That student-centered philosophy recently earned Dr. Xiang Guo, department head of information technology and cybersecurity (ITC) at Missouri State University, the 2026 Educator of the Year (Traditional) award from the Springfield Tech Council.

“My motivation for what I do is to see someone’s life changed for the better,” Guo said.

The recognition reflects his dedication to connecting students with industry opportunities, helping them discover their strengths and preparing them to contribute to the technology workforce.

A spotlight on tech excellence

The Springfield Tech Council’s 2026 Excellence in Technology Awards gala took place Sept. 25 at the White River Conference Center in Springfield. The event brought together about 300 technology professionals, educators and community leaders.

Organized by the council, the annual awards honors individuals and organizations advancing technology and innovation across the Ozarks. This year’s program received more than 130 nominations across 17 categories.

The Educator of the Year (Traditional) award recognizes educators who demonstrate excellence in teaching, inspire students to explore technology-related fields and contribute to developing the region’s technology workforce.

“This is about an individual who made an impact on student learning, which is what I’ve been trying to do for all these years,” Guo said.

Unlike awards individuals apply for, this recognition begins with community nominations, making it particularly meaningful.

Turning potential into opportunity

Since joining Missouri State in 2018, Guo has worked to bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional experience.

One of his most notable contributions has been revitalizing the Association of Business Information Technology Students (A-BITS), which has grown from about 20 members to 140 under his guidance.

Through technology competitions, industry networking and hands-on projects, students gain opportunities to apply their knowledge, develop professional skills and explore career paths before graduation.

“Being a student doesn’t mean you can’t be a professional,” Guo said.

That philosophy is central to A-BITS. Students connect directly with business leaders, attend professional meetings, develop resumes and practice interviewing while building the technical skills employers seek.

In addition to preparing students for their first jobs, Guo wants them to discover their strengths and take ownership of their futures.

“What I did was open doors for them,” he said.

For Guo, the greatest reward is watching students turn those opportunities into achievements they once thought were beyond their reach.

A win beyond a name

Guo sees the award as a reflection of Missouri State’s broader commitment to community engagement and workforce development. Through industry partnerships, the ITC department helps students develop relevant skills while responding to the region’s evolving technology needs.

“It’s not individual work; it’s for the whole team,” Guo said.

Faculty members regularly go beyond their teaching responsibilities to mentor students, coach competition teams, support projects and connect students with industry professionals.

That collective impact was evident at this year’s ceremony. ITC alumnus Payton Zartman, now with O’Reilly Auto Parts, received the Rising Star award, which recognizes an emerging professional in the technology industry.

“The two awards reflected different stages of the same journey: preparing students for success and watching them make meaningful contributions after graduation,” Guo said.

Seeing a former student honored was especially rewarding for Guo.

One student, one path at a time

After more than a decade in higher education, he remains motivated by the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives.

He knows finding the right career path is not always straightforward. Students may struggle with uncertainty, encounter setbacks or discover their interests have changed.

“Figure out what you want to do and hold on to it,” Guo said.

He also believes educators cannot define success for their students. Their role is to open doors, provide resources and offer guidance while allowing students to chart their own futures.

“You figure out what you want to do, and then we can help you get there,” he said.

Explore information technology and cybersecurity

The post When impact speaks, recognition follows appeared first on College of Business News.

WRITTEN BY JULIANA GOODWIN

When Sally Phillips ’94 was in second grade, she passed an origami note to a classmate that read: “I like math. What do you like?”

Math is practically in her family’s DNA.

Like her father, Dick Pendleton ’66, Sally and her sister, Sheri Law, are Certified Public Accountants. Her niece is studying to be an accountant and interning at Forvis Mazars in San Antonio. Phillips’ eighth-grade daughter recently told her mom she wants to become a CPA.

“I was like, ‘No way, really? It’d be great if you did.’ She said, ‘Well, it’s given me a good life.’”

