Kyunghee Kim is a Korean-American poet, writer, and published author based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She grew up in Utica after immigrating from South Korea, later then moved to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University, and later to the Ann Arbor area to attend the University of Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Teacher Education and Administration Policy program, and has dedicated nearly two decades to teaching for the Ann Arbor Public Schools system. Kyunghee is now a freelance writer. She periodically facilitates creative writing workshops with the local nonprofit organization, GrieveWell and other organizations. She released her first children’s book, See Us Bloom, in 2023. Her written work has been featured in HuffPost, the Ann Arbor Observer, SheKnows, Business Insider, and several other publications. Kyunghee married Leo Chen in 2009, and they both moved to Ypsilanti in 2016. Her mother is a devoted gardener and forager who taught her the importance of growing food to keep connections to the past alive as a child, later inspiring her to create her own garden in adulthood. Spending quality time with family, supporting the arts, and practicing gratitude for nature are all very important to Kyunghee. In her free time, Kyunghee loves to travel, explore museums, host gatherings with friends and loved ones, and walk and hike regularly with her dog, Rosemary. Kyunghee is a big fan of cuisine and loves to eat, but is not the biggest fan of cooking—making her and her chef partner, Leo, a perfect match. She is a big fan of herbs including cilantro, parsley, Thai basil, and gaenip. Kyunghee’s grandfather was North Korean, who her father reminds her is the source of her resilience, tenacity, and strength. Kyunghee’s published work can be found on her blog, kyungheekim.com.
Leo Chen
Leo Chen is a Taiwanese-American chef; founder of the Korean and Taiwanese pop-up catering business, Meogjia; and financial consultant at TIAA. He grew up in Jenison and Grand Rapids, Michigan, and later moved to East Lansing to attend Michigan State University, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management with a minor in Psychology. Leo married Kyunghee Kim in 2009, and after spending a few years in Ann Arbor, they both moved to Ypsilanti in 2016. Leo is a strong proponent of increasing accessibility to green space and healthy foods, as well as lessening food insecurity and creating environments where youth can thrive. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Children’s Healing Center and has collaborated with nonprofit organizations like the Ozone House and Growing Hope in Ypsilanti. Leo is passionate about growing food, cooking, and ultimately feeding people to build and sustain community, believing that food is the universal language for love, joy, and comfort. One day he would love to launch a restaurant that prepares its own locally grown produce and implements fermentation, zero waste, and other sustainable programs. Leo and his wife, Kyunghee, have a huge garden at their home with tomatoes, eggplant, jalapeños, cucumber, squash, and a variety of different herbs. Leo appreciates all stages of growing food, from watching flowering buds blossom into fruit, to of course eventually incorporating produce into the meals he prepares for loved ones. He loves trying new foods; his labradoodle, Rosemary; and traveling and going on hikes with his wife, Kyunghee. To learn more about Chef Leo’s recommendations for local eats in Michigan and beyond, check out his blog at chefleochen.com.
