Board of Directors

Kathy Ku Steps into Leadership as PDSFA Chair

October 2, 2025

Kathy Ku (2018 Fellow) has been named the new chair of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Alumni Association (PDSFA), the organization dedicated to fostering connection, mentorship, and collaboration among Fellows and alumni of the Fellowship.

Kathy succeeds Eric Chung (2016 Fellow), who led the PDSFA from 2022–2025. Under Eric’s leadership, the PDSFA organized over 100 events, ranging from intimate dinners and mentorship gatherings to large-scale virtual programs that brought Fellows and alumni together across the country and around the world. Among his many accomplishments as chair, Eric launched a virtual monthly town hall series and a monthly events newsletter for the alumni.

A long-time active member of the alumni community, Kathy most recently served as the PDSFA’s mentorship co-chair, where she helped strengthen connections between current Fellows and alumni, creating opportunities for guidance and support that continue to shape the Fellowship community. In her new role as chair, Kathy will also join the Fellowship’s board of directors as the Fellows’ representative, ensuring that the voices of more than 800 Fellows and alumni are represented.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kathy immigrated to the United States at age three and grew up in the Chicago suburbs. Her early experiences in a diverse, resource-limited high school community sparked her lifelong interest in healthcare access and social impact. She earned her AB in molecular and cellular biology and SM in engineering sciences at Harvard, where she co-founded SPOUTS of Water, a Uganda-based social enterprise that manufactures affordable ceramic water filters. To date, SPOUTS has provided clean water to more than one million people and created over 200 jobs.

“As a Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow, it’s an honor to step into the role of chair of the PDSFA. This Fellowship is truly lifelong, and it’s essential that we continue to nurture the alumni community at every stage. I’m eager to carry forward the incredible work that Eric and others have done, and to create even more ways for Fellows and alumni to connect, support, and inspire one another.”
Kathy Ku, Chair of the PDSFA

Kathy Ku speaks to a 2023 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow at the 2024 Fall Conference in New York City.

After scaling SPOUTS, Kathy earned an MD and MBA at Stanford, where she managed a student-run free health clinic and conducted cost-effectiveness research in healthcare delivery. Today, she is a venture partner at Sazze Partners and a partner at Ren Capital, where she invests in healthcare and companies connected to the Korean diaspora. She also continues to lead SPOUTS Impact, the nonprofit arm of SPOUTS of Water.

Her work has been recognized with honors including the Cartier Women’s Initiative Fellowship and the Takeda Young Entrepreneurship Award, and she has been profiled by National Geographic’s Chasing Genius.

Kathy lives in Menlo Park, California, with her husband, two young daughters, and her parents, who keep her well supplied with Korean food.

The new steering committee includes the following Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows: Lorenzo Sewanan (Technology and Communications), Katherine Fang (Technology and Communications), Sana Batool (East Coast – New Haven), Kat Trujillo – (East Coast – NYC), Meera Deo (West Coast – LA), Binbin Chen (West Coast – Bay Area), Mohamed Ismail (Virtual Activities), Eana Meng (Mentorship), Natalia Reyes (Mentorship), Ashri Anurudran (Secretary), and Riana Shah (Treasurer).

Founded by Nusrat Choudhury (2004 Fellow), Prabhjot Singh (2005 Fellow), Rajesh Vedanthan (1999 Fellow), and Mikhail Shapiro (2004 Fellow), the PDSFA fosters friendships, mentorship, and professional relationships among recipients of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. The PDSFA seeks to strengthen the community of Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows and alumni and thereby promote recognition of the vital contribution of New Americans to the United States.