Family makes Mo State’s first school-naming contribution

Aside from leaving their mark on the industry, the family has left a permanent mark on Missouri State’s College of Business.

Thanks to a seven-figure gift from alumnus Dick Pendleton and his daughters Sheri Law, Sally Phillips and Tracy Myrick, they made a lasting investment in the future of accounting education which led to the university’s first school-naming contribution and created the Pendleton Family School of Accountancy.

At the dedication, President Richard B. Williams called it a “historic day.”

“We’re grateful to Dick and his family for their commitment to advancing accounting education in the College of Business,” Williams said.

The Pendleton family gift will enhance scholarships, enable the school to hire and retain top talent, provide more training for professors and so much more.

Dr. David Meinert, dean of the college and David D. Glass distinguished leadership chair, said the gift strengthens every aspect of the school.

“By expanding access through scholarships, supporting faculty excellence and enhancing experiential learning, it ensures our accounting graduates are prepared to lead and innovate in a rapidly evolving profession,” Meinert said.

The family had already established the Pendleton Family Foundation Scholarship supporting accounting students for the last 15 years. They are also members of The Founders Club.

Dick Pendleton says his degree opened doors

Pendleton graduated with a business finance degree in 1966 from what was then-Southwest Missouri State College.

He began his career at Baird, Kurtz and Dobson in Springfield, a relatively small CPA firm with three offices.

There, he was able to put his accounting education to work in meaningful ways. He became a CPA in 1970 and a tax partner in 1974.

“My education at Southwest Missouri State gave me a strong foundation — not just in accounting, but in discipline, ethics and problem solving,” Pendleton said. “The degree I earned opened doors throughout my career, and I’ve always felt fortunate and proud to be a graduate of the university.”

The firm grew significantly and later became known as BKD.

In 2024, it merged to become Forvis Mazars, a top 10 global professional services network.

Over the years, scores of Bears have interned at or been hired by the firm.

Pendleton left accounting, and he and Ron Stenger formed Stenger-Pendleton Investments where they developed subdivisions and started investing in chain restaurants. He owned Ken’s Pizzas, Mazzio’s, Taco Bells and KFCs.

Even back then, Pendleton was giving back. The two men were chairs of the 1990 Bears Fund drive, which raised $1.15 million — a record at the time.

Over the last few years, Pendleton decided he wanted to do something else for his alma mater but he wasn’t sure what it would be.

Phillips didn’t plan to become a Bear, but is glad she did

When it came time to go to college, she wanted to go out of state. Her dad asked why.

“I was like, ‘Well, I love mom and I love you, but I just think I need to go away,’” Phillips said. “And he was like, ‘Sally, you’re such a family girl. You would miss your grandparents, miss your mom, you’d miss me. I really think SMS has one of the top premier accounting programs in the state, if not the U.S. It is top-notch. I really wish that you would give it a try.’”

He told her if she gave it a year and didn’t like it, they could look at out-of-state schools.

“It really was one of the best things that I could have done,” Phillips said.

Even though her dad was an accountant, Phillips didn’t realize it until she was a freshman in college. She knew him as a developer and businessman. One day, she found one of his business cards and it had CPA behind his name.

“’You’re a CPA? That is what I want to do,’” Phillips said.

After graduation, she also joined what was then BKD. After a few years, she was recruited by a client. Eventually, she found her way back to the company, passing her CPA exam and today is a reimbursement consultant for Forvis Mazars.

Sheri Law, Pendleton’s youngest daughter, graduated from Texas Christian University with a degree in accounting and worked for Ernst & Young in Dallas, earning her CPA license while there. She then worked in accounting for a real estate investment advisor and now does part-time remote accounting for churches, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Tracy Myrick, Pendleton’s oldest daughter, graduated from University of Colorado-Boulder, with an economics degree. Myrick’s younger daughter, Riley, has a 4.0 GPA at the University of Texas-San Antonio, studying accounting, and is interning at Forvis Mazars in San Antonio.

