WHO WE ARE

At Seeds of Empowerment, we believe that education is a human right for all. We are a team of dedicated volunteers and leaders committed to implementing Seeds of Empowerment programs to bring access and quality of learning for the world’s hardest to reach. Working together from across 25 countries, our team leverages our skills and our shared passion to make a difference in the lives of underserved communities around the world.

Meet our Founder

Dr. Paul KimFounder

In 2004, Dr. Paul Kim founded Seeds of Empowerment, as a non-profit global education incubator for social innovations leveraging technologies. Dr. Paul Kim is currently working extensively in the Eurasia region, developing and experimenting with various AI tools for education in collaboration with numerous institutions. He serves as the Chair of the International Expert Committee on Education Technology at the World Bank, where he evaluates cutting-edge educational technology solutions for national-level implementations in developing regions. Dr. Kim is also involved in international learning technology and entrepreneurship initiatives, designing future learning R&D labs focused on smart farming, VR/AI, biotech and health sciences, and aerospace/drone mobility. Previously, Dr. Kim was the Associate Dean and Chief Technology Officer of the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, where he spent 24 years pioneering mobile learning innovations for marginalized communities worldwide and launching the Entrepreneur in Residence Program. He has advised organizations such as the Asia Development Bank, the National Science Foundation, and education innovation committees in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Oman, Vietnam, and South Korea. Dr. Kim is also the founder of Seeds of Empowerment, a global development organization whose projects have received numerous international awards, including from the United Nations. His published works include MOOC Revolution, Coaching, not Teaching, Culture Engineering, and New Equilibrium.

Executive Team

Daisy ZhangChief Executive Officer

Daisy Zhang is currently responsible for international communication and cooperation of Seeds of Empowerment. She has been to more than 20 countries and has had long-term study and living experience in Asia, Europe, and North America. After studying in China and Finland, she obtained a degree in Master of Public Administration. She used to work in the Chinese government research department, engaged in regional industrial planning and socio-economic studies. She also worked as a tech-journalist in Silicon Valley and Vancouver, focusing on the EdTech industry and exploring technologies that will help promote education reformation and development in the 21st century. After joining Seeds of empowerment, she is deeply inspired by the vision of SoE, and working to spread SoE’s educational concepts and technologies to more regions around the world and benefit more learners.

Grace Hyunkyung KimChief Strategy Development Officer

Grace Hyunkyung Kim is our Chief Strategy Development Officer. She is a member of the organization’s senior leadership team. Grace plays a key role in designing, implementing, evaluating, and enhancing the education program structure that leverages and optimizes current intellectual expertise and creates a roadmap for the future. Grace played an instrumental role in the onset of the organization and has been leading numerous international development activities in over 12 countries. She studied art practice at UC Berkeley and obtained California Preschool Directorship and middle and high school teaching credentials.

David ParkExecutive Director, Global Connections & International Partnerships

David is committed to creating educational and training services that drive meaningful global impact. With a wealth of experience mentoring education leaders and spearheading international education initiatives across Asia, the Middle East, and North America, he brings deep expertise in fostering transformative learning environments. As a seasoned entrepreneur, David has founded multiple organizations dedicated to advising government agencies, launching cutting-edge educational and human capacity development programs, and building impactful entrepreneurship initiatives worldwide.

Sunmin “Annie” EomVice President & SILVER Project Founder (Operations & Curriculum)

Annie Eom is from Seoul, South Korea, and she moved to California in 2018. She is currently a
student at Albany High School. She is a multicultural individual who is passionate about social
activism, entrepreneurship, computer science, and mathematics. Although Annie and Sunny
both have contributed significantly in every step of the SILVER Project, Annie concentrates on
developing the operating system and curriculum. She has designed the teacher training system,
class structure, English curriculum, and global citizenship curriculum. She consistently works
towards her goal of providing education to school-aged children and ultimately creating a better
world.

Sunwoo “Sunny” EomVice President & SILVER Project Founder (Development & Marketing)

Sunny Eom is an education activist with the goal of ending the cycle of poverty through
education. She moved to California from Seoul, South Korea, in 2018, and she is currently
attending Albany High School. Her first-hand experiences of various cultures have fostered her
curiosity and abiding interest in education, entrepreneurship, technology, and economics. Sunny
and Annie have collaborated on SILVER Project since its inception, and Sunny’s primary focus
is development and marketing. She has built the overall structure and is in charge of recruiting
teachers and advertising. Sunny is passionate about Seeds on Empowerment’s goals and
works toward achieving them.

Advisors

Natalia Olij – Social Innovation Entrepreneur, Uruguay

Claudia Munoz Reyes – International Relations Diplomat, Bolivia

Tina Hong – Finance Innovation Executive, Silicon Valley, USA

Nari Kim, Professor and Education Technology Entrepreneur, Wisconsin, USA

Claudia Olaciregui, Teacher of the Year, California & Global Education Executive, Colombia

Volunteer Team

Field Operations and Technology

Juengah (June) Kim – Principal Project Lead
Pamela Levine – Principal Project Lead
Sunmi Seol -Principal Project Lead
Noah Freedman -Project Associate
Alvin Kim – Project Associate
Elisabete Pires – Project Assistant
Marc Schnau – Project Assistant
Peter (Shiliang) Wang – Project Assistant
Justina Kim – Project Associate

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Elizabeth Buckner – Principal Project Lead
Stephanie Soares Ferreira – Project Lead
Eunbae Lee – Project Associate
Donggil Song – Project Associate
Asli Telli Aydemir – Project Assistant
Monita Basu – Project Assistant
Ellen Dong – Project Assistant
Juan Ignacio Fernandez – Project Assistant
Miriam Mahapatra – Project Assistant
Lucas Verra – Project Assistant
Sawyer Edward Bryce Altman – Project Assistant

Program Development

Claudia Munoz Reyes – Principal Project Lead
Ioanna Fergadiotou – Principal Project Lead
James Miller – Project Associate
Anisha Mudaliar – Project Associate
Aaron Sharp – Project Associate
Yi Zhang – Project Associate
Gennesaret Ajuka – Project Assistant
Tito Dimas Atmawijaya – Project Assistant
Amit Bharti – Project Assistant
Kismet El Husseiny -Project Assistant
Karen Page – Project Assistant
Ananth Subramanian – Project Assistant

Organization Management

Mira Gillet – Project Associate
Kamakshi Duvvuru – Project Associate
Kaveena Balakumar – Project Assistant
Syed Talal Hassan Bukhari – Project Assistant
Chimae Cupschalk – Project Assistant
Yeon Ji Kim – Project Assistant
Chole Sheen – Project Assistant

Marketing and Communications

Nataya Boonmark – Project Associate
Kaushik Nagaraj – Project Assistant
Ujjwal Kumar Pathak – Project Assistant
Anastasia Volkova-Duhovic – Project Assistant
Neha Dhyani – Principal Project Lead
Alex Bonk – Principal Project Lead
Maren Goldberg – Principal Project Lead
JoAnne Allen – Project Assistant
Melonnie Manohar – Project Assistant
Meredith McDonald – Project Assistant
Sayyed Muhammad Irfan Raza Naqvi – Project Assistant