Sir Gary Kong is the Founder and CEO of The 1 Wine, a New York based wine distribution company bringing premium California wines from Lodi and Napa Valley to markets across the United States. Under his leadership, the company represents many curated wine brands across hospitality, retail, and wholesale channels, while also expanding a digital platform for online sales. Sir Gary is among the first Asian Americans to hold an ownership stake in a U.S. wine vineyard. See: Contact Info. With limited financial resources and knowing very little English, Sir Gary immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. He began his career in the culinary industry, rising from dishwasher to head cook at five-star Manhattan restaurants. These formative experiences shaped his work ethic, resilience, and belief in creating opportunity through discipline, perseverance, and long term vision. His journey reflects a deep commitment to his pursuit of the American Dream and to building success through determination and strategic thinking. Alongside his culinary career, Sir Gary developed expertise in real estate acquisition, identifying undervalued assets and executing strategic investments to build a diversified real estate portfolio. After leaving the culinary industry, he continued expanding this portfolio into an active rental business serving residential tenants and business owners, while supporting philanthropic initiatives benefiting worthy causes. Sir Gary later spent more than two decades helping grow Michael Diamond, Esq. into a multimillion dollar firm. His success was driven by strategic client acquisition, relationship based business development, and disciplined long term growth planning, supporting sustained revenue expansion while continuing to scale his real estate holdings. His latest venture marks an entry into the bottled water sector. In 2026, Sir Gary is launching the Wasa and Wasup bottled water brands, produced from his wholly owned manufacturing facility in Wausau, Wisconsin. Visit: wasawater.com Formally knighted in 2018 as a Knight of Winery Excellence in Monaco, Sir Gary is recognized for his contributions to business and the wine industry. Based in Flushing, New York, he holds a Juris Doctor degree, has received numerous professional honors, and remains deeply committed to philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and supporting individuals and communities aligned with his values.