After two years of brainstorming: Eureka

Phillips said her dad has always appreciated the education he received at Missouri State. Pendleton now lives in Florida but visits Springfield. When he was in town, they’d meet with Brent Dunn, executive director of the Missouri State University Foundation, about another gift.

Phillips suggested a scholarship to attract more students.

“We’ve been hearing for so many years that accounting is not glamorous, the hours are long. The pay is good but the pipeline of accountants was drying up,” she said.

They talked about a contribution to the new Advancement Center but that wasn’t what they had in mind.

Last summer, Dunn called and asked them to go to lunch one more time. He suggested a unique opportunity with the School of Accountancy, something that could benefit the faculty, staff and students in perpetuity. That struck a chord with Pendleton.

The father and daughter met with Williams, Meinert and Dr. Kimberly Church, director of the School of Accountancy.

“You could just feel the excitement that what they wanted, and what my dad wanted, was coming together in a perfect plan,” Phillips said.

Contribution announced to public in early 2026

In February, the foundation hosted a conference to formally recognize the family’s impact of establishing the new scholarship and professorship endowment funds and announce the school’s new name.

Church, director of the school, said the scholarships created would benefit students for years to come. She also deeply appreciated that the gift would support staff and faculty.

“The investment you’ve made in us will ensure that our faculty will be upskilled,” Church said. “That we will create innovative programs that will have students career-ready for an evolving profession.”

Pendleton was not at the ceremony, but watched it via Zoom from his home in Florida. His daughter, Sheri Law, flew in for the event. Phillips spoke on behalf of her family.

Afterward, her dad called to say he was proud of her, which meant a lot. It was also special having her husband and youngest daughter in the audience.

Phillips said she was happy her family could do this at this moment in time. A lot of gifts are posthumous, and the donors don’t get to see the “fruits of their labors. So, for him to be able to participate in the planning of it, it was really nice to know that he was able to sit back and just enjoy that moment.”

The family’s generosity will be felt for generations.

“Leaving a family legacy is especially meaningful to me,” Pendleton said. “Supporting the accounting program at Missouri State allows me to give back in a way that matters — by investing in future CPAs, supporting the school’s faculty and helping ensure that every student who chooses accounting at Missouri State receives a high-quality educational experience.”

Scholarships, like the ones created by this gift,

Enable business Bears to prioritize their potential

While these students will not directly benefit from the Pendleton family gift because they are graduating or have graduated, they are all scholarship recipients. They spoke to us about the impact these gifts had on their lives.

Evie Kolb

Degrees: Bachelor’s in accounting, 2026; Master of Accountancy student

Hometown: St. Peters, Missouri

Kolb came to Missouri State as part of its women’s swimming and diving program.

“I quickly realized that accounting was my favorite class. I was even excited to complete each week’s homework assignments,” she said.

Kolb received a scholarship, and was so thrilled. The first thing she did was call her parents.

“I felt beyond grateful and blessed that there are other people investing in my future,” Kolb said.

The scholarship was a “game changer” that allowed her to focus on athletics and academics instead of finances. Kolb graduated with her bachelor’s in accounting in May 2026, and expects to finish her master’s degree in 2027.

“Knowing how donor-funded scholarships has changed my college path,” she said, “makes me want to someday have that impact on someone else.”

Isaac Moon

Degrees: Bachelor’s in accounting, 2025; Master of Accountancy, 2026

Hometown: Marshfield, Missouri

Moon was thinking about majoring in management, but in his senior year of high school, he met Dr. Kimberly Church. She persuaded him that accounting was the right path.

“She really sold me on accounting, told me that accounting is the language of business,” Moon said. “An accountant can do anything within a business. Now, four years later, I’m really happy with where I’m at because of what the School of Accountancy provided me.”

He received several scholarships during his time at Mo State. As a first-generation student, those helped him make it through school.

On campus, Moon was involved in the Accounting Club and had several internships. Before graduation, he had a job lined up with Ernst & Young, a Big Four public accounting firm outside of Washington, D.C. He is providing advisory services to government and public sector clients.

