OUR TEAM
Board of Directors
PHILIP KANG
Chair
SO-EUN PARK
Vice-Chair
CHRISTY AHN
Treasurer
KATHY WOEBER GARDNER
Secretary
LINDA KANG
DAVID LEE
JESSICA ANN
Staff
DONNA MO
Communication & Development Associate
LUCIA PARK
Senior Administrator
Chair
Vice-Chair
Treasurer
Secretary
Communication & Development Associate
Senior Administrator
Mind Therapy Clinic
Korina brings deep experience in business administration and strategy, having spent 20 years in business development, technology, management consulting, and marketing at international corporations including eFunds (acquired by Fidelity), Hitachi, Charles Schwab, Blue Shield, Wells Fargo, Visa, and Protiviti. More recently, she and her husband founded the Mind Therapy Clinic, an outpatient psychiatric mental health clinic, where she is responsible for corporate strategy, administration and marketing. Korina was born and raised in South Korea, and currently lives with her family in the North Bay.
Anchor/Reporter & Meteorologist
KRON 4 News
Teach For America, Bay Area
Phil was born in South Korea and moved to the U.S. at the age of 4. He lived and attended school in New York before heading to California through Teach for America (TFA). He taught for five years and was an assistant principal for two years before transitioning into his current role leading learning and development for TFA alumni. Phil earned his BA in political science at State University of NY at Binghamton and MA in educational leadership from Columbia University. He lives in the South Bay with his spouse and newborn son, and loves to check out new local restaurants.
Exploratorium
After a career in the finance sector, Christy now works at the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco. Previously, she was a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, an equity analyst at Goldman Sachs & Lehman Brothers, and a senior director of strategic planning at American Express Bank. Christy earned an MBA in finance and accounting from Columbia Business School (CBS) and a BA in economics from Cornell University. She serves on the leadership board of the CBS Bay Area Alumni Club and co-chairs the CBS Asian Alumni Club of New York. Christy immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea after fourth grade and maintained her Korean language skills, thanks to her grandparents. She lives in San Francisco and enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids.
Sarah began her U.S. federal service in 2003 and one of her main responsibilities is community outreach. She has previously worked for various senior housing and healthcare nonprofits in the Bay Area. Sarah has received several awards recognizing her work and commitment to public service. Sarah has a degree in ornamental horticulture from the Univ. of Illinois, has three grown daughters, and lives in Berkeley. She is an avid volunteer and teacher of Korean cooking and crafts and has a highly popular Instagram account of her artistic food creations.
Salesforce
Andrew has been active in the Korean community since his college days, when he served as President of the Korean American Professional Society. He has been a long-serving member of the KCI Board, including prior service as Chairman of the Board. Professionally, Andrew spends his days as an analytics specialist at Salesforce and evenings helping run his family's financial planning practice. He grew up in the Bay Area and has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley. He lives in the South Bay with his wife and young child and is an avid Bay Area sports fan.
University of San Francisco School of Education
Sedique is a professor in the Dept. of International and Multicultural Education at USF. He has been an educator and consultant since 1980, and has taught English and trained teachers in six countries including South Korea. Sedique has been recognized for his research in bilingual education, code-switching and code-mixing, and has been a featured presenter for national and global organizations in his field. In addition to being an Honored Instructor at UC Berkeley, he has received multiple teaching awards. He holds degrees in English, TESL, Education, and Linguistics. Originally from Afghanistan, Sedique has two sons and lives in the East Bay with his wife, and enjoys gardening in his spare time.
City and County of San Francisco
YoonSun moved from her native Korea to the U.S. to study cello and earned master’s degrees in Cello Performance (SF State University) and in Music Therapy (University of the Pacific). She has held internships in music therapy (UCSF) and medical interpreting (Stanford Hospital). After receiving a CA. Certificate in Health Care from the City College of SF in 2013, YoonSun worked at Kimochi, Inc., providing social services to low-income Korean seniors and serving as Assistant to the Director of Programs. She has been working the past five years in the In-Home Supportive Services Dept. of SF’s Human Services Agency and at CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work program. YoonSun lives in SF and in her spare time enjoys cooking Asian food, drawing, crafts, and traveling.
FJA-US
Tom has more than 30 years experience as a software engineer. Prior to his current position at FJA, an Information Technology & Services firm for the insurance industry, he worked with EmployeeChannel and numerous other companies. Tom has a BS and MS in electrical & computer engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA from NYU Sloan School of Business.
