John-Paul Lee
Encyclopedia
John-Paul Lee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Tavalon Tea
, a New York City
based tea company that sells premium teas and related tea products from all over the world.
John-Paul received his BBA from James Madison University
in 2001 with degrees in Finance and Computer Information Systems(CIS). John-Paul began his career as a consultant at Accenture
(formerly Anderson Consulting) in 2001.
In 2002, John-Paul purchased Fuji Restaurant, a struggling Japanese-Korean fusion establishment in Arlington, VA which he later sold at a profit in 2003.
Lee left Accenture
in 2005 to start Tavalon Tea in hopes of fulfilling a void in the US premium tea
market and pursue his entrepreneurial dreams.
in 2005 including Entrepreneur Magazine
, The New York Times
, Business Week, theStreet.com
, NPR
, etc... Most recently, America.gov featured John-Paul in their gallery of successful start up entrepreneurs alongside Bill Gates
, Michael Dell
, Russell Simmons
, Larry Page
, Sergey Brin
, Kevin Plank
, & Mark Zuckerberg
.
Lee was also recognized as a business leader by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC) and honored with the "Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award" in 2010. In 2011, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce bestowed John-Paul with the Top 10 Asian American Business Award for his accomplishments as a young and emerging entrepreneur.
In September of 2011, John-Paul Lee was selected as a member of the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board Committee for Columbia University's Business School where he engages with MBA students helps pursue their entrepreneurial ideas and ventures.
and raised in Great Falls, Virginia
. Originally given a Korean name, Chang Sun Lee, he was renamed John-Paul Lee upon being blessed by Pope John Paul II
in Washington, D.C.
He moved to Seoul, Korea at the age of 10 where he spent 5 years of his childhood and returned to Virginia in 2003.
John-Paul currently resides in New York City
but travels frequently to Seoul, Korea where he is in the process of expanding Tavalon Tea
.
Tavalon tea
Tavalon Tea is a New York City based tea company that sells premium loose-leaf teas and related tea products from all over the world. The music inspired tea company categorizes their blends and infusions as Mixes, Remixes, & Uncuts....
, a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
based tea company that sells premium teas and related tea products from all over the world.
John-Paul received his BBA from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
in 2001 with degrees in Finance and Computer Information Systems(CIS). John-Paul began his career as a consultant at Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
(formerly Anderson Consulting) in 2001.
In 2002, John-Paul purchased Fuji Restaurant, a struggling Japanese-Korean fusion establishment in Arlington, VA which he later sold at a profit in 2003.
Lee left Accenture
Accenture
Accenture plc is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company headquartered in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It is the largest consulting firm in the world and is a Fortune Global 500 company. As of September 2011, the company had more than 236,000 employees across...
in 2005 to start Tavalon Tea in hopes of fulfilling a void in the US premium tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
market and pursue his entrepreneurial dreams.
Honors & Awards
John-Paul has been profiled by many publications since he founded Tavalon TeaTavalon tea
Tavalon Tea is a New York City based tea company that sells premium loose-leaf teas and related tea products from all over the world. The music inspired tea company categorizes their blends and infusions as Mixes, Remixes, & Uncuts....
in 2005 including Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur is a publication that carries news stories about entrepreneurialism, small business management, and business opportunities. It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California....
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Business Week, theStreet.com
TheStreet.com
-History:TheStreet.com, Inc., was co-founded in 1996 by Jim Cramer and Martin Peretz. It is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market. The company is headquartered at 14 Wall Street in New York City. Its stock was made public in May 1999 under the direction of past Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, etc... Most recently, America.gov featured John-Paul in their gallery of successful start up entrepreneurs alongside Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
, Michael Dell
Michael Dell
Michael Saul Dell is an American business magnate and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is the 44th richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011, based primarily on the 243.35 million shares of Dell stock worth $3.5 billion that he owns,...
, Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
, Larry Page
Larry Page
Lawrence "Larry" Page is an American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Sergey Brin, is best known as the co-founder of Google. As of April 4, 2011, he is also the chief executive of Google, as announced on January 20, 2011...
, Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a Russian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur who, with Larry Page, co-founded Google, one of the largest internet companies. , his personal wealth is estimated to be $16.7 billion....
, Kevin Plank
Kevin Plank
Kevin A. Plank is an American CEO and founder of Under Armour, Inc., a leading manufacturer of sports performance apparel, footwear and accessories based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.-Early life:...
, & Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is best known for co-creating the social networking site Facebook, of which he is chief executive and president...
.
Lee was also recognized as a business leader by the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC) and honored with the "Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award" in 2010. In 2011, the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce bestowed John-Paul with the Top 10 Asian American Business Award for his accomplishments as a young and emerging entrepreneur.
In September of 2011, John-Paul Lee was selected as a member of the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board Committee for Columbia University's Business School where he engages with MBA students helps pursue their entrepreneurial ideas and ventures.
Personal life
John-Paul Lee was born on October 12, 1978 in Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
and raised in Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,427 at the 2010 census.Although primarily a bedroom community for Washington, D.C., one major attraction is Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River, for which...
. Originally given a Korean name, Chang Sun Lee, he was renamed John-Paul Lee upon being blessed by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He moved to Seoul, Korea at the age of 10 where he spent 5 years of his childhood and returned to Virginia in 2003.
John-Paul currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
but travels frequently to Seoul, Korea where he is in the process of expanding Tavalon Tea
Tavalon tea
Tavalon Tea is a New York City based tea company that sells premium loose-leaf teas and related tea products from all over the world. The music inspired tea company categorizes their blends and infusions as Mixes, Remixes, & Uncuts....
.