Inside The Plug: At the Forefront of Asian American Entrepreneurship

The Birth of The Plug

Our Co-Founders here at The Plug, brother duo Ray and Justin Kim (known as the ‘Kim Bros’), first came up with the idea for The Plug while spending time in their motherland, South Korea. After enjoying nights out in South Korea in their early 20s, Ray and Justin came to discover the highly successful anti-hangxiety industry there. 

In fact, the relief and benefits of these recovery drinks encouraged Ray to recommend them to all of his close friends. Justin was equally impressed by how they actually provided recovery and relief as advertised. Before they knew it, both quickly became regular consumers of these drinks. 

Justin (left) and Ray (right) at The Plug’s manufacturer in South Korea

After doing more research on the anti-hangxiety industry, the Kim Bros came to realize that it didn’t have much presence in the United States yet. Thus, with their growing entrepreneurial spirit, they were inspired to create their own version of a functional recovery drink and introduce it to the American market. With help from their father, an experienced entrepreneur with connections to manufacturers in South Korea, they were able to help develop their vision into a reality. 

With the development and launch of The Plug Drink, they were able to bring an anti-hangxiety product from South Korea to the United States. This venture didn’t come without its challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ray recalls a particularly difficult time when they had to make some financial leaps; it ultimately paid off during times when international shipping was not as accessible and they had to make sure they had adequate stock. Despite these logistical challenges, The Plug’s dual-nationalism has made way for its innovation and unique ingredients that make The Plug so special and effective. 

Family and Culture’s Role in the Kim Bros’ Values as Businessmen

Justin and Ray (both to left) with their parents celebrating the birth of The Plug Drink in South Korea

Without a doubt, Ray and Justin’s family life had a huge impact on them becoming the top-notch entrepreneurs they are today. Their parents are immigrants from South Korea, and they both worked hard to thrive in the U.S. Their father ran a successful confectionery jelly cup business along with a wholesale clothing company, while their mother was a fashion designer who later left the industry to focus on raising Ray, Justin, and their younger sister. She made sure that her children never missed class or baseball practice, that their interests were nurtured, and that they worked hard in school in order to go to their desired universities. The Kim Bros consistently owe their strong work ethic and sense of values to their parents.

Ray expressed that their father was a main role model for him and his brother growing up. He was always the first one and the last one in the office, and his sacrifice and drive to always work hard continues to rub off on the Kim Bros as they strive to achieve more and more with The Plug and as entrepreneurs themselves. To this day, their father continues to support them in their business ventures with The Plug, often acting as a liaison between their South Korean and American business operations when needed. 

Their overall family life throughout childhood and adolescence has had a lasting impact on them that affects how they lead at The Plug today. Growing up with such a strong family life, Justin explained, “I always want to replicate that [culture] within the culture of the company as well, to give that tight knit family environment. That's how we grew up; a lot of things revolved around family.” 

When it comes to The Plug, it is clear how Ray and Justin have adopted these family values in the office as well; their style of leadership is one that brings everyone together to support one another. The Plug’s overall team culture is one that can certainly be described as tight-knit and personal, while also pushing each other to always work hard towards a common goal. The Kim Bros like to compare The Plug’s team to how their baseball teams used to run: “You can’t have an ego when you’re on a team,” Ray stated. “We all need to support each other and raise each other up in order to achieve our overall goal, whether that’s winning a game or selling five million units of a product.”

Growing up in Southern California, Ray and Justin had one of the largest Asian American communities in the country right around the corner from them. This has been a source of inspiration for them as Ray explained, “Looking at a lot of the small business owners here in L.A.’s Asian community, a lot of them are Korean Americans too. Just being around that, seeing them never complaining, always working hard, I think that's where we saw the work ethic.” 

In their approach to The Plug, Ray and Justin have that same work ethic they’ve seen growing up and to this day. The resilience that Ray and Justin adopted from their parents and community translates to their methodology at The Plug: “We're always innovating, I would say, every single week, every month since we've launched – we've already updated our formula five times,” Ray stated. 