Moon will always appreciate the people he met and the opportunities he was given at Missouri State.

“I’ve gotten a really well-rounded skillset, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom,” he said. “The value of what you get at Missouri State, especially in the College of Business, is really unmatched. I’m excited as an alum to see how they use this gift (from the Pendleton family) and how it transforms the School of Accountancy in the future.”

Dorian Woodson

Degree: Master of Accountancy, 2026

Hometown: Farmington, Missouri

Woodson earned an undergraduate digital marketing degree from another university, then decided to pursue an MBA at Missouri State.

“I wanted to use data to tell stories for companies, and realized that I had a great opportunity to do that within the field of accounting,” he said.

Woodson is married and said the scholarship he received was a blessing for him and his wife.

“Scholarships enable students to be the best learners that they can be,” Woodson said. “The assistance helped me focus on excelling in my courses instead of being concerned about the cost of my education. Receiving scholarships reduced the anxiety of accumulating student loan debt or working myself to exhaustion to try and pay for school while working hard to study for my classes.”

The post Family of Bears transforms accounting school with contribution appeared first on College of Business News.

WRITTEN BY JULIANA GOODWIN

In summer, when Ellen Petersen Haygood ’17 was a child, her family would load up their blue and white RV and explore America’s national parks and festivals.

Mom and dad were musical, so they’d all sing together on the road.

“We were at a bluegrass festival and my dad saw families performing together and he decided we were going to do that,” Haygood said. “He was done with t-ball practice here, and dance there, and everyone having their own activity separated by age. This was something we could do together. Music is unifying.”

He bought Ellen, 12 at the time, her own banjo that very day. Her sister was already taking classical violin, so the fiddle seemed like a natural transition for her. The four siblings had piano lessons under their belt, and spent the next two years studying instruments.

Today, they are known as The Petersens, a family bluegrass band that performs in Branson and has toured internationally. Ellen is married to Michael Haygood, a member of another popular family band in Branson.

In The Petersens, she’s the banjo player, vocalist and director of marketing. She heads up their YouTube content, other social media and website. Their YouTube channel has more than 300 million views.

Haygood earned her MBA from the College of Business along with a graduate certificate in marketing, and has used those skills throughout her career.

From around the country to settling in Branson

Dad Jon Petersen, originally from West Virginia, was a physician in the Air Force, so they moved around a lot. He is a great piano player.

Her mom, Karen, is from Mountain Grove, Missouri, and has a master’s degree in music education. Karen homeschooled the kids until high school, and music was part of their curriculum.

Ellen is the second-oldest sibling of the six-member band.

“Kids don’t like to practice, so the way dad would get us to practice was to schedule a performance,” she said.

They started doing Friday night shows in Middleton, Ohio, and were paid with free dinner. Playing was a family activity; they didn’t have a goal of becoming a professional band.

Jon retired in Branson. He was determined to get his family to perform at Silver Dollar City — and did, after several tries. They became regulars at the park’s Bluegrass & BBQ Festival.

Changing direction from chemistry to music

In 2014, Haygood graduated from College of the Ozarks with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She moved to Oklahoma City to work as a laboratory technician in a breast cancer research lab.

At the time, she was trying to get into medical school, so she was studying for the MCAT. She was driving home every weekend to perform in Branson. It was incredibly taxing.

“At the same time, doors were being flung open for me in the music industry. Doors I never even imagined opening. So, I thought maybe God was telling me to explore music,” she said.

Those doors included a stint on “American Idol.” When the national talent show held initial auditions in Branson, she lined up with friends to audition on the Branson Landing as the line snaked down the center.

Haygood said she wanted to stand out but didn’t want to be cliché, so she played the banjo and yodeled. It worked and she got a call back.

The judges for that season were Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr.

Haygood made it to the top 48 on her season before being cut. She was just 22 at the time.

“It was such good experience for interviewing and overcoming fears,” she said. “I learned so much about the entertainment industry.”

