BILL KIM
Former CEO of Kizan International
DBA Louis Raphael
Lifetime Achievement | Legacy Award
In 1972, Mr. Kim founded Kizan International in a tiny 1,200 sq feet office in South San Francisco, California. Today, the company has grown to one of the largest men’s dress slacks companies in the US. The company’s products are sold to more than 8,000 stores including Macy’s, JC Penny, Sears, Belk’s, Amazon.com, and many other department stores and chains. stores in the US and Canada. The company designs, manufactures, imports, wholesales, and distributes its products using the most advanced supply chain technology and management system.
In 1980, Mr. Kim was awarded by the President of South Korea for the bilateral trade promotion between the US and South Korea. In 1986, Mr. Kim was named “Businessman of the Year” by the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, Mr. Kim received a medal of honor, “Dong-Beak-Jang” from the President of Korea, Park Keun-He for the outstanding achievement of Korean American community work.
Mr. Kim is a strong advocate and supporter of philanthropic giving and joined the board of Give2Asia in 2003, and served as the Board Chairman from 2007 to 2010. He is passionate about supporting Korean art and culture in the US, serving as a commissioner/ trustee of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco since 1999. He is the current Chairman of the Korean American Chamber of Commerce NPC.
Born in South Korea, came to America for his education in 1964, Mr. Kim was educated at El Camino College, UCLA, and Executive Program at Stanford University. Mr. Kim and his late wife, Mary, have been married for 45 years, have three children and four grandchildren, and live in Atherton, California.