Denis Khoo

In the late ’90s, Denis Khoo found himself seated on a plane 10 hours a week. Every week. For a year. Sure, the recent UC Berkeley computer science grad could’ve found plenty of tech work in his native California. But he’d discovered something special that allowed him to pursue his goal: “doing work for the benefit of human society.” And so he spent his weekdays in Detroit, consulting for a health insurance provider, returning on weekends, only to do it again. And yes, being that he was serving as lead developer for the world’s first internet-based healthcare referral system, the results were worth choking down every last roasted almond.

“The project had such an amazing real-world impact,” he says. “Patients were now able to get their referral approved in a matter of minutes as opposed to days or weeks. In general, I’m deeply motivated by the end result, which for me is the positive people effect that comes from technology. This drives me to maximize my potential contribution, and motivates me to utilize my time as efficiently as possible.”

In the time since, Skild’s technical advisor has been fortunate enough to work for many other companies and projects that have also brought positive impacts to society. That said, if Denis wants to witness “the positive people effect” of his work, he no longer has to leave home to do it. He and his wife of ten years are the proud parents of a girl and boy. “Smart, funny, well-behaved (mostly), and humble” is how he describes them: “Their future well-being drives how I now see the world and gives me a profound purpose that didn’t exist before. I’d like nothing more than to be a positive influence and a role model to them, helping them become happy adults by doing good in the world.”

A committed C-suite technology vet. A loving, mindful husband and father. When, exactly, does Denis find time to unplug? “Dawn patrol,” he says, referring to early mornings at his regular Manhattan Beach surf spot. Riding waves at dusk, he’s able to disconnect . . . in order to connect. “I’ve come to appreciate the sense of Zen that surfing provides me,” he says. “With today’s fast-paced culture, we’re trapped into multitasking, mobile phones, and instant gratification. We forget how important it is to connect with ourselves and nature. Surfing allows me to be completely in the moment with myself and the water. The distractions of the world fade away.”