This is me jumping off a big rock near La Paz, Mexico.
I grew up in Hong Kong and now live in the Bay Area in California with my wife and rescue pup, Millie.
Who am I?
Growing up in HK and of mixed descent, I felt like an outside for most of my youth, I didn't belong.
I had bad asthma as a kid that was triggered by exercise. Remember team captains who choose? I know what it's like to be picked dead last.
I struggled with severe acne on my face as a teenager, and I still have the scars to show for it. I know how it feels to hide from the world. My scars remind me to stay humble.
I witnessed my long-distance college sweetheart struggle with severe eating disorders, and over 4 years witnessed her whither physically, emotionally, spiritually. Through this experience, I gained a deep compassion for others.
For me, a life of service.
Over time, I've learned to integrate these different pieces of me into a fuller whole and come from my whole being, cracks and all.
I come from a family of teachers. My grandfather worked for a university until he was 93 years old. My father turns 70 this year and is still teaching grad students around the world. My mom has helped countless students find careers after getting their MBA. It runs in my blood - I've been a summer camp counselor, youth mentor, facilitator, and instructor.
I have over a decade of professional experience in tech wearing various (and often multiple) hats including systems architect, integration consultant, engineering project manager, and people manager. Looking back, I realize all my jobs have a common thread: figuring out how the pieces fit together to create something better than the sum of its parts. And I've learned that what really lights me up is the human aspect. Technology is the easy part; it's the people who are at the heart of successful change.
I am a student of martial arts. After training Krav Maga for 3 years, I tried Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and immediately fell in love. 6 years later, I'm currently a purple belt under Romulo Melo and now train primarily in Oakland.
I've jumped out of a perfectly good airplane over 600 times, often holding hands with other people. I started skydiving in 2011 and I've been lucky to have some truly unbelievable memories and incredible people in my life. As the best man, I got to plan an 11-person wedding in the sky, officiant and wedding party included. I became a certified USPA skydiving coach and went on to get 3 world records with an incredible sequentials team.
I've participated in burning man 7 times )'( Actually met my wife there in 2012 and proposed to her 3 years later. We had our wedding with extended family & friends in 2017 followed by a playa wedding the year after (gotta bring it full circle, right?).
Monkeys, flamingos, and sea turtles are my spirit animals.
I'm a former stage and street magician. In high school, I did kid's birthday parties and 3 all-school performances.
Seeking new experiences, I left Hong Kong when I was 16 to attend an equestrian boarding school in Southern California. For a year, I fed and cleaned a horse daily and rode him in the afternoons. So... random like skill. If we ever need to escape on horseback, I gotchu.