Council of Korean Americans (CKA)

Council of Korean Americans (CKA) Amplifying Voices | Building Community | Celebrating Identity | Developing Leaders

The Council of Korean Americans is the leading independent, nonpartisan, national voice for the Korean American community. Our mission is to elevate Korean Americans' voice, visibility, and influence everywhere. We achieve this mission through our four pillars: amplifying voice, building community, celebrating identity, and developing leaders.

Celebrating Karen Choi, one of our newest CKA members 📈🌟Karen Choi is a Partner at Capital Group. She is a trailblazing ...
08/24/2026

Celebrating Karen Choi, one of our newest CKA members 📈🌟

Karen Choi is a Partner at Capital Group. She is a trailblazing investment leader who was the first female AAPI portfolio manager in fixed income at Capital Group.

Join us in welcoming Karen to the CKA family, and stay tuned as we introduce more of our incredible new members who are making big moves and creating lasting impact across a wide range of fields.

🇰🇷🇺🇸 Learn more about this CKA Cohort: https://hubs.li/Q04tzB0C0

We are proud to announce that Mina Kimes will be joining us as a featured speaker at the 2026 CKA Summit! 🌟Guided by our...
08/20/2026

We are proud to announce that Mina Kimes will be joining us as a featured speaker at the 2026 CKA Summit! 🌟

Guided by our 2026 theme, “Our Evolving Community,” we are bringing together extraordinary leaders whose stories reflect the continued growth, resilience, and influence of Korean Americans. Their voices and achievements celebrate how far we’ve come and inspire us as we shape what comes next.

✨ About Mina Kimes ✨
Mina Kimes is an award-winning investigative journalist, senior writer, and NFL analyst for ESPN. Known for her insightful commentary and deep-dive reporting, she is a prominent voice in sports media and host of The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny. A celebrated story-teller, Mina consistently breaks barriers in media while uplifting and representing our community on national stages.

✨ About ✨
The CKA Summit is CKA’s signature gathering that convenes leaders, advocates, and changemakers to celebrate Korean American stories and imagine what comes next. This year’s gathering in Los Angeles marks a momentous chapter: CKA’s 15th anniversary, NetKAL’s 20th anniversary, and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

🗓 October 22–24, 2026
📍 Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA

🇰🇷🇺🇸 We look forward to seeing you this October in Los Angeles as we hear from Mina Kimes and our incredible lineup of leaders: https://hubs.li/Q04tC5_50

Korean American Voices in the Podcast World 🎧✨In our series, we shine a spotlight on the voices of CKA members and oth...
08/19/2026

Korean American Voices in the Podcast World 🎧✨

In our series, we shine a spotlight on the voices of CKA members and other Korean American leaders featured on podcasts, sharing their unique perspectives and insights with a wider audience.

This week, we're highlighting several podcasts that are making waves:

🧠 Big Swings Only
Psychiatrist Dr. Suzan Song reveals why "just keep going" isn't resilience — it's a trauma response. After hiding from child soldiers in Burundi, she uncovered the hidden cost of high achievement that no one talks about.
Listen: https://hubs.li/Q04tlRG90

📚 How I Library
Min Jin Lee discusses her upcoming book, “American Hagwon,” her extensive research process, the pressures of the modern education system, and book bans.
Listen: https://hubs.li/Q04tlCZc0

🕊️ CENTERING
Korean American author Jean Neely joins the hosts for a deeply personal conversation about faith and mental illness.
Listen: https://hubs.li/Q04tlHLC0

🏫 Teaching in Higher Ed
Jeff Kim shares how faculty can use video in their teaching and make it sustainable.
Listen: https://hubs.li/Q04tlJ6_0

🎬 On Film...with Kevin McCarthy
Emmy-winner Lee Sung Jin joins the show to talk about Beef Season 2, Filmmaking, Directing, Music and more
Listen: https://hubs.li/Q04tlFfq0

🇰🇷🇺🇸 Subscribe to the CKA Newsletter and be the first to receive updates on events, community initiatives, and news like this: https://hubs.li/Q04tlVF80

💙 What’s your favorite podcast episode that features a Korean American perspective? Let us know in the comments below!

08/19/2026

Finding Inspiration, Restoration, and Connection in Music City!

From June 15–18, 2026, the Council of Korean Americans welcomed nonprofit executives to Nashville, TN for our annual CKA Empower Retreat—a restorative gathering designed to give Korean American civic leaders who pour into others the dedicated space to rest, recharge, reflect, and recalibrate.

From early morning hikes at Radnor Lake to giving back with The Store at Edgehill Community Memorial Garden, this year’s retreat in Music City was truly one for the books! Our leaders stepped away from their daily routines to explore music history on Music Row, try hands-on letterpress printing at Hatch Show Print, share deep leadership insights, and bond over incredible local meals.

A huge thank you to all our incredible participants, planning team, and staff for bringing such open hearts and generous spirits: Eddie Ahn (Brightline Defense), Ji-Young Cho (KCSC DC), Jeehae Fischer(KAFSC), Su Young Jung (Asian Women’s Shelter), Monica H. Kang (CKA), Angela Sungmee Killoren (CKA), Abraham Kim (The Korea Society), John Kim (Annie E. Casey Foundation), Timothy Kim (THK Consulting), Drew Paik (Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco), Jennifer Park (Opportunity Accelerator), Lina Park (Asian Health Services), Steve Park(Little Lights Urban Ministries), and Joy Wheeler (Y.S. Kim Foundation).

While our foundational years (2023–2025) were spent in the serene mountains of Montana, 2026 launched our new journey of visiting a brand-new city each year. We can’t wait to gather our returning and new cohort members in another exciting location in 2027!

