THE TEAM
Charles Wee
Founder/CEO, Principal Designer and Inventor
Charles Wee
Founder & Principal Designer
Charles Wee is the founder, Principal Designer and Inventor of LifeArk.
He is the President of GDS Architects, an international architectural firm specializing in the U.S., Korea, and China. Charles worked for DMJM, a part of AECOM, before co-founding AJLA. After 35+ years in the field, Charles left the commercial architecture world and devoted the rest of his career to developing LifeArk as a social impact venture.
Since LifeArk's inception, Charles has focused on bringing LifeArk to market with all building, construction, and material certifications and approvals.
Paul Cho
Chief Financial Officer
Paul Cho
Chief Financial Officer
Paul Cho is the Chief Financial Officer after serving as the COO/CFO and Co-Founder of The Illumination Foundation for 13 years. Paul established Illumination Housing LLC, a social impact investment fund for the purpose of acquiring and developing properties to provide housing for the homeless. Prior to his nonprofit work, he was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch for 16 years executing corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, and private equity transactions in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul.
Rebecca Wee
Programs
Rebecca Wee
Programs & Community Implementation
Rebecca Wee oversees programs and community implementation strategies at LifeArk with her background in humanitarian organizations. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Studio Arts from University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. She is committed to empowering women and children to reach their full potential and access more equitable pathways towards stability.
Dr. Gi-Ryong Jung
Managing Director
Asia Pacific
Dr. Gi-Ryong Jung
Managing Director, Asia Pacific
Dr. Gi-Ryong Jung is the Managing Director, Asia Pacific. He is an economist, public-policy executive and urban-development strategist with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning government, public-private development and international business. He previously served as Special Economic Advisor and Vice Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City, where he helped shape economic development and innovation policy including smart-city initiatives and technology-based development programs.
Dr. Jung also served as President of LCT Corporation, overseeing the landmark Haeundae Beach Resort Development Project, and held senior leadership roles in the development of Centum City, one of Korea’s major public-private urban redevelopment projects. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Florida.
Daniel Suh
Assembly and Construction
Daniel Suh
Head of Assembly and Construction
Daniel Suh is the Head of Assembly and Construction at LifeArk where he leads the assembly and fit-out of LifeArk modules and oversees factory-floor operations. He manages assembly teams, coordinates workflow, and helps ensure modules are completed in accordance with LifeArk’s project and quality requirements.
He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and is a licensed General Contractor in the State of California with more than twenty years of experience in construction and project operations.
Michael Collins
Project Director
Michael Collins
Project Director
Michael Collins is the co-founder of GDS Architects, a LEED Green Associate and member of CTBUH and Urban Land Institute. With 22+ years of architecture and master planning experiences, he is the project director of LifeArk, overseeing the design and engineering processes.
Drew Garcia
Advisor
Drew Garcia
Advisor
Drew Garcia has a MBA from Stanford University and 20+ years of product management experience working in Silicon Valley for small startups and large high-tech companies including SugarSync, TimeBridge and Yahoo. He is passionate about the global impact of LifeArk.
Michael Kim
Advisor
Michael Kim
Advisor
Michael Kim has been advising LifeArk since its inception. He has over 25 years of experience in the financial services and investment sectors, including investing in both private and public companies at various stages of their development. He currently manages assets on behalf of a single-family investment firm.
LifeArk / GDS Korea
Jang Jae Young
Principal Director
Jang Jae Young
Principal Director, LifeArk Korea
Jang Jae Young is the Principal Director of LifeArk Korea and has 27+ years of architecture and engineering experience. Young graduated from Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea with an M.S. from Kookmin University and directs all technical architecture and engineering production for LifeArk.
Sohn Yongwon
Senior Manager
Sohn Yongwon
Senior Manager, LifeArk Korea
Sohn Yongwon is a Senior Manager of LifeArk Korea with 20+ years of architecture and engineering experience. Yongwon graduated from Hongik University in Seoul and specializes in project managing, architectural and engineering drawings and directs technical and engineering consultants.
