BACKGROUND
Steeve Kay has been described as an inventor, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. He was born seventh out of nine children in Quanzhou in Southeastern China in 1944. He moved to Myanmar when he was 7 years old and proactively studied English with a vision of eventually making his way to the United States. Mr. Kay fulfilled his dream in 1971 and became the first out of the entire family to leave Myanmar and immigrate to the United States. While pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University, Mr. Kay brought the entire family over from Myanmar in increments and helped them transition to their new home in the United States. Between 1981 and 1985, Kay held various roles: a full-time breadwinner, a part-time entrepreneur, an MBA student, and a husband and father.
In an interview with the Orange County Register, Kay explained that he “has neatly divided [his life] into three ‘dreams,’ or life periods”: (1) early life in China and Burma and then coming to America; (2) education, career, and family; and (3) giving back. The second chapter of Kay’s life contains much of the business building that has allowed the Kay family to become mainstays in the Southern California philanthropic community. Through the Kay Family Foundation, which was established in 2004 and a fund set up at the Orange County Community Foundation, the family give about USD 1.8 million (RMB 11 million) annually to faith, education, medical, and arts organizations.235 From 2006 to 2014, over USD 20 million (RMB 120 million) was donated to support these four focus areas.
MOTIVATION
A holistic perspective that integrates business and philanthropy with ideas from quantum theology, philosophy, and spirituality has driven the giving of Mr. Kay and the family. The foundation is mainly driven by four core values: gratitude, purpose, family unity, and steward- ship; these are also a reflection of Mr. Kay’s personal values. Particularly as an immigrant, Mr. Kay holds great gratitude toward the United States, which has offered valuable opportunities to him and his family to reach their full potential.
In addition, Mr. Kay believes everyone comes with a “God-given purpose.” For the Kays, the purpose is to promote and foster impact-driven innovation to benefit mankind through its four pillars: faith, education, medical, and arts, with education as the core focus. The foundation has been supporting various local, national, and international educational institutions including higher education and K–12 in various forms, from sponsoring capital campaigns to entrepreneurship and innovation competitions. Many of their grants to the medical and arts fields could also fall under the umbrella of education.
Mr. Kay’s recent focus has been on mind-body health, seeking to develop a science-based philosophical framework that helps understand and explain the functionality of humans and the relationships with other humans. The new passion has contributed to the establishment of a private operating foundation, Cuberint Institute, which will further develop the philosophical models behind holistic mind-body health. In addition, the Kay Family Foundation will also support philanthropic projects around mindbody health and wellness that align with the Cuberint Institute’s mission.
IMPACT
Many of the highest profile donations of the Kay Family Foundation have been given to Chapman University, with which it enjoys an almost 30-year partnership. Most recently, the Kay Foundation donated USD 2.5 million (RMB 15 million) to Chapman’s Argyros School of Business and Economics to fund research, projects, and other activities in data analytics. “This generous donation will drive innovation in the critical area of data analytics, which is causing enormous shifts in both the business world and society at large,” said Argyros School dean Reggie Gilyard. In addition to that, the family donated a USD 5 million (RMB 30 million) gift in 2011 including USD 4 million (RMB 24 million) to transform Chapman’s 1,100-seat Center for the Arts into a technology- enabled and globally connected collaborative space. The donation addressed the family’s humanistic vision for an interconnected world through arts and culture.
The foundation has also played a critical role in making Orange County, California, a leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce competitiveness. They are a key supporter of the OC STEM Initiative, a collaboration with 17 local funders and partners that are invested in the improvement of the quality and outcome of STEM education in Orange County. Also to the goal of increasing access to STEM educational resources, in 2013, the Kay Family Foundation Innovation Lab was opened to students at University of California, Irvine’s Bren Hall at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science, which was the first of its kind on the campus. Some other notable collaborations in the STEM field include being the lead supporter for the AppJam+ Initiative (Dreams for Schools) and the founding sponsor for the Appreneur Scholars program held annually at the International CES show, the largest consumer electronics show in the world.
The Kay Family Foundation seeks to maximize the collective impact of its project by getting closely involved in the process from start to finish. The foundation invests time and expertise in helping grantees identify the most effective ways to develop the project and create impact. Driven by a strong business acumen, the Kay family also puts great emphasis on seeking feedback and evaluating outcomes. Through site visits and ongoing dialogue with different stakeholders, the foundation strives to leverage investment dollars for the highest return of impact while maintaining the utmost quality.