Joseph On-Woo Wong was born in Guangzhou, China and emigrated with his family to San Diego, California when he was 16 years old. Joe graduated from San Diego High School, and went on to attend the University of California Berkeley and Harvard University before founding JWDA Architects in 1977 at age 26. He opened a sister office in Shanghai, China in 1997. Joe is especially proud of the firm’s collaborations with nonprofit organizations including the San Diego Chinese Historical Society and Museum, Father Joe’s Villages, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Alpha Project for the Homeless, and La Jolla Music Society. In 1994, San Diego City Council honored Joe for his contribution to the city’s downtown redevelopment efforts, adopting June 6th as Joseph Wong Day. In 2003, Joe was elevated to American Institute of Architects College of Fellows for his contributions to the advancement of the profession of architecture. He was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego's "Most Influential People" in both 2021 and 2022. He has served as a volunteer member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design for several years, and in 2023 was recognized with the school's Distinguished Alumni Award; and he  continues to serve as an Advisory Board Member at UCSD Real Estate and Development, School of Social Sciences.