John K. Lee

John grew up in a modest white, teal-trimmed house in the suburbs of South New Jersey. Growing up as a first-generation Korean-American definitely had its struggles, but it led to new and brighter horizons at Villanova University. As a Mechanical Engineering major, John developed a foundation in analytics and a keen sense for problem solving both in and out of the classroom. The technical nature of his studies was challenging to say the least, but it began to create a longing for something more.

John did not want to lose his right-brained tendencies and decided to launch his own freelance photography business during his Junior year in college, which is known today as JKLee Photography. His mission for photography is “Turning Imagination Into Reality.”

After graduating, John decided to take a leap of faith and serve as a volunteer with the Precious Blood Volunteers as a Teacher and Coach at Cristo Rey High School in Kansas City, Missouri. To say that this was a humbling experience is an understatement. John was inspired by his students to find a way to share stories and help people grow together. Thus, the Starting With A Story Podcast was born.

John hosted this podcast with the idea of connecting people together through sharing their own stories. He shared childhood folk tales as well as interviewed inspirational leaders like Josh Rossi, Gianna Ciaramello, and Greg Diamond.

Most recently, John has enrolled in the UCLA Anderson School of Management Full-Time MBA program, graduating in the Class of 2022. He hopes to venture into the world of technology, entertainment, and entrepreneurship during his time here while also developing a strong foundation in business analytics. Although the MBA program is vigorous, John continues to share his love for personal development, people, and content creation through blogs, videos, and even streaming video games as “MrLiveLee.” All of this to make an “Impact With A Smile.”

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