Next career move: Become a business Bear

Haygood wasn’t sure where her career would take her next. But she knew an MBA would be useful. She enrolled at Missouri State.

“I heard such good things about the program,” Haygood said.

With a science background, she had no prerequisites in her undergrad degree. She had to take the GMAT and some prerequisite classes.

She loved her courses, and said Andrew Albritton in the information tech and cybersecurity department “was amazing.”

Haygood was a graduate assistant. She completed a digital marketing internship. She took an education abroad trip to Cuba through the college, which she called an incredible experience.

“I loved everything about Missouri State,” Haygood said. “I had such a great experience and made connections there. Through Missouri State, I got to sit down with Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City and talk to him about job opportunities and goals. You never think you are going to make a living being a musician, so I was open to opportunities.”

She was performing in Branson while working on her MBA. While she was still a student in 2016, she met Michael Haygood.

“I heard the Haygoods had toured China and I was interested in learning more because I made connections with so many Chinese students at Missouri State,” she said. “So, I went to a show and waited afterward to meet them. We just hit it off and started going on dates.”

After graduation, she taught as a per-course faculty member in the College of Business for two years.

Using her master’s degree to promote The Petersens

The year she graduated with her MBA, the Petersen family decided to go full time as a professional band.

The Petersens perform twice a week at the IMAX Entertainment Complex in Branson and more on holiday weekends. They have just released a gospel album: “Father, A Moment With You.”

Haygood uses the digital marketing and social media skills she learned at Missouri State to grow their online audience. She also manages their Patreon account, which is a subscription-based platform for content creators.

“As a musician, you have to work hard to make money and do a lot of things. We are on Spotify, YouTube, Patreon,” Haygood said.

They have followers in Europe and around the world.

In 2025, they toured Germany and Denmark. They’ve toured New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

“New Zealand is so beautiful, but Ireland is the best for performing,” she said. “The Irish love music. They stop and listen.”

Two parents manage two Branson shows, two kids

Michael and Ellen married in 2020 and have two girls, Macy, 2, and Allison, 1. Life is hectic!

“I perform in the afternoon and he’s in the evening, so we hand kids off in the green room,” Haygood said. “He helps in the morning. I don’t know how we make it work, but we do. It will change from week to week.”

Luckily, they have a lot of family members who pitch in. She takes the kids on tour when they perform in Europe. The girls are already seasoned travelers.

Haygood is proud of her family’s trajectory, the fact that they are their own bosses and are staying true to their vision.

“I am so grateful for my time at Missouri State University,” Haygood said. “The skills and knowledge I obtained truly helped launch my career to the next level.”

The post A bluegrass Bear appeared first on College of Business News.

WRITTEN BY TAYLOR LADD

Christina Nguyen ’23 was a busy Bear during her days on campus.

With three years of post-grad life under her belt, she hasn’t slowed down.

Nguyen graduated with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and promotion and was heavily involved on campus.

“A lot of my involvement really helped me understand what kind of leader I wanted to be,” Nguyen said.

She was forced to develop leadership skills at a young age. Her mother passed away when Nguyen was only a sophomore in high school, and she shifted her attention to helping with her younger brother and being a role model. She also has an older brother.

That meant missing out on some typical high school activities.

But that experience helped her form a passion for advocacy, which she weaves into her job and volunteer work.

Internship leads to job, job leads to success on a fast track

Nguyen is a project manager for Signal Theory, a brand development, marketing and design firm with offices in Kansas City and Wichita. She started with the company shortly after graduating and has quickly climbed the ranks.

Last year, Nguyen received a promotion that put her in a managerial role. She oversees a full team on her own and also manages budgets and clients that range from national brands to local organizations.

“I’m leading people to be creative and successful,” Nguyen said. “I’m very fortunate that Signal Theory gave me a lot of opportunities to fast-track my success.”