🎬 Watch our 2026 Nashville highlights by Conner Wood!
📸 See more photos captured by Tiffany Bessire on our Flickr page.

Bessire Photography
Conner Wood

We are proud to announce that Ho Nam is the recipient of the 2026 CKA Leadership Award! 🌟Guided by our 2026 theme, “Our ...
08/05/2026

We are proud to announce that Ho Nam is the recipient of the 2026 CKA Leadership Award! 🌟

Guided by our 2026 theme, “Our Evolving Community,” we are proud to honor three extraordinary leaders whose stories reflect the continued growth, resilience, and influence of Korean Americans. Their achievements celebrate how far we’ve come and inspire us to build what comes next.

✨ About Ho Nam ✨
Ho Nam is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Altos Ventures, a global venture capital firm with more than $5 billion in assets under management. Altos has backed category-defining companies including Coupang, Krafton, Toss, and Roblox. Ho currently serves as a director of Candex, DigitalPath, More Labs, Open Sesame, PandaDoc, Self Financial, Stuf, TVU Networks, and XILO.

✨ About ✨
Envision is CKA’s signature gathering that convenes leaders, advocates, and changemakers to celebrate Korean American stories and imagine what comes next. This year’s gathering in Los Angeles marks a momentous chapter: CKA’s 15th anniversary, NetKAL’s 20th anniversary, and the nation’s 250th anniversary.

🗓 October 22–24, 2026
📍 Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles, CA

🇰🇷🇺🇸 We look forward to seeing you this October as we celebrate Ho Nam's leadership along with the other honorees: https://hubs.li/Q04rYgdj0

Celebrating Andrew Chongseh Kim, one of our newest CKA members ⚖️🌐Andrew Chongseh Kim is Senior Foreign Attorney at Bae,...
08/04/2026

Celebrating Andrew Chongseh Kim, one of our newest CKA members ⚖️🌐

Andrew Chongseh Kim is Senior Foreign Attorney at Bae, Kim & Lee, LLC in Seoul. He is a passionate AAPI advocate and former law professor with experience in cross-border disputes and transactions between the U.S. and Korea.

Join us in welcoming Andrew to the CKA family, and stay tuned as we introduce more of our incredible new members who are making big moves and creating lasting impact across a wide range of fields.

🇰🇷🇺🇸 Learn more about this CKA Cohort: https://hubs.li/Q04r1Pfy0

Celebrating Joy Wheeler, one of our newest CKA members 💻🌟Joy Wheeler is the Managing Director of the YS Kim Foundation, ...
07/08/2026

Celebrating Joy Wheeler, one of our newest CKA members 💻🌟

Joy Wheeler is the Managing Director of the YS Kim Foundation, dedicated to empowering Korean American youth, advancing KA representation, preserving Korean culture, and strengthening KA nonprofits — bringing the same drive that shaped her 20-year career in tech startups to creating lasting impact in our community.

Join us in welcoming Joy to the CKA family, and stay tuned as we introduce more of our incredible new members who are making big moves and creating lasting impact across a wide range of fields.

Sharing an Evening of Community and Cinema in Boston! 🎞️On June 8, the CKA Boston Chapter hosted a screening of No Other...
07/06/2026

Sharing an Evening of Community and Cinema in Boston! 🎞️

On June 8, the CKA Boston Chapter hosted a screening of No Other Choice at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, bringing members together for an enjoyable evening of film and community.

The evening included a screening of the film followed by a community discussion with Mia Yeung, LMHC, LMFT, Founder of Asian American Counseling Services. CKA Boston Lead Susan Park helped organize the event, and CKA Board Members Kee Park, Aaron Kim, and Paul Chae were among those in attendance, along with other CKA members and friends from the Boston community.

Thank you to Susan Park for making this initiative possible, to Mia Yeung for joining the post-film conversation, and to everyone who came out to share in this special evening! 💙

🇰🇷🇺🇸 Subscribe to the CKA Newsletter and be the first to receive updates on events, community initiatives, and news like this: https://hubs.li/Q04nD5jR0

Leadership thrives in community 🤝This June, we were reminded that leadership grows stronger when we learn and unlearn to...
07/02/2026

Leadership thrives in community 🤝

This June, we were reminded that leadership grows stronger when we learn and unlearn together. By broadening our horizons and connecting our industries with our impact, we continue to strengthen the Korean American community.

Here’s how we put that into action ⤵️

🌉 We brought the NetKAL XIV cohort to Los Angeles and New York, connecting fellows with mentors, CKA members, and partner organizations while strengthening our intergenerational leadership network.

🌿 We hosted our fourth annual Empower Retreat in Nashville, giving Korean American nonprofit leaders intentional time to rest, reflect, and reconnect with their purpose.

✨ We welcomed the inaugural cohort of the , launching a new generation of Korean American leaders exploring careers in public service.

💬 We sat down with new CKA Board Chair Catharina Min to discuss CKA's next chapter and her vision for strengthening leadership at every level.

By learning and growing together, we're building a stronger network of Korean American leaders ready to create lasting impact. 🇰🇷🇺🇸

Learn more at https://hubs.li/Q04nprpR0

A conversation with new CKA Board Chair Catharina Min. Get to know our new board chair and her priorities as CKA enters ...
07/02/2026

A conversation with new CKA Board Chair Catharina Min. Get to know our new board chair and her priorities as CKA enters its 15th year. 🇰🇷🇺🇸 Read the conversation in our monthly newsletter.

Address

1100 15th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington D.C., DC
20005

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12026600900

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