So Young Kang
About So Young Kang
So Young Kang is the Founder and CEO of Gnowbe and serves as an Expert Advisor at AI and Faith and a Strategic Advisor at tapouts. With extensive experience in leadership, transformation, and innovation, she has contributed to various organizations and initiatives, including the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.
Work at Awaken Group
So Young Kang serves as the Founder and Chairman of Awaken Group, a position she has held since 2009. The organization is based in Singapore and focuses on catalyzing sustainable impact through innovative design and cultural transformation. Under her leadership, Awaken Group has been involved in various initiatives aimed at promoting human-centered leadership and transformation design.
Current Roles and Advisory Positions
In addition to her role at Awaken Group, So Young Kang is currently an Expert Advisor at AI and Faith, a position she has held since 2023. She also serves as a Strategic Advisor at tapouts and is a Founding Member of SEA Founders. Her extensive experience includes her role as Founder and CEO of Gnowbe, which she has led since 2016, focusing on microlearning and democratizing content creation.
Education and Expertise
So Young Kang has a robust educational background, including an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied International Relations and Japanese Studies. She has participated in executive programs at Harvard University and the University of Virginia, focusing on leadership and public policy. Her expertise includes strategy-led performance management, transformation design, and human-centered leadership.
Professional Background
Before her current roles, So Young Kang worked at McKinsey as an Expert in Strategy-Led Performance Management and Transformation from 2004 to 2008. She also held the position of Assistant Vice President at Citibank from 1998 to 2004 in New York City. Additionally, she contributed to HuffPost as a contributor from 2016 to 2017, sharing insights on leadership and transformation.
Achievements and Recognition
So Young Kang is recognized as a StrengthsFinder expert and has received a merit award for Management Consultant of the Year in 2015 from the Singapore Business Advisors & Consultants Council. She has spoken at notable events, including Davos in 2018, and is a TEDx speaker, contributing to discussions on transformation and human-centered design. Her work has involved designing participatory multimedia experiences and engaging in executive coaching and leadership development.