Meet Scott Ok

Inspirational and articulate, Scott spoke of the need for “personal integrity”, particularly among our youth.    

Growing up in Seattle, Scott came from modest means and remembered many “spam and rice” meals.  As a Japanese-American family, his family was relocated to an internment camp during World War II.  Yet, Scott never saw his father act out of bitterness from the experience.  His father taught him about personal integrity and personal accountability.

Eventually, his father got him involved in Boy Scouts that re-enforced the principles of personal integrity.  Now, he has a passion for making Boy Scouts and other such organizations available to the youth of today, including those in the inner city areas.  I agree that spending money and effort to engage the youth with Boy Scouts is a better alternative to building more jails.

Scott is indeed a man of personal integrity.  He is also a man of compassion, and a man of extraordinary abilities.  While his philanthropy is well documented, perhaps Scott’s greater contributions have been his active personal involvement in community causes.  He has founded or co-founded over a dozen non-profit organizations.  In addition, he currently serves on dozens of advisory boards and boards of directors for both for-profit and not-for-profit companies.

Scott’s most current business venture is with Oki Development, Inc., an investment company with diverse interests in real estate, golf course development and management, restaurants, a professional soccer team, and early to development stage information technology.

All golfers in the region know about his collection of golf courses.  I’m a repeat owner of the Oki card like many other golf enthusiasts, which offers discounts at Oki courses during the year.  When pressed about which one of his courses is his favorite to play, he was very reluctant to choose just one.  Upon further pressure, he said he really enjoys the Hawks Prairie courses in Lacey.

Whether providing amazing golf experiences or leading the charge for the youth of today, Scott Oki has been a tremendous asset to the local community.  Since his very successful career at Microsoft where he spearheaded the company’s international launch before retiring in 1992, Scott has been a proud example of personal integrity and generosity.  I, for one, am proud to have him as a role model in the community.

For people like Ike, however, doing “nothing” is not possible. It’s in their blood to do “something” – “something special”. By 2002, Ignition Partners, a prestigious local venture capitalist group, talked him into joining their team as a senior advisor and venture partner. Last year, Ike was involved in more than $300 million worth of mergers and acquisitions activities through his company, Lee Technology Consulting. “I wasn’t really looking for these opportunities,” Ike said. “Lots of requests came in looking for my help.”

Well, that is not surprising given Ike’s impressive track record. He came to the United States in 1980 working for the Korean conglomerate LG International. Two years later, he started his own defense electronics company, Amtech, in Los Angeles. When that industry suffered a downturn, he refocused the company on microchips. By 1986, he put angel investment into the then emerging microprocessor company, Cyrix, which later listed on the NASDAQ in 1993. “Once I got a taste of an IPO, I switched my focus to becoming an investor,” Ike recalled.

Ike eventually moved north to Silicon Valley and was involved in six IPO’s, including the hugely successful listing of Netscreen Technologies in 2001. Goldman Sachs voted this as its IPO of the Year after raising $160 million from the offer, well above its target. Netscreen Technologies continued its success story when it later sold to Juniper Networks for $4 billion in 2004.

Do “nothing”? Currently, Ike is working on his seventh IPO, as the company prepares for its road show. Meanwhile, the business plans continue to pour in for his review. And he just can’t seem to resist reading them. “I’ve noticed that some companies really grow during difficult economic times,” he said. “Actually, these tough times often present a lot of opportunities. We have a two-year window to make good investments.”

How can he do “nothing” when he enjoys so much helping young entrepreneurs? In this regard, he especially would like to help young Korean-American entrepreneurs. He has noticed a lack of venture-backed Korean-American entrepreneurs in the Seattle area, compared to those in California. Ike has volunteered to be a panelist on a session about “Harnessing the Entrepreneurial Opportunities” for an upcoming Korean-American Coalition (KAC) National Convention that will be hosted in Seattle September 26-28.

Ike’s successes are truly an inspiration to all. His willingness to help young entrepreneur is a tremendous gift to all those who take advantage. As much as he has tried to avoid the spotlight here in Seattle, those in the know understand what he can contribute to the local business community. In fact, he recently has been nominated as a Business Ambassador by the State of Washington.

As for his original goal of spending time with his children, his daughter is now in a boarding high school on the east coast and his son is in Junior high school becoming ever more independent. As for lowering his golf handicap, he unfortunately suffered a back injury that required surgery. Well, I guess it has turned out well that business opportunities keep following this charmed man.