# Sung Rhee

> Sung Rhee is the founder and CEO of Optimal, a Kirkland, Washington company behind data-driven college ranking and review sites like OnlineU and GradReports. A former Microsoft general manager who helped build Outlook Express and MSN Mobile, he started the business in 2004 as SR Education Group, then pivoted it away from for-profit-college lead generation toward putting students first - even when that cost the company accounts. He calls himself a reluctant entrepreneur, plays point guard, and collects Gundam figurines.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Optimal
- **Organizations:** Optimal, SR Education Group, OnlineU, GradReports, ViAir, Microsoft
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Undergraduate (cartoonist for The Harvard Crimson), Harvard University
- **Known for:** Founded and scaled Optimal (formerly SR Education Group), a profitable Kirkland-based education-data company, Helped lead development of Outlook Express and MSN Mobile during nine years at Microsoft, Founded and sold the venture-backed software infrastructure company ViAir

## Career timeline

- **1990s** — Joined Microsoft, spending roughly nine years and leading teams that built Outlook Express and MSN Mobile
- **2000** — Left Microsoft to start a venture; founded the software infrastructure company ViAir
- **2003** — Sold ViAir during the dotcom downturn and found himself unemployed
- **2003** — Built more than 100-200 experimental websites as an independent operator
- **2004** — Founded SR Education Group, connecting students with online and for-profit colleges
- **2010s** — Pivoted the company toward student-first, data-driven rankings and reviews, dropping accounts that misled students
- **2020** — Launched OnlineU to guide students through the remote-education landscape
- **2020s** — Rebranded the company as Optimal, operating OnlineU and GradReports from Kirkland, Washington

## Achievements

- Founded and scaled Optimal (formerly SR Education Group), a profitable Kirkland-based education-data company
- Helped lead development of Outlook Express and MSN Mobile during nine years at Microsoft
- Founded and sold the venture-backed software infrastructure company ViAir
- Built OnlineU and GradReports into resources with 15,000+ verified student reviews
- Steered a values-driven pivot away from misleading for-profit-college marketing toward student transparency

## Latest updates

- **2021-10** — Featured in GeekWire on how shifting his company's and personal priorities made him a better leader.
- **2020-09** — Launched OnlineU to help students navigate the new remote-education landscape.

## Links

- Website: https://optimal.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sungrhee

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/sung-rhee
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-21