I love to talk about Asian Americans doing unconventional things that defy stereotypes. David Chan is one of them. I met David Chan more than three decades ago when he owned a Chinese restaurant in Green Lake. What David Chan has done since then amazed normal people. David Chan is now owner of World Class Travel.
His interesting background was revealed when he was inducted as a new member of the Seattle Rotary Club, the largest Rotary Club in the world.
From left to right: Donald Chan, Cindy Runger Balas, and Colgan Chan
David’s story was told by Cindy Runger Balas, another Rotary at the Grand Hyatt Hotel before an audience of 400. From a CPA with an MB, David says he’s really an entrepreneur trapped in an accountant’s body. And he’s tried really hard not to do accounting work. That’s why he’s done everything from banking, to restaurant owning, to whale watching. Wait a minute, whale watching?
Early in his career, David worked as VP of Finance for Cruise West. He was responsible for accounting and sales in the Far East. His passion for travel eventually took over. He left and founded the yacht cruise company American Safari Cruises and sold it.
Last year, his entrepreneurial itch led him to purchasing World Class Travel. The company specializes in travel to the South Pacific, worldwide cruises, and NASCAR Racing Tours.
Recently, David returned from a trip to Mongolia where he attended the Naadam Festival, which features horse racing, archery, and wrestling events. A hands-on guy, David jumped in and entered the wrestling contest. He won the whopping sum of 3,000 Mongolian Tugriks–the equivalent to two US dollars.