The Clorox Company
Jordan was born in South Korea and raised in the U.S. He has spent 20+ years in the biotech and consumer packaged goods industries in various operations management, Six Sigma consulting, and strategic project management roles. Jordan is a Board Member for Ascend, the largest pan-Asian business leadership nonprofit in the U.S. He was previously a member of the KCI Board (2013-2019) and also served on the boards of the Association of Korean Adoptees SF, Connect-A-Kid, and Alliance for Smiles. Jordan spends his free time with his wife and four children in San Francisco.
Han's Law Office
Han is a software engineer-entrepreneur turned attorney. He has a BS in Computer Science from Sogang University in Seoul, where he was born. Han came to the US to attend graduate school, earning a PhD in Information Science from the Univ. of Pittsburgh. After getting his law degree from Santa Clara University, Han worked as a patent attorney before establishing his own law practice (based in San Francisco), handling business transactions as well as intellectual property. Han also provides legal counsel to a wide range of nonprofits including KCI, housing organizations, and human rights advocacy organizations for North Koreans.
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Saly is a first-generation Korean immigrant whose career is steeped in art & culture and non-profit work. She holds master’s degrees in Fine Arts and Arts Administration and is a practicing artist and former Adjunct Professor at the SF Academy of Art University. Prior to joining OACC, Saly was the Operations Manager for the Korean American Community Foundation of SF. Her career also includes developing and overseeing culturally based arts programs for the Seattle Art Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. She has also served on the boards of community-based non-profits: OACC and Bay Area Cultural Connections. Saly was born in Busan, Korea, and has been living in the Bay Area for the last 14 years. In her spare time, she enjoys sewing, designing and making handbags, and working on ceramics.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Theresa was born in Seoul, Korea, immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 1 year old, and grew up in Chicago. She has a B.A. in History & Asian Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an A.M. from the University of Chicago. She moved to the Bay Area to attend law school at UC Berkeley School of Law where she was Managing Editor of the Asian Law Journal in 2003. Theresa currently works in the Corporate and Securities group at Pillsbury, where her practice focuses on venture capital financings, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate reorganizations. Theresa’s hobbies include running, reading, studying Korean, and hiking and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two boys.
Igneo Technologies
Eun-Joo has 30-plus years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including in international health, professional associations, and philanthropy. Most recently, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Korean American Community Foundation of SF (KACF-SF). She has consulted for the United Nations and nonprofits in strategic planning, programming, evaluation, and grantwriting. In addition to KCI & KACF-SF, she also volunteers with the Bay Area’s Asian Women’s Shelter and Simple Steps Community Connection. Born in Seoul, Eun-Joo lived most of her life on the East Coast. She has an A.B. from Harvard University and a master’s from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She loves traveling, photography, cooking, and hiking.
Jenius Consulting
Jennifer began her career in traditional PR, then forged a path to social media and digital content marketing in the early years of the social web. She has led successful digital marketing campaigns for global brands in television, publishing and technology. She eventually opened her own consulting business -- Jenius Consulting -- and has been pursuing her passion within the restaurant and beverage industry, including in Seoul where she splits her time. Jennifer’s relationship with KCI began with volunteering her digital marketing skills for the 1st Annual Chuseok Festival in 2019. When not working, Jennifer contributes to Forbes Travel Guide and Food Travelist, a leading food and travel blog, and moderates their popular weekly #FoodTravelChat Twitter chat. She is an avid world traveler and concert goer.
Executive Director
Kiyoung has been a strategic business leader for 20 years in new business development, transformation, and organizational leadership driving results. She co-founded Kbean.com, an online marketplace for digital art. Born and raised in South Korea, Kiyoung received an MBA from Cass Business School in London and worked as a managing director and CEO of Danish companies in South Korea including Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen. Kiyoung is a passionate artist and curator connecting traditional Asian art to western living and digital technology. Prior to joining KCI as executive director, she served on its Board of Directors. Kiyoung lives with her husband/business partner in the East Bay, and is a foodie and wine connoisseur and enjoys playing golf.
SuccessKPI
Sewon is a digital marketing leader with over a decade of experience launching multichannel marketing campaigns and developing content strategies for startups, nonprofit organizations, and global brands. Currently the Director of Digital Marketing & Content Strategy at SuccessKPI, she previously worked at the Exploratorium, Samsung Electronics, and Brafton. Sewon holds a masters in Oral History from Columbia University, and a dual B.A. in Literary & Cultural Studies and Sociology from The College of William & Mary. Born in Korea, Sewon grew up in Seoul and Virginia and lives in San Francisco with her husband. In her personal time, she enjoys weightlifting, pottery, makgeolli brewing, hiking, and creative writing. She has been volunteering as a Multilingual Language Advocate at the Asian Women's Shelter since 2017.
