Daniel K. Kim

Daniel K. Kim, also known as Danny (born August 3, 1979) is an American builder, innovator and lifelong maker. Kim is the founder, president, and chief technology officer of Lit Motors, a San Francisco-based start-up company that designs, manufactures, and sells 100% electric vehicles.

Early life
Kim was born near Portland, Oregon. A first-generation American, Kim is the son of Korean immigrants and the middle child of three.

Education
Kim's interest in sustainable transportation began at Reed College, where he studied physics and biology. His creative drive was nurtured when he continued his education at the University of California, Berkeley, studying architecture. Kim eventually finished his degree at the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with a BFA in Industrial Design and Sustainable Transportation.

Early career
Kim's professional background in transportation began as a Land Rover mechanic at age 21. After saving money, Kim traveled the world for a year, touring 108 cities, 28 countries, and four continents, sampling all forms of transportation. He traveled alone in both modern and developing countries, returning to the US in 2003.

Later business life
At the age of 23, in response to America's sport utility vehicle (SUV) craze, Kim started a sustainable car production company. Aspiring to create the perfect SUV, he re-designed, re-engineered, and rebuilt two bio-diesel SUVs in a tandem production. Kim more than doubled the 2.5 ST trucks' efficiency from while maintaining all-time four-wheel-drive and off-road handling. That project started a now eight-year career in vehicle architecture, prototype development, and team building. Kim's professional history in transportation creation ranges from titanium bicycles to electric scooters.

Current business ventures
Currently, Kim is the founder, President, and Chief Technology Officer of Lit Motors, a San Francisco based start-up company that designs, manufactures, and sell 100% electric vehicles. Lit Motors' stated goal is to create a new class of personal transportation. The company is currently developing two products, code-named the C-1 and the Cargo Scooter.