09/15/2026
Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote that “there are no second acts in American lives.” Had he met Scott Oki, he might have reconsidered.
Oki’s first act was remarkable enough. As an early Microsoft executive, he played an integral role in helping transform a young software company into a global brand. But that was only the beginning. In the decades since, other acts have included his becoming a philanthropist and advocate for children, an entrepreneur, a university regent, a published poet, and a nonprofit founder. This fall, at age 78, he will add another title to the list when he earns his PhD in Education from Claremont Graduate University.
Earlier this year, Oki was named the recipient of the 2026 Blake Nordstrom Humanitarian of the Year Award by the Puget Sound Business Journal, honoring his longstanding commitment to philanthropy and volunteer leadership. Over the years, he has served on more than 100 nonprofit boards and founded 22 organizations of his own.
Among the organizations he has launched are The Oki Foundation, which supports children’s health, education, and human services, and the Breaking Boundaries Foundation, which uses breakdancing to help young people who are facing adversity.
In recognition of Oki’s selection for the Nordstrom award, many of the congratulatory voices included his longtime associate Mario Chaves, a software industry executive who on LinkedIn commended Oki and his family for turning to philanthropy “as their next adventure to help make the world a better place for others.”
For Oki, his education doctorate is not a capstone but a launching point.
He hopes to use what he has learned for still another act in his professional career: to help improve Washington’s K–12 public schools. The solution, he believes, is not simply increased funding but meaningful collaboration among educators, policymakers, families, and community leaders.
“It truly takes a village to fix messy problems,” he said. “You have to bring together all the parties that can make an impact. Put them around the table, agree on the goals, get buy-in from everyone, set strategy, and then execute... I know this won’t happen overnight,” he said. “It’s going to take time. If I can work on this for the next ten years and see some positive impact while I’m still around, that would be incredibly meaningful to me.”
