From Lawyer to Bakery Founder: Andrew Kim Featured in UBC Magazine
WOW Bakery Co-founder and CEO Andrew Kim, a UBC International Relations graduate (BA’08), was recently featured in UBC Magazine.
What does corporate law have to do with building a bakery brand?
For WOW Bakery Co-founder and CEO Andrew Kim, the connection is closer than it may first appear.
Andrew was recently featured in UBC Magazine, where he shared the story behind a career that has moved across industries, countries, and very different kinds of work. Long before returning to lead WOW Bakery in Calgary, he practised corporate law, studied business in Shanghai, and helped a Korean technology company expand internationally.
Three decisions in particular helped shape where that career would lead.
Building WOW Outside Office Hours
Andrew began his career as a corporate commercial lawyer in Calgary. But outside the law office, he and his co-founder were developing two new local concepts: WOW Chicken and WOW Bakery.
What began during evenings and weekends gradually became a much larger part of his life. Opening the first locations gave him the opportunity to experience business from a completely different position—not only reviewing decisions, but taking responsibility for what happened after those decisions were made.
It was the first major shift in his career and the beginning of his life as an entrepreneur.
Leaving a Familiar Path for Asia
The next change took Andrew far beyond Calgary.
He left Canada to pursue an MBA in Shanghai, although China had not been his original destination. That decision led to further opportunities in Seoul and Malaysia, including a role with Korean travel technology company Yanolja.
Andrew initially declined the company’s offer. Yanolja continued to contact him, however, and the opportunity eventually became one of the most significant chapters of his professional life.
He joined as the company’s first global employee and later worked on its international expansion. The experience gave him a close view of what it takes for a company to grow beyond the market where it began.
Returning to the Brand He Helped Start
After years of working abroad, Andrew’s next major decision brought him back to Calgary—and back to WOW Bakery.
By then, he was returning with experience that extended well beyond law or food service. His time abroad had involved market development, organizational growth, international teams, and the challenges that come with expanding a brand into new places.
Today, Andrew is applying those experiences to WOW Bakery as the company continues to grow from its Calgary foundation.
The full story includes the reason he chose Shanghai, the opportunity he first turned down, the years he spent building business across international markets, and what ultimately brought him back to WOW.
The full story includes the reason he chose Shanghai, the opportunity he first turned down, the years he spent building business across international markets, and what ultimately brought him back to WOW.
Read the original article on UBC Magazine
How these UBC grads’ careers came full circle
Published September 8, 2026
