 17 in Los Angeles.
NetKAL XI’s Team Jeong (Annie Canada, Jen Kim, and Sooj Park) developed Korean Movie Night for their community project last year, an exercise aimed at building bridges outside of the Korean American community. Despite the popularity of Korean entertainment, there have been no outdoor movie series focused exclusively on Korean movies until now.
More than 250 people turned out for the kickoff event, including numerous CKA members and NetKAL fellows, to watch Academy Award-winning film Parasite in front of LA City Hall. Attendees enjoyed pre-movie festivities including a K-pop heavy DJ set, Korean fusion food trucks, Korean snacks and ramen, and a beer garden serving up makgeolli and soju cocktails.
The Korean Movie Night opening program highlighted the importance of representation and featured special guests Angela Killoren (CJ ENM America), Lana Cho (American Born Chinese), and So Yun Um (Liquor Store Dreams).
“Thanks to the generous support of CKA and our sponsors, we were able to execute on our vision of bringing together people from all backgrounds to experience Korean culture and community,” Team Jeong said.
Kinzie Closes First Institutional Fund at $150M
Kinzie Capital Partners, Founder and Managing Partner of Kinzie Capital Partners, Suzanne Yoon, announced the close of the company’s first institutional fund, Kinzie Fund II. The Fund closed with $150 million in total commitments, the company’s largest to-date.
Juliet K. Choi Meets with Sec. Xavier Becerra
CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), Juliet K. Choi recently joined US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra in a roundtable discussion with leaders of AANHPI organizations. Discussion topics included tackling healthcare disparities, language access, and combating anti-Asian hate.
John Park Joins Dallas Cowboys Staff!
Former Director of Football Research for the Indianapolis Colts, John Park recently accepted a position as the Director of Strategic Football Operations for the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Congratulations, John!
Daniel Kim Starts New Position at Plate IQ
Daniel Kim, Former Chief Financial Officer of Crothall Laundry Services, recently started as the CFO of Plate IQ, a leading AP automation and payments platform. The company raised $160mm in a Series B round in November 2021 from FTV Capital and is in rapid growth mode. Congratulations, Dan!
Jerry Kang and Don Liu speak on Anti-Asian Violence and Implicit Bias
In partnership with Alliance for Asian American Justice, Jerry Kang, UCLA’s Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Don Liu, Target’s Executive Vice President and Chief Legal & Risk Officer, spoke at the Manhattan District Attorneys’ Office on the historical context of anti-AAPI hate, the existence of implicit biases, and the harmful impact of negative stereotypes against Asian Americans, and ways to collectively promote the public safety and fair treatment of the AAPI community.
Paul Song Presents on Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
On June 16, CEO and Vice Chairman of NKGen Biotech, Paul Song, presented “use of highly enhanced autologous natural killer cells for advanced Alzheimer’s disease”, at the 2nd International Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia Conference 2023 held virtually and in-person in Rome, Italy.
Junna Ro Discusses Imposter Syndrome & Building Confidence
On June 27-28, Junna Ro, Former General Counsel, Metromile, spoke with colleagues about Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Building Confidence at Compliance Week’s inaugural Women in Compliance Summit.
Jennifer Kim Publishes Report on Corporate Impact Investing Strategies
Investment Officer for Spring Point Partners LLC, Jennifer Kim, recently published a report with the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance on an overview of the current state of corporate impact investing. The report also highlights several recommendations for companies seeking to start or deepen their impact investing efforts.
David Chun appears on podcast, Leadership Reimagined
In Episode 47 of the Leadership Reimagined podcast, hosted by The Ellig Group, David Chun, Equilar’s Founder & CEO, spoke about “the transformative power of data in driving effective governance practices.” Listen to the podcast here.
Jee Abbey Lee Explores the Technology Landscape of South Korea in recent podcast
Founder and Owner of Common Hour Media, Jee Abbey Lee recently spoke on the Fintech & Web3 Founders Series Podcast about South Korea’s roles in Metaverse and AI trends. Check it out here.
Youngwon Lee Receives Panda Express Food and Beverage Scholarship Award
Youngwon Lee, CEO of Dokkaebier, was recently selected as one of two recipients for the Panda Express Food & Beverage Scholarship Award for his efforts in introducing Asian flavors to beer connoisseurs and craft beer to the API community. Congratulations, Youngwon!