Outside of work, she serves on the board of directors for KC Ad Club, a development group for professionals. She’s been with the organization since 2023. Earlier this year, she was awarded Ad Club Member of the Year and was inaugurated into the first Kansas City Cohort of Young Advertising Professionals.

“I just wanted to give my time back to the ad industry. I never expected anything from it,” Nguyen said. “I was very honored and humbled to be recognized for what I offered the club and community.”

She’s no stranger to taking on a lot. On campus, she was a resident assistant, vice president of the Student Government Association, a member of the Student Affairs Advisory Board, on the Asian American Pacific Islander Committee and a member of the 2022 Homecoming court.

She was awarded Cabinet Member of the Year for SGA and Outstanding First Year Residence Hall Advisor of the Year.

Nguyen was also honored as an Inclusive Excellence Scholar.

An important piece of her Mo State journey was seeking out internships. Because of those, she had connections in the Kansas City advertising community.

“When the time came around for me to graduate, it just so happened that they were hiring at Signal Theory. One of my connections from an internship was now working there. I asked them for more information about the company and if they thought I would be a good fit. They responded with, ‘Yes, absolutely!’ ”

Nguyen’s connection helped her get an interview. She landed the job.

Nguyen said her Mo State experiences also helped her when things feel intimidating and unfamiliar. Nguyen views those as a chance to improve.

“I never felt wrong for wanting to fail, and I never felt wrong for wanting to be proactive,” Nguyen said. “As long as you want to learn, that’ll take you a lot further. It means you’re teachable.”

Creating a record-smashing campaign for K.C. nonprofit

Just six months after starting at Signal Theory, Nguyen took over the annual United Way Week campaign, a company tradition. It allows employees to give back to the Kansas City community.

It includes events like a chili cookoff, a flip cup tournament and a silent auction during a week of fundraising. Signal Theory employees can pledge donations, entering them in a chance to win raffles for prizes like extra paid time off or gift cards.

“I was nervous because it’s one of those events where everyone gets really into it,” Nguyen said. “It ended up being an incredible experience because it gave me a lot of opportunities to meet with leadership at the agency and find a deeper understanding and passion for serving the community.”

She shifted her focus to emphasize the “why” behind everything. It’s easy to host an event and say it’s good for the community, but she wanted the team to understand why it matters. Why should they care? What impact were they making?

She created participation options that resulted in increased engagement and revenue growth. They hosted an event titled Real Life, Real Choices in which participants make the same difficult decisions real families face daily (like choosing between paying the electricity bill or buying groceries).

Under her leadership, more money was raised than in any previous year.

Beyond the United Way campaign, Nguyen also leads Signal Theory’s employee resources group Babes Helpin’ Babes. The group helps empower marginalized employees with open discussions and events.

“That’s stuff I love to do, as someone who really practices social advocacy and wants to lead with a very strong but empathetic heart,” Nguyen said. “To me, that doesn’t really feel like work.”

Her most important lesson: Balance; leave room for “fun and silly”

Nguyen has advice on how to juggle a lot. She leaves herself one free day each week just to recharge — whether she meets up with friends, goes to a cycling class, catches up on a favorite show or tries a new recipe.

Another characteristic true to her past: she is always up for trying something new.

Even her free days are about to get a little more exciting.

“I’m going to join a roller derby soon, so I need to practice for that. It’s very fun and silly, but it’s just a little side quest for me. It truly is the year of embracing the side quest.”

The post Kansas City’s Ad Club Member of the Year wants to lead with “A very strong but empathetic heart” appeared first on College of Business News.

Kevin Kwok’s career has taken more turns than he ever expected, with each chapter leading him somewhere new.

A 2002 computer information systems (now information technology) Missouri State University graduate, Kwok brings those experiences together as founder of J29 Creative Group, a digital marketing agency he launched in 2015.

His path from technology to marketing was anything but direct. It included building businesses, losing one and starting his career over as the technology industry continued to change.

Looking back, however, Kwok sees value in every turn.

