Ivan — Founder, EVERYDAY SOCIAL®
Ivan grew up between worlds. Born in Hong Kong to Taiwanese and Hong Kong parents, he was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area from the age of two. As a teenager, he competed in junior tennis tournaments across California before continuing his studies at the University of California, Irvine. The discipline, rhythm, and culture of the court became a constant—one that would quietly shape everything that followed.
His professional path began in finance. Over fifteen years in the hedge fund industry, Ivan developed a sharp instinct for entrepreneurship and investment. But alongside that, a clearer direction began to emerge—one rooted not in markets, but in the passions that had always defined him: sports, music, architecture, and design.
In 2021, Ivan and his wife Tomoko left Tokyo for Karuizawa, drawn by its natural beauty and a slower, more intentional pace of life. What followed was unexpected. He founded the Karuizawa Pickleball Club, which grew from just a few players into one of Japan’s most diverse pickleball communities, with nearly 300 members spanning generations. In early 2022, he created Rosewood Alley—among Japan’s first dedicated outdoor pickleball courts—to give that community a place to gather.
Sport, for Ivan, has always existed alongside creativity. During his years in Hong Kong, he performed as a DJ at events including the Asia Film Awards and the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Malaysia, as well as international fashion events. That same perspective informs EVERYDAY SOCIAL®—a belief that design and experience are inseparable from meaning.
Founded on this philosophy, EVERYDAY SOCIAL® reflects a balance of Japanese design, quiet luxury, and authentic community. Drawing from over thirty years of racket sports experience—having first picked up a pickleball paddle in the 1990s—Ivan has built the brand around a global, grassroots network of players who value both performance and aesthetics.
His ambition is clear: to establish Japan as a meaningful voice in global pickleball culture, and to build a brand that earns its place through design, substance, and community.