Elin Park Recognized as Illinois State Comptroller’s Distinguished Honoree
Congratulations to Elin Park, Partner at Jenner & Block, for being recognized as a Distinguished Honoree during Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage month by the Illinois State Comptroller, Susana A. Mendoza! Elin’s “devotion to the development of opportunities and growth for future generations” is a “shining example for all to emulate”.
Eunice Choi Recognized by Legal 500 as Recommended Practitioner
Eunice Choi, Partner at Goodwin Procter, was recently recognized in Legal 500 as a recommended practitioner for private equity funds for her unparalleled ability to come up with practice, cost effective solutions and her keen sense of judgment. Congratulations, Eunice!
Colonel Young Oak Kim Inducted into Hall of Fame
On May 17, 2023 Colonel Young Oak Kim became the first Asian American to be inducted into the Command and General Staff College Hall of Fame. Kim voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was the first Asian American to ever command a battalion in combat. Born in Los Angeles in 1919, Col. Kim fought in World War II and the Korean War.
CKA Member Dr. Jeff Kim Pioneers Korean American Studies Curriculum
This Fall, CKA Member Dr. Jeff Kim Ed.D, NBCT, MPH, and Anaheim UHSD will offer the inaugural Korean American Studies Course (the first to be offered at a U.S. high school) titled “Korean American Stories, Experience and Studies”.
CKA is honored to be a part of this historic moment by gifting 40 copies of CKA Member Edward Chang’s Korean Americans: A Concise History to Cambridge Virtual Academy Students in Anaheim UHSD.
“The hope was that this book would be a very comprehensible and usable book for others. This is the first book I’ve read that so simply laid out the Korean American story, a story that I had never really heard or thought about as a Korean American,” Dr. Kim says in the video.
Catherine Kim Receives RTDNA’s 2023 Loren Tobia Leadership Award
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced that NBC News’ SVP of Editorial Catherine Kim is the 2023 recipient of RTDNA’s Loren Tobia Leadership Award, given annually to “a journalist who exemplifies true leadership within their company or organization during a given year.”
CKA Hosts Inaugural Empower Retreat for Nonprofit Executives
From June 4-7, 2023 CKA hosted the inaugural Empower Retreat for Nonprofit Executives in Swan Lake, Montana. The annual retreat provided 15 civic leaders with a much-needed break while focusing on restoration, rejuvenation, and reconnection. Through nature, conversations, and shared experiences, participants left the retreat feeling energized and renewed in their commitment to their communities.
CKA Members Meet in Hawaii
CKA Hawaii members and friends Alpin Hong, Stephanie Han, Ju Park and Betsy Kim enjoyed a pau hana get together with CKA Board Chair Peter Huh and CKA Member Jihee Huh during a visit to Honolulu last month. The group engaged in a lively discussion about Korean American identity. CKA Hawaii members would welcome the opportunity to meet up with other CKA members passing through Honolulu! Visiting Hawaii? Please email memberhship@councilka.org and we’ll connect you!
CKA Executive Director Abraham Kim‘s June travels took him to diverse locations across the country as he continued to engage with the community, promote meaningful connections and carry out CKA’s mission.
He began the month with the inaugural Empower Retreat, a powerful four-day Nonprofit Civic Leaders Retreat in Flathead Lake, Montana. Bringing together seventeen Korean American nonprofit leaders, the retreat focused on the spirit of “Restoration, Rejuvenation, and Reconnection”. From Montana, Abe met with Pacific Northwest and San Francisco members, supporters and friends to share CKA’s Vision for 2023.
Abe continued his journey into SoCal where he spoke at the groundbreaking Korean Movie Night. The event featured a historic and first-of-its-kind movie screening presented by Team Jeong, the NetKAL XI Winning Team. It was a proud and historical moment to be together with 250+ friends as we all watched Parasite with Los Angeles City Hall in the backdrop.
He rounded out his travel for the month on the East Coast and in Chicago with CKA’s 2023 Leadership Development and Regional Programs: the Emerging Leaders Scholarship Washington, D.C. Field trip, NetKAL XII Weekend 3 in Boston, MA, the Flawless book event featuring Author Elise Hu at NPR Studio 1 and the BEING VISIBLE event co-hosted with CKA Board Member Kate Seitz, featuring NPR COO Will Lee and WBEZ Curios City Editor Susie An.