John Yamasaki, Vice President of Product and Operations
Yama means "mountain" in Japanese. A San Francisco native. A passion for technology and the web, but has a bigger heart for 3 C's (Colleagues, Clients, Community). Values communication and relationships, and respects using technology to bridge the gap. Following his studies in Psychology at San Francisco State, Yama served in the non-profit sector for several years, including serving as Director of Youth Ministries at Cameron House, a Chinatown-based multi-service agency serving Asian communities in the San Francisco Bay Area with a focus on leadership development and community service for children, youth and families - ask him about singing "Little Cabin in the Woods." Yama joined Embark in 1999, and played various management positions in web development, project management, client services and support, and product management. Throughout his years at Embark, he continues to be inspired in finding new ways of connecting with people through technology, and has an enthusiastic appreciation for the people behind it - from deans and IT directors to interns and developers. Yama enjoys practicing Muay Thai with his co-workers (whenever they are all not busy in the office), and playing riffs on his guitar, which he keeps in the office. He also looks forward to his next trip to Japan with his wife, Miki, and son, Ren. |