About John

About

American citizen, global mindset

Growing up in small-town Wisconsin, John considers himself a Midwesterner. However, he has lived in various other places, including New Haven, New York City, Kalamazoo, San Francisco, Dallas, Cambodia, The Philippines, and Hong Kong, thus contributing to his understanding and appreciation for different cultures and environments.  John sees how interconnected we all are as humans, even if we are divided by geographies and differ in appearance, languages, religion, beliefs, and cultures.  The things we do as individuals and organizations may have unintended consequences on others in places we’ve never been to as the modern world becomes even more integrated, near-term and long-term.  As such, it is critical to consider the potential impact (both good and bad) beyond our own organization, city, state, and even national borders when making strategic decisions.  That is both a humbling and scary thought, and the approach John and Kind Capital takes when providing strategic advice.

John is passionate about giving back.  He volunteers as a trustee of the international nonprofit organization (NGO) Global Communities and a board member of its wholly-owned microfinance subsidiary Vitas Group.

John's Story

The typical immigrant experience, John's family arrived in the United States and settled in a small town called La Crosse, Wisconsin.  With the kindness and generosity of the Sisters of Saint Francis, the family was fortunate to get sponsorship as refugees from Cambodia.  This picture was from an article in the local newspaper, The La Crosse Tribune, about his family's journey and the beginning of their American Dream in the early 1980s. Sister Rosa Liu, one of the nuns from the Catholic Church who sponsored his family, is on the far left.