John Kobara

John is a social entrepreneur, a provocateur and a facilitator of change.

He is a proud third-generation Japanese American. Whatever wisdom he shares comes from the dreams of his great-grandparents who were killed by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. And from his grandparents and parents, who were all imprisoned in the internment camps of Poston, Arizona, during World War II. These great sacrifices have focused his efforts to become and assist others to become more authentic and compassionate citizens of the world.

While his formal education includes several degrees and post-graduate work, his real development as a human being emerged from his professional and volunteer work. His career traversed all sectors, deeply grounded in human needs and human development. John worked in what he calls the “for-purpose” field, interrupted by for-profit and public-sector jobs. He survived three start-ups in Silicon Valley and in LA. His asymmetrical career has taught him the great lessons of reflection, self-regulation, and regeneration that he endeavors to share with others.

He founded Random Acts of Progress to coach organizations and individuals to align their work to their passions to fully express their potential through education, equity, and equanimity.

John is a practicing philanthropist, raising and giving money to human development organizations his entire life. He serves on the boards of the MLK Community Hospital Foundation, Japanese American National Museum, Luskin Orthopedic Institute for Children, Southern California Golf Association, and Walden University.

He is a prolific writer with more than 1000 blog posts. His popular Your Weekly Ass Kicker and his new book Quest: 121 Questions of Liberation from the Prison of Self-Domestication help leaders reflect on their self-development and moral alignment.

He is most grateful to have fallen head over heels in love with his wife, a woman he met on a plane 40 years ago. And the proud father of three successful college graduates with no student debt. It is the story of his family and his ancestors that energizes his journey in the hopes it energizes others.