Steven Kao is Cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at Zynovo Solutions. Steven is a highly skilled software engineer with an in-depth knowledge of the Magento platform and its PHP environment. Before co-founding Zynovo, he achieved success with well-established companies such as Magento, an eBay company (formerly Varien), Alchemy Worldwide, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Eastern America Trio Products and Mediaring, one of Singapore’s pioneering Internet companies, acquired in 2016 by Netpluz Asia.
With over 15 years in software and web development with various enterprises, Steven understands what drives businesses and how to devise an online strategy and meticulously plan and design products—from launch to maintenance support.
Steven called Yangon, also known as Rangoon, the capital city of Myanmar (formerly Burma) home until 2006 when he seized an opportunity to travel and learn in Singapore. He was always interested in computers and enrolled at Temasek Polytechnic, the only Polytechnic in Singapore to have a Centre for Transcultural Studies, which worked to create opportunities for students to have cross-cultural experiences, both locally and abroad.
Steven took full advantage of the Polytechnic’s close ties with technology companies though the Interactive Digital Centre Asia program, which partnered with various industry sectors to keep students current on the latest technologies and best practices. He also took advantage of a work-study program. Through this program, Steven first saw the potential of e-commerce while working at Mediage, and he was instrumental in building the first e-commerce sites while working at this groundbreaking company. His expertise and achievements soon caught the attention of Mediaring, who hired him directly after receiving his Diploma in Information Technology. Mediaring, established in 1994, was at its peak in 2000 and had the largest market share worldwide as a one-stop service provider of voice, data, and computing services with VoIP technology.
Steven continued to travel around the world to learn and was accepted at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University, New York, graduating in 2006 with a degree in Computer Science. While completing his studies at Pace, Steven headed up digital design for EasternAmerica Trio Products, where he quickly mastered the Adobe Suite of Products, creating packaging designs for a vast array of fast-moving consumer goods. During this time, Steven saw the potential of e-commerce and was tapped to join the founding team at Varien to build e-commerce sites using the osCommerce platform, including icuracao.com.
As his reputation expanded, so did opportunity, and Steven was recruited to join Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York as Lead Programmer/Analyst to bring his strategic insight and problem-solving skills to the medical system. With over 7,400 physicians, 2,000 residents and clinical fellows, and 42,000 employees, along with 3,815 beds and 152 operating rooms, Steven spearheaded the implementation of a Microsoft SQL database integration of electronic medical records at a pivotal time in Mount Sinai’s history improving both patient and physician satisfaction.
However, Steven felt there was more potential to be explored in e-commerce and decided to return to California to assume the role of Head PHP Developer/Magento at Alchemy Worldwide (dba Provida Life Sciences, Inc.), a company that provides in-home education-based weight loss programs. In this role, Steven was instrumental in building the e-commerce function and integrating it with infomercials, conventional television commercials, internet, print, and other direct response channels.
His path then led to a return to Varien, which had then become Magento. Steven was selected to build the Magento e-commerce platform, and ultimately, the company was purchased by eBay.
Steven holds a BS in Computer Science from Pace University and a Diploma in Information Technology from Temasek Polytechnic.
In 2014, Steven founded Zynovo Solutions in Burbank, California, with his partner Lindy Kyaw. As possibly two of the most talented, strategic, and knowledgeable forces in the Magento world, Steven is committed to empowering merchants to exercise control over the look, content, SEO, digital marketing, and functionality of their online storefronts. Zynovo has grown leaps and bounds in the last five years, and Steven looks forward to being at the forefront of new technologies and Zynovo’s continued success.