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Yul Kwon            

Television Host, Management Consultant; VP & General Manager of Local Search at Google; 2006 Winner of 'Survivor: Cook Islands'

Yul Kwon is an American television host and former government official, lawyer, and management consultant based in California. He first garnered national attention as the winner of the reality TV show "Survivor: Cook Islands" in 2006. Kwon also appeared in "Survivor: Winners at War," where he placed 14th. Throughout his career, Kwon has leveraged his media presence to influence various spheres, including science and technology, diversity, and education.

Kwon hosted the 2012 four-part TV series "America Revealed" on PBS, which examined the industrial operations that dominate most of daily life in the United States, as well as LinkAsia on Link TV. Besides his roles in television, Kwon has served as a special correspondent for CNN and appears regularly as a guest lecturer at the FBI Academy. His ability to communicate complex topics succinctly has made him a valued speaker at many of the country's top corporations and universities, including Yahoo, Verizon, AT&T, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, Dell, Yale, Duke, and Northwestern.

Beyond his broadcasting and public engagements, Kwon has applied his academic background and professional skills effectively. He obtained his B.S. degree in symbolic systems from Stanford University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received the James Lyons Award for Service. He attended Yale Law School and served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal. As a legislative aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman, Kwon helped draft portions of the Homeland Security Act and authored a landmark bill on nanotechnology. He has also worked in several law firms, dealing with a mix of litigation, appellate, transactional, and regulatory work, before joining McKinsey as a management consultant and later moving to Google's business strategy group. Kwon’s efforts extend to social causes, such as organizing a nationwide campaign to increase the number of minority bone marrow donors after his best friend died from leukemia in college.

Speech Topics


Beyond Math Geeks & China Dolls: Overcoming Stereotypes About Asian Americans to Find Success in the Real World

Overcoming the Glass Ceiling (Asian American Corporate Audiences)

Value of Diversity (Corporate Audiences)

Asian American Empowerment (Asian American Audiences, including College Students)

Value of Diversity (College Audiences)

News


Yul Kwon, From Bullying Target To Reality TV Star
May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. All month, Tell Me More is featuring guests who trace their heritage to that part of the world and who have changed the game in everything from science to sports, pop culture to politics.
'Survivor' winner Yul Kwon talks about his new show, and whether he'll ever head back to the island
After winning the racially charged Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006, Yul Kwon made an interesting career choice. He went to work for the Federal Communications Commission (where he met a certain future Survivor contestant with an affinity for his own last name)....
'Survivor' Star on Asian American Success Stories - Ideas Market ...
By Yul Kwon. Lee Siegel's essay, “Rise of the Tiger Nation,” will undoubtedly provoke sharp reactions both within and outside the Asian American community.

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