Synopsis
Don Kim is the CEO of Dark Zero Esports team and Grey Matter Capital, where he manages and trains Esports players. Don Kim talks about the role South Korea has played in the creation of esports and its role in esports’ continued popularity. He walks us through the trajectory his life has taken, starting with his parents’ background and his own pathway to Harvard. He reflects about the cultures and communities—in Korea and the US—that he has been a part of and how his perspective on these spaces has changed over the years. This interview covers topics such as film, music, esports, disconnected identity, and 2000s and 2010s culture. I was introduced to Don Kim through Professor Inga Kim Diederich of Colby College. The Interview was conducted via Zoom. The interview was conducted by Brendan Bullock, a Junior at Colby College who is interested in Korean media and how it reflects and affects current culture.
Biography
Don is a second generation Korean-American born in Seattle. At 8-years-old he moved to Boston and continued his schooling through high school, and attended Harvard for 4 years. Throughout his education, he visited Korea and attended a study abroad program at Yonsei University. Growing up playing video games, after Harvard Don decided to enter the video game industry at a small startup in San Francisco. Soon after he transitioned to the competition side of the industry, starting at the largest Esports organization at the time, TSM. In 2021 he moved to DarkZero Esports where he continues to be CEO. DarkZero Esports currently has a competitive Rainbow 6 Siege team, winning major tournaments in 2020 and 2022. Alongside DarkZero Esports, Don is the CEO of Grey Matter Capital, an investment firm within the video game, esports and entertainment industries.