Kang Minwook
Senior Manager
Kang Minwook
Senior Manager, LifeArk Korea
Kang Minwook is a Senior Manager of LifeArk Korea with 20+ years of architecture and engineering experience. Minwook graduated from Korea University in Seoul and specializes in graphics, architectural and engineering drawings and directs technical and engineering consultants.
Jang Sungjin
Manager
Jang Sungjin
Manager, LifeArk Korea
Jang Sungjin is a Manager for GDS Korea with 6+ years of architecture and engineering experience. Sungjin graduated from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea and specializes in architectural drawings and 3D graphics.
Advisory Board
Sheldon Stone
Advisory Board
Sheldon Stone
Advisory Board
Sheldon Stone is a founding member of Oaktree Capital Management LP, an institutional money manager specializing in alternative investment strategies and based in Los Angeles. He serves on the boards of trustees of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, National Constitution Center and the Board of Overseers at Columbia University.
He served as a trustee at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, Bowdoin College & graduated from Bowdoin with an AB in Gov’t and Columbia Business School with an MBA in Finance & Accounting.
Paul Nugent, PhD, MEng
Technical Advisor
Paul Nugent, PhD, MEng
Technical Advisor
Paul Nugent, PhD, MEng is LifeArk’s technical advisor and an independent international expert with 38+ years experience in the rotational molding industry. he studied at The Queen’s University of Belfast where he received a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. His experience includes Remcon Plastics, Inc. in Pennsylvania as Director of Technology, a member of the Association of Rotational Molders, former member of the Materials Committee and chaired the Process, Equipment and Tooling Committee and the Cycle Time Reduction Committee.
Paul currently serves as a Director of Polymer Link Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia, a polymer compounding company specializing in materials for the rotational molding industry.
Sarah Yun
Advisory Board
Sarah Yun
Advisory Board
Sarah Yun is Vice President at Whittier Trust Company where she leads the Young Adults Forward Fund (YA Forward). YA Forward is a donor family fund that seeks to provide housing, economic prosperity and wellbeing for young adults impacted by the foster care and justice systems.
Prior to joining Whittier Trust, Sarah was a Senior Program Officer at California Community Foundation and a Grants Officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Sarah began her career working on global human rights campaigns with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF and as a Protection Officer for North Korean refugees in Southeast Asia. Sarah is the Co-Founder and Board Member of Lumen, a nonprofit focused on information access in North Korea and holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mike Haynes
Advisory Board
Mike Haynes
Advisory Board
Mike Haynes was a partner in the Comoglio & Haynes CPA firm. In 1989, Mike was recruited to GT Bicycles, a former client, to serve as CFO. At GT, he was instrumental in increasing annual sales from $47 million to $245 million. In 1995, Mike teamed with the President of GT to take the company public. The following year, Mike was promoted to CEO of GT, where he successfully led the company until 1999 when GT was sold to the investment firm Questor, owner of Schwinn.
In March of 2001, Mike joined the executive team of Specialized as the CFO. This was during a time of financial crisis for Specialized, and over the next three years Mike proved to be a key member in the company’s turn-around. In 2007, Mike was moved to the role of COO. He reduced his day-to-day role in 2013 but continues in an advisory capacity.
Currently volunteers on four non-profit boards in various capacities including the Illumination Foundation, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley, the Outride Foundationand Haynes Fund.
The Balay Ko Foundation
Advisory Board
Balay Ko Foundation
Advisory Board
The Balay Ko Foundation supports non-profits in the State of California that work toward solving housing and food insecurity for those experiencing Homelessness and/or Hunger.
Henry Hong
Advisory Board
Henry Hong
Advisory Board
Henry Hong serves as the CEO of HK Ventures, a diversified real estate company with a focus on developing and investing in commercial real estate across the Southern California infill markets. Prior to founding HK Ventures, Henry was a top-producing partner in one of the largest privately held commercial real estate brokerage firms in the US.