KCS 53rd Gala

53rd Gala Together As One_LE_upscale_bal

Ziegfeld Ballroom

141 W 54th St., NYC

6 PM - Cocktails

7 PM - Dinner and Program

Together As One

53rd Gala

March 6th, 2026

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About

United in purpose, empowered to serve.

Together as One celebrates the unity, resilience, and shared purpose that define our community. For over five decades, KCS has brought people together across generations, cultures, and experiences to create lasting change. This year’s theme honors the power of collective strength - how, when we come together as one, we uplift each other, bridge divides, and build a more compassionate and inclusive society. As we reflect on our journey and look to the future, Together as One reminds us that our progress is only possible through the connections that bind us and the shared hope that drives us forward.

Honoree

HONOREES

Julie Kim

Global Impact Leadership Honoree

Julie Kim was appointed by the Takeda Board of Directors to succeed Christophe Weber as president & CEO of Takeda in June 2026. She recently completed her tenure as president of the U.S. Business Unit and U.S. country head, where she managed the company’s largest business unit. As part of her transition to CEO, she will also serve as interim head of the Global Portfolio Division. Julie joined Takeda through the 2019 acquisition of Shire and served as president of the Plasma-Derived Therapies Business Unit. With three decades of experience in health care, Julie’s leadership spans global, regional, and country-level roles across a variety of therapeutic areas and markets. Renowned for her collaborative and inclusive approach, she is committed to serving patients and advancing innovation. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College.

Ken Song

Pioneer in Innovation Honoree

Ken Song, M.D. is Chairman, President and CEO of Candid Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotech company focused on leading the field of deep B-cell depletion using T-cell engagers to treat autoimmune diseases. He has over 25 years of combined entrepreneurship, investing, clinical medicine, and research experience. As an entrepreneur, he has been CEO or Executive Chairman of RayzeBio, Ariosa Diagnostics, Omniome, Metacrine, and Ablaze Pharmaceuticals, all of which have led to successful outcomes and collectively with RayzeBio provided over $5.5B in realized value to shareholders. He also currently serves as executive chairman of Averto Medical, board director at Perceptive Capital Solutions Corp, and board director at ElevAAte, a non-profit organization for East Asian American leadership in biopharma. Earlier in his career, Ken was a venture capitalist at Venrock and a consultant at McKinsey & Company. Ken received a B.S. in biology from MIT and an M.D. from UCSF. Ken trained in internal medicine at UCSF and gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Washington, and was a scientific research fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

Esther Choi

Community Impact Honoree

Esther Choi is an influential Chef driven by her Korean roots. She is the chef and owner of Mŏkbar, with locations in Chelsea Market, Midtown, New Jersey and Las Vegas. As well as chef and partner of Ms. Yoo located in the LES. With a personal passion for introducing New Yorkers to the flavors of Korean culture, Chef Esther’s cooking combines traditional and modern influences with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Esther began her professional education at the early age of 14. Her formal training as a chef began at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), followed by various positions at New York City’s renowned Ilili and La Esquina, as well as that of the Food Network. In 2020 Esther launched with the CookUnity meal delivery service platform in New York City and now has other outposts in Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago & Seattle. Currently, Esther is the host of “Heat Eaters” by First We Feast, which is the follow up show to the hit YouTube series Hot Ones. Esther is also the co-host of Food Networks newest culinary competition show 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing.

EMCEES

Vivian Lee

Vivian Lee is an Emmy-winning TV journalist, creative director, and host of The 5 Of Us Podcast.

CeFaan Kim

CeFaan Kim is a talented correspondent at ABC News.

AUCTIONEERS

Edward Pokropski

Edward is a two-time Emmy nominated Senior Writer/Producer at NBCUniversal. He is one of the co-founders of The Asian Comedy Fest and he has been touring his solo storytelling show, Case 84: Adopted in the USA all over the country!

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Kathleen Kim

Kathleen is a NYC based producer, puppeteer, and voice artist best known for her work on Sesame Street as Ji-Young, the show's first Asian American Muppet character who debuted in the Emmy nominated AAPI special "See Us Coming Together." Some of her performance credits include Awkwafina's Nora from Queens, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, and Helpsters on Apple TV+.