SAMS American Eatery / Winefornia
Jeannie is a seasoned restaurateur and entrepreneur. Over the past 15 years she transformed SAMS American Eatery in downtown SF from a small cafe to an award-winning restaurant and started other businesses including Fermentation Lab and Divine Indulgence Catering Company. Her latest venture is in the wine business, having partnered with a Korean female winemaker in Napa. Jeannie was born in South Korea and grew up in San Francisco. She graduated with BA in Biblical Studies and Sacred Music before going on to SF Theological Seminary (SFTS) where she received a Masters of Divinity Degree. Jeannie was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister in 2001 and served in many local churches working with youth and young adults in the Bay Area.She received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020 from SFTS and currently serves on several university boards. Jeannie has three grown children and lives in Concord and Napa with her husband. She enjoys traveling, cooking, learning and spending quality time with family and friends.
Fyber, Inc.
So-Eun has been with Fyber, Inc., a global tech company, for the past 10 years. She witnessed the start-up acquire three companies and played a pivotal role in its acquisition by a NASDAQ-listed company in 2021. Her volunteer experience spans across international film festivals, UNESCO, the Asian Art Museum of SF, and SF Public Library. Her love of books drew her to volunteer for KCI’s library project. So-Eun holds an M.A and a B.A in Communication & Media Studies from Stanford University. Born in Japan, and having spent time in Korea and Chile, she has a travel bug. In her free time, she can be found urban-hiking around SF, discovering new restaurants or surrounded by books.
Operations Manager
Matthew recently moved back to California after four years in Korea teaching English and learning about his Korean ancestry, including the art of makgeolli making. He brings to KCI experience as an event coordinator and public relations manager. Matthew has a degree in journalism from Humboldt State University.
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Donna is a San Francisco native who spent the last two years teaching English in elementary schools in Daejeon, Korea. She majored in Communication and minored in Theater at UC Santa Barbara, where she took her first Korean language class. Donna brings social media marketing and web content experience to KCI.
Co-founder/Managing Partner
Anchorvest
Linda Kang Chong is a co-founder and Managing Partner at Anchorvest, an alternative asset management platform. Linda received her B.A. degree (summa cum laude) from Harvard University, her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and is a CFA charterholder. Prior to graduate school, she worked for McKinsey & Company as a management consultant. Prior to Anchorvest, she was a shareholder and portfolio manager at Dodge & Cox and worked at Goldman Sachs as a Vice President in the fixed income division. Linda is a member of the New York Bar Association. She has served on the board of trustees of Bay Area Discovery Museum, Flushing YMCA, Girl Scout Norcal, Katherine Delmar Burke School and is a co-chair of the S.F. Harvard Schools Committee.
Program Administrator
Lucia has had various experiences managing cafes and working in real estate in Korea. In her spare time, Lucia enjoys hiking and playing golf, and finding new restaurants to dine at.
Partner
Montgomery Pacific LLP
Kathy Woeber Gardner is a founding partner of San Francisco-based corporate international law firm, Montgomery Pacific LLP. She advises technology and life science start-up clients with respect to general corporate matters, venture capital financings, and mergers and acquisitions. Kathy also has extensive cross-border transactional experience working with companies and investors in Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Prior to founding Montgomery Pacific, Kathy was a partner with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in San Francisco. Before moving to San Francisco, Kathy practiced law with Mayer Brown in Chicago. Earlier in her law career, she worked in Brussels, Belgium. Kathy lives in San Francisco with her husband and their two children. Kathy and her husband traveled to Seoul (along with Kathy’s dad, who was a Korean War veteran) to adopt their son, when he was one year old, and the family has enjoyed several subsequent trips to South Korea.
Owner
Nikoniko Gifts
Jessica Ann was born and raised in Los Angeles, but moved to San Francisco in 2022. Having spent more than fourteen years as a toy and kidswear designer, she sought a new creative challenge that gave her personal purpose. After noticing the number of retail vacancies in the city, she was inspired to open her own gift shop that represented her Japanese and Korean heritage. Her Japanese maternal grandmother, who raised her since birth, continues to be a source of great inspiration and a reminder that how one makes a living is just as important as making a living. Hence, she chose to represent her two heritages and support and build a community of AAPI makers and brands both globally and locally through her small business. Growing up in Los Angeles' Koreatown, she observed the close-knit communities that Korean business owners built, which benefited both their businesses and the Korean community. Today, these Korean communities thrive in Los Angeles and have a strong voice in the spaces they create and the history they continue to build. Jessica felt there was an opportunity to bring the same integration and representation to San Francisco by bridging together business owners who are part of the city’s economic development and Korean Center, Inc., to create a Korean and Korean American community that can thrive culturally and economically.