The jobs and setbacks that once seemed disconnected became experiences he would later draw on as an entrepreneur.

“Sometimes, the experiences you never planned for are the ones that prepare you for what comes next,” he said.

Where technology opened the first door

Growing up in Springfield, Missouri, after immigrating from Hong Kong at age 6, Kwok once considered becoming a doctor. But an interest in computers led him to study computer information systems at Missouri State.

After graduation, he joined an Italian company serving the newspaper industry as a software engineer. The job took him across the United States and to London, England.

But as smartphones emerged, the newspaper industry faced a rapidly changing future. Kwok was eventually laid off. Rather than leaving technology behind, he turned his expertise into his first business.

He started a software company in downtown Springfield that helped law firms digitize, index and search paper documents. That work helped him learn about websites and the growing relationship between technology and marketing.

“Marketing was becoming more technology-driven,” he said.

He did not know it yet, but those skills would return later in his career.

Starting again

In 2005, Kwok’s career took another turn. He opened a Cajun restaurant and bar in Springfield with his father, helping fulfill his father’s longtime dream.

Then life changed. His father was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2007. The restaurant closed, Kwok lost his business and filed for bankruptcy.

After several years away from software, he found his skills were outdated and he needed a new direction.

In 2011, Missouri State’s Career Center helped him find it. A conversation there led to a management training program with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and eventually to Kansas City, Missouri.

“Going from software engineering to renting and washing cars could have looked like a step backward. For me, it became another piece of the journey,” Kwok said.

At Enterprise, he met business travelers from different industries. One connection opened a door to IT recruiting, bringing him back closer to technology.

He later joined a logistics software company in sales. Before long, he was overseeing its marketing.

Technology had led to sales. Sales had led to marketing. And experiences that once seemed unrelated were beginning to fit together.

“I always tell young people, don’t mind doing things that are beneath you,” Kwok said. “Who knows how far those experiences will take you?”

Bringing the pieces together

In 2015, the software company he worked at was sold, giving him another opportunity to start over. He had already begun consulting on the side, and with encouragement from his wife, decided to build something of his own.

He founded J29 Creative Group, bringing together the skills he had developed across his career. His technology background gave him insight into data and digital tools. Sales, recruiting, customer service and marketing taught him how to better understand and communicate with people.

That combination has become especially valuable as artificial intelligence changes marketing.

Kwok sees parallels between today’s AI boom and earlier periods of rapid technological change. According to him, the tools will continue to evolve, but some skills outlast any technology. For him, the ability to communicate, think critically and understand people has remained valuable throughout every stage of his career.

“Ultimately, it’s still a people business,” he said.

Creating his own table

Understanding people is also important in another part of Kwok’s journey.

As an Asian American beginning his career, he often kept quiet and believed working hard would be enough. He sometimes wondered why that work did not lead to the opportunities or promotions he expected. Over time, he learned that doing good work and making your value visible are not always the same thing.

Years later, the cultural background that once made him feel different became another advantage.

“If there’s no room at the table, you create your own table,” he said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kwok connected with business leaders in Asia as J29 adjusted to a changing market at home. He began helping Asian companies reach U.S. consumers and U.S. companies navigate Asian markets.

Living in both worlds gave him a perspective few could replicate. That experience reinforced a lesson his career had taught him: what looks like a detour – or even a disadvantage – can later become something valuable.

Momentum takes movement

More than two decades after graduating from Missouri State, Kwok can see how seemingly unrelated experiences connect. None followed his original career plan, but none was wasted.

“Take action. If the ideal job doesn’t come immediately, take an opportunity that allows you to learn,” Kwok said. “It’s better than doing nothing. Life is all about growth.”

J29 has grown into a full-stack digital marketing agency with a team of about 20. This year, the company earned Small Business of the Year honors from the Leawood Chamber of Commerce in Kansas and the Best Marketing Agency in Johnson County title.

For Kwok, those milestones are the result of a career defined not by a straight path, but by making every detour count.

Explore information technology

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