In the third episode of our season, we sit down with Dave Gibbons—pastor, author, and social innovator—for a deeply moving conversation rooted in his newly released memoir, The Shape of My Eyes: A Memoir of Race, Faith, and Finding Myself. What begins as a personal reckoning with trauma, identity, and estrangement unfolds into a powerful story of forgiveness, healing, and purpose. Dave opens up about confronting family secrets, processing personal tragedy, and navigating anxiety and spiritual awakening. Through it all, he shares how these experiences shaped his journey into leadership, ministry, and writing—offering wisdom for anyone walking through pain, seeking belonging, or trying to live authentically in turbulent times.

Dave Gibbons started his career in the founding of Newsong Church, which soon became one of the fastest growing churches in America, serving thousands of congregants in a multisite format. Sensing that spirituality should not be limited to the confines of a building, he expanded his focus to the marketplace, founding multiple companies and serving as senior advisor to some of the most influential leaders in numerous domains. His clients have included NBA and NFL players, multi-billion dollar fund managers, a New York Times best selling author and platinum selling rapper, a world-leading performance artist, and the CEO of one of Hollywood’s largest film studios.

The second episode of our season features an engaging live conversation with award-winning Korean American chefs Beverly Kim and Danny Lee, moderated by Edward Lee. Edward Lee is the celebrity chef and star of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, Beverly Kim is a James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of Anelya and Parachute HiFi in Chicago, and Danny Lee is acclaimed chef and restaurateur behind celebrated Washington, D.C. restaurant group The Fried Rice Collective. This fireside chat, held at the National Museum of Art, delves into the chefs' inspiring journeys and their innovative approaches to elevating Korean flavors in their culinary creations. This is more than a conversation about food—it’s a powerful dialogue about representation, creativity, and the evolving voice of Koreans in America.

A fireside chat with JoAnne Bass, the former 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the first woman to become the highest senior enlisted leader in any U.S. military service. Moderated by CKA Board Member Debbie Shon, this live conversation was presented at the 2024 Envision Summit held in Washington, D.C.

“JO” Bass grew up as a military child both stateside and overseas but calls Mililani, Oahu, Hawaii, home. The daughter of a Korean mother and a retired U.S. Army warrant officer, she enlisted in the Air Force in 1993, specializing in aviation resource management. Over her three-decade career, she shaped the development of hundreds of thousands of Airmen, championed readiness, and resilience of the force, and strengthened the connection between the military and the nation it serves. Since retiring, she continues to drive impact as a strategic advisor, executive coach, and national security expert, helping leaders across sectors meet today’s most complex challenges.

We welcome you to Season 4 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast, brought to you by the Council of Korean Americans (CKA). Our podcast is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Korean American leaders and changemakers across various sectors, including corporate, media, and political arenas. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a distinguished guest, exploring their unique journey and the broader topics that connect to their stories. This introductory episode is a brief description about what is in store for Season 4. Stay tuned!

Our seventh and final episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives podcast features Jennifer Koh, Internationally-Acclaimed Violinist and Founder & Artistic Director of ARCO Collaborative. To speak with her, we have world-class concert pianist and music educator Alpin Hong as our guest host.

In this interview, Ms. Koh shares with us her many musical accomplishments as a gifted violinist and how her own family history and Chicago upbringing have shaped her tireless efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity in the arts.

Join us as our distinguished guests candidly discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the performing arts community and explore Ms. Koh’s newly commissioned works which bring together women and other artists of color to tell their stories.

In our sixth episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast features Marshall Cho, Head Boys Basketball Coach at Lake Oswego High School.

In this interview, Marshall recounts how an early career in teaching coupled with a childhood love of sports first introduced him to the world of coaching. Later, he describes his endeavors in Mozambique where he participated in high-profile international basketball programs with the NBA and Nike before returning to the States to coach players at the high school, college, and national level.

Join us as Marshall shares with us his coaching philosophy on leading with authenticity and focusing on core values which extend not only to his career but also to his life and family.

In our fifth episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast, we speak with Debbie Shon, Chief Strategy Officer of USA Gymnastics, legal and political advisor, NBA registered agent, and Vice Chair of the Smithsonian National Asian Pacific American Center.

Debbie Shon is a third-generation Korean American and a woman of many firsts. In this interview, she shares with us her fond memories of growing up on USC’s campus, the towering influence of her mother, and the detours in her career that turned into surprising opportunities in law, politics, sports, and advocacy.

As we track through Debbie’s multifaceted career, she encourages young people to follow their bliss and calls upon the Korean American community to push the envelope. Much of this ethos is also reflected in her work with the Smithsonian where she believes that Asian Americans need to have their voices heard for the sake of their past, present, and future.

In our fourth episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast, we sit down with Dow Kim, a former leading Wall Street financier, philanthropist, and loving father.

In this interview, we discuss how Dow leverages his talents and love for finance, his tenure at Merrill Lynch & Co, and his philanthropy work as the President of the Dow Kim Family Foundation.

Join us as we explore the life of successful financier and philanthropist, Dow Kim. We dig deep into his life and ask key questions: What was the secret behind his meteoric career in finance? Why is he focusing his philanthropy to help the Korean American community? Why does he hope many more Korean Americans will give back to their community?

Our third episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast features Tammy Kim, Vice Mayor of the City of Irvine and Founder & Managing Director of the Korean American Center in California.

In this interview, we explore Tammy’s successful career path as a former Fortune 500 company executive, nonprofit leader, and now Vice Mayor. Despite her career success and achievements, Tammy shares with us the challenges and adversity she faces all the way from early in her life as a college student to now as an elected official.

As we listen to Tammy’s family immigration journey to Flint, Michigan, her career in talent acquisition and nonprofit, and now her political career as Vice Mayor, Tammy reminds us that it is our own duty to lay the groundwork to combat racial adversity.

Our second episode of season 3 of the Korean American Perspectives Podcast features Chang-Rae Lee, a celebrated Korean American novelist. To speak with him, we have guest host, Stephanie Han, Ph.D. who is an award-winning author, educator, and speaker.

In this episode, Chang-Rae Lee and Dr. Stephanie Han take a deep dive into his latest novel, My Year Abroad. They explore the novel’s themes, its colorful characters, and adventures, as well as how food plays a role in Chang-Rae’s writing. They also connect the novel with the Asian American experience and discuss how identity formation is very particular to each person as well as the myriad of complexities and questions it presents.

Chang-Rae Lee reminds us that it’s important to take risks, journey throughout the world, and ask questions especially when discovering oneself. 

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