On Asian American Representation in Business & Entrepreneurship 

While Asian Americans have a high level of representation in professional business roles in the U.S., it remains a consistent statistic that they are still severely underrepresented in higher executive positions. Ray and Justin are among a small minority of Asian American CEOs and COOs; their story of success in entrepreneurship and business is unfortunately not as common as it should be. 

When asked about his perspective on this lack of representation, Ray stated, “I hope there are going to be more Asian entrepreneurs, not just in our food and beverage category, but just in general. But yes, there is a type of ceiling that we all hear of, see, and experience.”

To this day, Ray and Justin have been active in the Asian American entrepreneurial community to do their part in uplifting fellow and aspiring entrepreneurs. They are both founding board members for the Korean American Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group (KACCLA YPG), and they are also a part of the Gold House community. The Plug has also supported the annual Plate by Plate tasting benefit, the largest of its kind in the AAPI community, in both 2023 and 2024. 

The Plug’s Fellow Asian American, Founder-Backed Investors 

The Plug is proud to have quite a few prominent investors from various backgrounds as members of the PlugFAM. Two in particular, Kyle Lee and Danny Taing, stand out not only for being fellow Asian American entrepreneurs like Ray and Justin but also for their own innovative products – like The Plug Drink. 

Kyle Lee

Kyle Lee is the CEO of Alaskan Salmon Company, which makes fresh seafood more accessible to consumers and chefs across the U.S. Kyle’s Taiwanese immigrant parents were the ones who ultimately inspired him to go down the road of entrepreneurship as they ran their own restaurant in Alaska. He created Alaskan Salmon Company in 2017 after witnessing the differences in catch between commercial fishing in Alaska and what he found in grocery stores.

Danny Taing

Danny Taing is the Founder of Bokksu, a subscription service that curates authentic Japanese snacks and delivers them worldwide. The son of Cambodian-Chinese refugees, Danny was inspired to start Bokksu after returning from an extended stay in Japan, where he had fallen in love with the country’s local treats. After seeing how much his friends and family enjoyed the snacks he brought back, he set out to create a way for people in the U.S. to experience the unique flavors of Japan. He began by packing boxes himself in his New York City living room, laying the groundwork for what would grow into a thriving global brand. Bokksu partners directly with local artisanal makers across Japan, ensuring an authentic and meaningful connection with every box.

When asked about the Kim Bros’ relationships with Kyle and Danny, Ray responded, “We're all very close, and we're all supporting each other. We're all going through the same stuff. One thing that connects us all is that we're all Asian backgrounds/identities – being able to kind of text or pick up the phone or email them has been very helpful.”

The shared identities and experiences as Asian American entrepreneurs have become a point of connection between them as they navigate managing their own successful businesses in their respective industries. Despite the lack of Asian American representation among business executives, all four entrepreneurs have been able to make waves with their respective companies while supporting each other.

There’s More That Brings Us Together Than Apart

Here at The Plug, we value our mission of being beneficial to your liver health and overall well-being, in addition to being transparent about our ingredients. It has been a key goal from the very beginning that The Plug be a product that improves the health of our customers and leaves them better off than before. 

When asked about the motivation to create The Plug Drink, Justin replied, “We felt that we should not just come out with another beverage, but a beverage that can actually help people from [serious health concerns]. We wanted to start a company that could not only really make a difference in people's lives but also help bridge the gap between the east and the west. Our products showcase the powerful blend of traditional Korean medicine and modern Western science, and we’re proud to see that our unique formula reflects our brand’s – and essentially me and my brother’s – cultural identity.” 

This is something that Alaskan Salmon Company, Bokksu, and The Plug all have in common – their analogous yet unique backgrounds greatly contributed to their respective ventures to introduce products that are both innovative and beneficial to the U.S. market. It is people like Danny Taing, Kyle Lee, and our very own Co-Founders Ray and Justin Kim that will help to make way for more Asian Americans to rise up in the realm of entrepreneurship. The Plug wishes to pay it forward and give back to the AAPI community so that future generations of Asian American entrepreneurs and other minority entrepreneurs can lead among successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. As the Kim Bros always like to say: “Nothing is impossible!”