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Jake Kim
Head of US office and Co-Founder & CTO at Sodacrew Inc
Jake Kim is a prominent figure in the tech industry, currently serving as the Head of US office and Co-Founder & CEO of Sodacrew Inc, the company behind SodaGift.1 Here's a comprehensive overview of his background and achievements:
Professional Experience
Jake Kim has an extensive career in technology and business leadership:
Current Roles at Sodacrew Inc (SodaGift):
- Head of US office (since July 2018)
- Co-Founder & CEO (since March 2016)
Previous Experience:
- IT Senior Manager at Mirae Asset Global Investments (July 2008 - February 2016)
- Advisory Engineer at Samsung SDS (February 2005 - July 2008)
- Engineer at Samsung SDS (August 2003 - January 2005)
Education
Kim has a strong educational background in information technology:
- MSc in IT for Manufacture from the University of Warwick (2001 - 2003)
- BSc in Information and Communication from The Manchester Metropolitan University (1998 - 2001)
Entrepreneurial Journey
Jake Kim co-founded Sodacrew Inc in 2015 along with Daniel Lee and Richard Kim.2 The company initially started as a fintech startup offering a digital wallet service called SodaTransfer. However, they pivoted to focus on SodaGift, a cross-border gifting service that gained significant traction:
- SodaGift was officially launched in January 2019
- By December 2021, the service had 100,000 users
- In June 2022, the user base grew to 190,000
Leadership and Vision
As the CEO, Jake Kim has been instrumental in shaping Sodacrew's direction and growth:
- He led the company's pivot from a remittance service to focus entirely on the gifting industry
- Under his leadership, SodaGift has become a seamless platform for sending gifts internationally
- The service now offers over 4,000 items from 400 brand partners, including 150 US-based brands
Skills and Expertise
Throughout his career, Jake Kim has demonstrated expertise in:
- Web engineering and development
- Cloud services (AWS)
- Server management
- IT project management
- Global IT coordination
Personal Attributes
Jake Kim is multilingual, proficient in both Korean and English.1 His leadership style emphasizes adaptability and risk-taking, as evidenced by the successful pivot of Sodacrew from fintech to gifting services.
