While a cadet at the Air Force Academy, Jason Kim ’99 experienced the “pedestal effect” and learned the importance of curiosity, compassion, trust and mutual respect.

SUMMARY

Jason Kim, a USFA class of '99 and CEO of Firefly Aerospace, discussed his leadership journey and experiences. He emphasized the importance of curiosity, compassion, and mutual respect in leadership. Jason shared his upbringing in Richardson, Texas, and his parents' influence. He recounted his time at the Air Force Academy, highlighting the humbling experience of being among top cadets and the value of building trust. Jason detailed his career path, including roles at Boeing, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman, and his MBA from UCLA. He stressed the importance of giving back to the Air Force Academy and the Space Force.

OUR FAVORITE QUOTES

1. "I think just being curious and being an active listener and asking questions and listening to other people, sometimes people want to vent, or sometimes people want to just be heard or have a voice, or some, most of the time, people just have good ideas."


2. "And so I would just say, just be curious, what did I miss? Did you miss something? Did we both miss something? If you get all those great ideas and you share it amongst different people from different backgrounds and walks of life, you don't miss as much, you know, and you're just bet off better off, you'll have a better solution."


3. "Building that trust, you know, with your your your teams, that's extremely empowering and motivating when you trust someone else, and they trust you, and you can go much, much further when you build that trust up."


4. "We got this drilled into us, and we didn't even know at the time how important it was. But you know, building that trust, you know, with your your your teams, that's extremely empowering and motivating when you trust someone else, and they trust you, and you can go much, much further when you build that trust up."


5. "And then the last thing I would say is, I think we were one of the first classes that had non commissioned officers alongside with AOCs that were there to teach us about mutual respect, about mutual respect between officers and non commissioned officers. And I think that went a long ways for for all of us, because, you know, once we went to the real Air Force, you know, we were going to lead a lot of officers and NCOs, and getting that kind of exposure early on was helpful, but also learning about mutual respect, that's something that is extremely important in any work setting that you're in."
   

    

   
   

    

   
   

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CHAPTERS

00:00 :  Introduction and Background

02:24 :  Welcome to Long Leu Leadership

07:42 :  Early Inspirations and Motivations

10:56 :  Discovering the Air Force Academy

16:00 :  Memorable Experiences at the Academy

23:26 :  Leadership Lessons Learned

26:32 :  Leadership: Curiosity, Compassion, and Mutual Respect

28:14 :  Startup Journey: Taking Risks and Minimizing Regrets

30:07 :  Leadership Lessons: MBA and Personal Growth

32:05 :  Startup Experience: Joining and Growing a Company

36:18 :  Family and Risk-Taking: Lessons from Parents

39:36 :  Hidden Talent: Drawing and Painting

45:36 :  Giving Back: Involvement with the Air Force Academy Foundation

51:30 :  Impact of the Air Force Academy: Building Resilience and Confidence

TAKEAWAYS

• Growing up in Texas with immigrant parents instilled a strong work ethic and a desire to give back to the country in Jason Kim.


• Inspired by the space shuttle program and the Gulf War, Jason decided to pursue a career in the military.


• At the Air Force Academy, Jason experienced the pedestal effect and learned the importance of curiosity, compassion, trust, and mutual respect in leadership.


• Jason's academic and extracurricular experiences at the Academy helped shape his leadership skills and provided him with lifelong friendships.


• His parents and role models like Colonel Ellison Onizuka influenced his decision to join the Air Force and give back to the country. Curiosity, compassion, and mutual respect are essential qualities in leadership.


• Taking risks and minimizing regrets can lead to personal and professional growth.


• Giving back and supporting future generations is important.


• The Air Force Academy provides valuable experiences and lifelong friendships.


• Learning multiple languages and exploring different cultures can broaden perspectives.


• The Academy's challenging environment builds resilience and confidence.

ABOUT JASON KIM ’99

Mr. Jason Kim ’99 is a member of the Air Force Academy Foundation Board of Directors. He is also CEO for Firefly Aerospace. Jason's career includes his work in the satellite and national security space for Boeing Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. While in the Air Force, he served as a program manager for the Space Superiority Systems program and Reconnaissance Systems Program offices. He has served on the boards of the National Defense industrial Association and space enterprise consortium formation Committee. He began his Air Force career as a cadet, having graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, followed by a master's in electrical engineering from AFET and then an MBA from the University of California, Anderson School of Management. 

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SPEAKERS

Guest:  Mr. Jason Kim ’99  |  Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz ’99

Naviere Walkewicz  00:01

Our guest today is Mr. Jason Kim USAFA class of ’99 and a member of the Air Force Academy Foundation Board of Directors. Jason's career includes his work in the satellite and national security space for Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. While in the Air Force, he served as a program manager for the Space Superiority Systems and Reconnaissance Systems program offices. He has served on the boards of the National Defense Industrial Association and Space Enterprise Consortium Formation Committee. He began his Air Force career as a cadet, having graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, followed by a master's in electrical engineering from AFET and then an MBA from the University of California Anderson School of Management. We'll discuss Jason's life before, during and after the Academy, and we'll ask him to share a unique talent. We'll end with his advice for those striving to become leaders and those already in leadership positions, endeavoring toward excellence. Jason, welcome to Long Blue Leadership, my friend, my classmate. Thank you for being here today.

Jason Kim  01:04

Thank you for having me, and thanks for using my call sign.

Naviere Walkewicz  01:09

You're welcome. I know we want it to catch on so everyone knows now. Well, as we do in this, this is such a wonderful opportunity for our listeners to get to know you, and we like to go back and so for us, we're talking, you know, closer to 30 something years ago, right, when you were young. Jason, tell us about what life was like before the Academy was even in your in your line of sight.

Jason Kim  01:31

So, I grew up in Richardson, Texas. It's a suburb north of Dallas, and if you've been to Dallas, it's a metropolitan city, and but it's a little bit country as well. And so yes, I grew up with cowboy boots. I grew up with a belt buckle, you know, driving a pickup truck, all those kinds of things. But I'd listen to all kinds of music. So, judging by my call sign, you know, rap music, R&B, but also some country as well. And my parents were first-generation immigrants from South Korea, and so