Annual Gala 2024

October 25, 2024

Annual Gala 2024 Playlist

James Rhee

Founder & Author, red helicopter

Simon Kim

CEO & Founder of Gracious Hospitality Management

Ruthie Ann Miles

Award-winning Actress

James Rhee

A RECORD-BREAKING NIGHT!

We were thrilled to celebrate the 14th Annual Gala on Friday, October 25th. Your generous support helped us raise a record-breaking $600K! This incredible achievement will allow us to continue our mission of preserving our heritage and inspiring future generations.

Thank you to our community! We extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors, donors, volunteers, and attendees who made this evening possible. Your commitment to Korean American Story is invaluable. A big thank you to T&W Foundation for their steadfast support over the past ten years!

Special thanks to the YS Kim Foundation for their support and dedication of our mission. They matched every dollar that was raised during the gala, allowing us to double our fundraising goal for the evening.

A big thank you to Le Mieux Skincare for providing our guests with luxurious gift bags.

We couldn’t have done it without our incredible Live Ask & Auction Host, Kathleen Kim and Emcee host, Vivian Lee, who helped us raise significant funds.

A special thank you to our musical guest, NoSo, for their amazing performance.

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated volunteers and staff who worked tirelessly to make the event a success!

VIEW ALL PHOTOS: Portraits // Event Photos (or scroll to the bottom)

Creative Team:
Portrait Photographer – Janice Chung
Photo Assistant – Joy Kim
Event Photographer – Poupay Jutharat
Camera Op + Animations – AJ Valente
Camera Op + Editor – Kimberly Young Sun
Camera Op – Jaehee Cheong
Event Design – Celine Son
Graphic Designer – Yuliya Kim, Dani Kau, and Celine Son

Brand Sponsors:
Le Mieux Skincare

Gala nyc

About

James Rhee

Founder & Author, red helicopter

James designs and funds systems that give us permission to be human. His national bestselling book, red helicopter, offers a polyphonic operating system that bridges math with emotions in the...

James designs and funds systems that give us permission to be human. His national bestselling book, red helicopter, offers a polyphonic operating system that bridges math with emotions in the business of life and the life of business. James is an acclaimed CEO, TED Speaker, and private equity investor, and a former high school teacher who currently holds appointments at MIT Sloan and Howard University, where he serves as the Johnson Chair of Entrepreneurship. He is working on music, art, and curricula that convey the wisdom of the classics in a modern, multi-sensory way.

Simon Kim

CEO & Founder of Gracious Hospitality Management

Simon Kim is the CEO and Founder of Gracious Hospitality Management, the brand behind the Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse with locations in NYC, Miami, Singapore (forthcoming in Vegas), COQODAQ, Undercote, and an upcoming project at 550 Madison Avenue. He started his career at MGM Grand Las Vegas and opened his first NYC concept, Piora in 2013. He has received multiple accolades, from Crain’s 40 Under 40 to the Inspiration Award from Apex for Youth. In 2021 he founded Taste of Asia, supporting local Asian American communities in NYC.

Ruthie Ann Miles

Award-winning Actress

Ruthie Ann Miles is an award winning actress whose Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd (Tony nom), The King and I (Tony award, Grammy and Olivier noms), and Sunday in the...

Ruthie Ann Miles is an award winning actress whose Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd (Tony nom), The King and I (Tony award, Grammy and Olivier noms), and Sunday in the Park with George. She won the Lucille Lortel and Theatre World Awards in the premiere production of Here Lies Love at The Public Theater. TV credits include starring in “All Rise” and “The Americans.” In 2023, Ruthie received a Lilly Award for “Representing In a Big Way.” She was raised by her Korean mom in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Photos

Galas

Annual Gala 2024

A RECORD-BREAKING NIGHT!

A big thank you to Le Mieux Skincare for providing our guests with luxurious gift bags.

We couldn’t have done it without our incredible Live Ask & Auction Host, Kathleen Kim and Emcee host, Vivian Lee, who helped us raise significant funds.

A special thank you to our musical guest, NoSo, for their amazing performance.

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated volunteers and staff who worked tirelessly to make the event a success!

…Until next time! Keep an eye out next week for our portraits and event photos on our website and Facebook page!

View All Photos: Portraits // Event

Creative Team:
Portrait Photographer – Janice Chung
Photo Assistant – Joy Kim
Event Photographer – Poupay Jutharat
Camera Op + Animations – AJ Valente
Camera Op + Editor – Kimberly Young Sun
Event Design – Celine Son
Graphic Designer – Yuliya Kim, Dani Kau, and Celine Son

Brand Sponsors:
Le Mieux Skincare

Annual Gala 2023

Reliving the magic of our 13th Annual Gala!

We want to thank you all for your unwavering support and for making this night one for the books. We exceeded our donation goal in less than 15 minutes!! Truly a record time!! We couldn’t have done it without our amazing community. Cheers to an incredible evening!

We want to especially thank our trailblazer honorees Andrew Ahn, Joel Kim Booster, and Schuyler Bailar for sharing their Korean American story with us. It was an honor to celebrate them, thank you for creating space for our future generations.

Finally, a huge thank you to our Emcee Vivian Lee, Live Ask Host Kathleen Kim, and Musical Guest SuperKnova!

Annual Gala 2022

Celebrating our 12th Annual Gala in-person at Tribeca 360, NYC! We want to thank our honorees, Linda Lee, Sesame Street, and Esther Choi for being so vulnerable and sharing their Korean American story with us. You all deserve to be called trailblazers for your impact and contributions to our community!