Kyung B. Yoon
President & CEO

Kyung B. Yoon helped co-found KACF in 2002 and has served as our President since 2008. Her career in poverty alleviation, development economics, and media encompasses her roles as the Executive Producer of Television at the World Bank Institute and a correspondent for WNYW-Fox Channel 5 where she made history as the first Korean American broadcast reporter in NYC. Kyung is currently a contributing reporter to CUNY-TV’s Asian American Life, which is broadcast nationally on PBS stations and for which she received an Emmy nomination. She is one of the first appointments to the inaugural New York State AAPI Commission formed in 2024 by Governor Kathy Hochul.

Kyung has previously served as the board chair of Philanthropy New York and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, as a trustee of the New York Foundation, and as a board member of the United Way of New York City.

Kyung holds a BA in English and political science from Wellesley College and an MA in development economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Brennan Gang
Vice President of Programs & Operations

Brennan Gang oversees KACF’s grantmaking strategy and portfolio, and oversees all of our programmatic and operational activities. Prior to KACF, she served as Program Officer for the New York Women’s Foundation. Before joining the New York Women’s Foundation, Brennan spent two years in Seoul, South Korea, teaching English as a Second Language and exploring her heritage and also spent three years in the hospitality industry as a Catering Manager in Denver, Colorado. She served a year in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps after college following her interest in volunteerism.

Brennan is a member of the Board of Directors of Philanthropy New York, the largest community of philanthropic funders in New York.

Brennan graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a BA in English.

Elizabeth Lee
Vice President of Development

Elizabeth Lee oversees KACF’s development and events functions. With an extensive background in nonprofit fundraising and driving donor engagement. Elizabeth has built a distinguished career leading major giving programs, cultivating high-net-worth individuals, and forging strategic partnerships. Most recently, as Director of Major Giving at the International Rescue Committee, she led a regional team to a $24M revenue target and spearheaded innovative donor engagement initiatives. Her previous roles at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, iMentor, Autism Speaks, and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation have further demonstrated her ability to expand fundraising efforts, manage high-value donor portfolios, and execute successful fundraising events.

Elizabeth holds a Master’s in Non-Profit Management from Northeastern University, a Certificate in Fundraising & Philanthropy from NYU, and a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut.

Dan Jeon
Director of Finance & Adminstration

Dan oversees KACF’s financial operations and sustains the strength of its organizational infrastructure. Prior to joining KACF, he was the Senior Finance Manager at BRIC, an arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn. Born in Wisconsin, he then spent his first seven years in Chuncheon, South Korea before landing in Western Pennsylvania as his home up through high school. 

Dan enjoys playing soccer and ping-pong, rooting on his Pittsburgh sports teams, and singing to his two cats.

He has a B.A. in Economics from Brown University.

Joice Kim
Development Associate

Joice supports KACF’s fundraising and development strategies and serves as a liaison between the Board of Directors and members of staff. At her previous role at Futures Ignite, she built the Enrichment Program, cultivating partnerships and organizing programming for students from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. volunteerism.

Having lived all around the United States growing up, the Korean American and Korean immigrant community was what grounded her, and she is excited to work with and serve this community at KACF.

Joice graduated from Princeton University with a B.A in Anthropology and a certificate in Latin American Studies.

Monica Lee
Associate Director of Communications

Monica works closely with the staff to develop and implement the Foundation’s communications strategies. In her previous role as the Communications Officer of Korean Community Services, she established the organization’s communications infrastructure and developed strategies that grew the organization’s digital presence and bolstered its fundraising, advocacy, and crisis response efforts. Monica was inspired to pursue a career in nonprofit communications through the KACF Capacity Building Fellowship Program.

In her spare time, she binge-watches Korean dramas and British mystery series and works on a food travelogue focused on her time in Gangwon-do, South Korea.

Monica graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in English and American Literature and Language.

Rachel Lee
Communications Associate

Rachel supports KACF’s communications strategy to spotlight the Foundation’s work across stakeholder audiences. Prior to her role at KACF, she worked with the Democratic National Committee’s communications department through the 2024 U.S. election. Before joining the DNC, she interned at the White House Press Office and worked as a press assistant for Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, reading, watching films, and taking long walks.

Rachel graduated from Northeastern University with a B.A. in Communication and Media Studies.

Shivani Patel
Associate Director of Special Events

Shivani Patel leads KACF’s special events. Shivani most recently worked at the International Rescue Committee in the Experiential Marketing and Strategic Events department where she supported small and large-scale donor events in addition to the coordination of senior leader engagements abroad. 

She’s creative, humble and excited to join the team, bringing a personal passion for hosting meaningful and memorable events. She’s an education and planet advocate, and remains deeply committed to mission-driven work.  She is grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside the KACF staff and help build a stronger community of philanthropy and grantmaking across the country.

 
Shivani holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Rutgers University Business School.

Sarah F. Song
Director of Development

Sarah F. Song oversees KACF’s fundraising and donor cultivation strategies. In her previous role at the Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative (BVMI), she built and launched the Korean Healthcare Program to provide free primary care to low-income, uninsured Korean Americans. Prior to BVMI, she provided management consulting to nonprofits serving marginalized and underrepresented communities as a KACF Capacity Building Fellow.

Previously, she was a litigation paralegal at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and a Fulbright research fellow in South Korea. She spent most of her formative years in China and Korea, through which she grew an interest in the region.

Sarah has a BA in International Studies from Boston College and is a graduate of the Master of International Affairs program at Columbia University.