Alex was adopted at 8 months old and raised near Washington D.C. Feeling like an outsider growing up, he found solace in skateboarding and punk. The COVID pandemic triggered his "coming out of the fog" moment, leading him to embrace his Korean roots and commit to learning the language and culture. In 2023, he embarked on a personal quest to search for his birth family. Alex is the VP of Design at Vanilla, a fintech startup, and a former assistant professor of graphic design. He is passionate about using design for social change and worked on impactful design projects for NYC's Housing Works, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and others. Living in Koreatown, Alex is dedicated to supporting the Korean adoptee community and serving on the Board of AKA-LA.