Han Kim has made his mark as a venture capital investor committed to helping South Korean startup businesses succeed, including on a global scale. In 1996, just two years after completing his MBA degree, Han and GSB classmate Ho Nam, MBA ’94, co-founded Altos Ventures in Silicon Valley, which operates in the U.S. and Asia. As a managing director, Han works with investors who have charitable, educational, or nonprofit missions and are seeking similarly purpose-driven founders and companies. “He and his firm have arguably the best investment track record of any venture capital firm in South Korea, being called the top investor in Korean unicorns,” says private equity professional David Yoon, MBA ’00, who is based in Seoul and is the former president of the Stanford GSB Alumni Association.
Han is known at Stanford for mentoring students and alumni, and bringing the GSB’s South Korean community together. “Every year, Han and his MBA ’94 classmates Ho Nam and Brendon Kim host the current MBA students who are Korean for dinner,” David shares. “Han Kim is very generous with his time to mentor fellow Stanford GSB alumni.” Mentoring is a role that Han, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, developed early on as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers training young soldiers.
Giving back, for many successful alumni like Han, is part of staying involved with the GSB community and keeping the spirit of camaraderie alive. Now, Han’s daughters are following in his footsteps: two are Stanford undergrads and one has earned her MBA from the GSB. He hopes they will form their own lasting bonds at Stanford, as he has done. “It’s crazy to think that it’s been 33 years since we met (as classmates, playing poker in B-school) and 29 years as business partners,” Ho noted in a LinkedIn post. The enduring friendship and business partnership that Han, Ho, and Altos Ventures Special Partner/Limited Partner Brendon Kim share speaks to the powerful bonds forged at the GSB — which can last a lifetime.
