Wholesale dry-goods supplier for South Sound restaurants. Hires bilingual Korean, Tagalog, and Spanish speakers from the immigrant community at $24/hour starting, with employer-paid health from day one. 14 employees, $1.4M in 2025 revenue, profitable from month nine.
Daniel's parents came from Busan in 1989 on a family visa. They had two suitcases, no English, and $620. Four years later his dad took over the 7-Eleven at South 38th and Yakima. His mom started overnight shifts as a licensed practical nurse at Tacoma General.
Daniel was born in 1997, and his older sister Soomi promptly nicknamed him "Donut" because he would not stop crying until somebody fed him. The nickname has not aged out.
He grew up doing his homework on the counter of the 7-Eleven while his dad rang up Powerball tickets. He grew up watching his mom come home at 7:14 a.m., kick off her clogs, and make him breakfast before her own bedtime. He grew up watching his city change.
He left for college. He left for New York. He came back because the kids he taught in the South Bronx had a city government that was at least trying. He thought Tacoma could try harder. He still does.