Check Out Jack Toan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Toan.

Hi Jack, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

In 1979, my family fled Vietnam in the cover of night. We board a small boat and head out to sea on a journey of hope for freedom and a better life. We arrived in Hong Kong after 60 arduous days at sea and was placed in the refugee camp along with thousands of other who took the same journey. We were there for nearly 8 months as my father applied for asylum in various countries. Meanwhile a pastor of a small church in South Carolina heard about the plight of these boat people and began working with his congregation of 35 families to begin the process of sponsoring a family of strangers. We arrived in Walhalla, South Carolina in September 1979 to begin our new life. Those formative years shaped my perspective of community and service to other. Our family relocated to Southern California in 1987 to reconnect with families who have by then settled in Orange County. I finished high school in Garden Grove and attended UC Irvine thinking about a career in medicine. Shortly after starting college, I very suddenly lost my younger brother to cancer. That experience was traumatizing but it also led me on a chaotic journey of self-discovery. I eventually got married and had kids. I went back to school to get my MBA and was lucky enough to land a job at Wells Fargo where my career in philanthropy and community development began. My 18 years at Wells Fargo allowed me to do some wonderful and impactful work in the community. I met so many amazing people along the way. Then COVID hit. That period of time sent me on another journey and I left Wells Fargo to join a nonprofit that served the homeless where I eventually became the Co-CEO. After a few years, I transition to starting my own social impact consulting business which led to my current role as the inaugural Executive Director to start and build the Asian American Museum at Great Park in the City of Irvine.