Danny Kim

By age 23, Danny Kim had already attended – and dropped out of – Reed College and UC Berkeley, become a certified mechanic, and traveled the world solo.

A life-long builder and DIY-er, Danny has made everything from musical instruments to eyeglasses to outerwear to bicycles. A near-death experience while hand-building two Land Rover Defenders that inspired him to ‘cut the car in half’, inventing a new vehicle platform. This self-balancing electric two-wheeler combines the romance and efficiency of a motorcycle with the safety and convenience of a car, creating the ultimate urban vehicle.

After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, Danny founded Lit Motors in San Francisco to further develop his two-wheeled vehicle concepts. A later stroke of inspiration led to the invention of an electric cargo scooter; this ‘pickup truck on two wheels’ is the first of its kind, and increases safety and utility for intracity travel. Danny’s unconventional, outsider approach to business has been lauded by the likes of Harvard Business School and lean startup pioneer Eric Ries, and Lit Motors has received press coverage from BBC, Entrepreneur, Inc. and USA Today.