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Category: Startup Scene

AI Rewiring
the VC Lifecycle

Posted on by admin

On October 7, 2026, The Korea Society convened leading voices from across the venture capital ecosystem for “AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle.” The panel brought together perspectives spanning venture creation, product- and data-driven venture investing, and independent investment research to examine how AI is fundamentally changing the way investors discover, evaluate, and invest in the next generation of companies.

AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo

The discussion featured Patrick Chun, Founder & Managing Partner of Juxtapose, whose firm takes a venture-creation approach by identifying promising business opportunities and building companies around them, including recruiting entrepreneurial leadership to launch and scale those businesses; Melody Koh, Partner and Chief Product Officer at NextView Ventures, who brings a product- and technology-oriented perspective to venture investing and the development of tools and processes that enhance how investors evaluate opportunities; and Jason Seu, Founding Chief Research Officer at Altis, representing a research-driven approach to venture investing and the use of technology and data to generate differentiated investment insights.

AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo AI Rewiring the VC Lifecycle event photo

Moderated by David Kim, Vice President at Blackstone Innovations Investments, the conversation explored AI’s growing role across the venture lifecycle—from deal sourcing and market research to due diligence, founder evaluation, and investment analysis. While AI is transforming the scale and speed of the investment process, panelists emphasized that human judgment, relationships, and investment conviction remain essential to successful venture investing.

Held in partnership with Korea Finance Society (KFS), the program brought together members of the venture capital and broader investment community to explore emerging technologies and evolving investment practices. The event is part of Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, The Korea Society’s initiative to strengthen the knowledge, networks, and connections that help entrepreneurs access capital and contribute to a stronger and more connected startup ecosystem. The series is proudly and exclusively supported by Hanwha Life.

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FAQ

01 / 03

How is AI expanding the scale and speed of venture investing?

AI agents are enabling VC teams to dramatically broaden deal sourcing and accelerate sector research and due diligence. Investors can analyze emerging markets, evaluate companies, test investment theses, and assess product-market fit in a fraction of the time traditionally required, allowing smaller teams to achieve significantly greater coverage.

02 / 03

How is AI changing the competitive edge in venture capital?

As increasingly powerful AI models become widely available, competitive advantage is shifting from simply having access to information to knowing how to interpret and apply it. Investors are using AI to codify and sharpen their investment frameworks, incorporate proprietary data, and evaluate companies and founders through signals such as learning velocity and career trajectory. At the same time, distinguishing verified evidence from AI-generated inference makes proprietary judgment and investment expertise more important than ever.

03 / 03

Will AI replace human judgment in venture capital?

AI can take on information-intensive and repeatable tasks, but human judgment remains central to venture investing. Investors continue to provide strategic direction, build relationships, assess market timing, and ultimately determine where to place their conviction and capital. The most effective VC organizations will be those that combine the scale and speed of AI with the experience, judgment, and relationships of their investment teams.

About the Speakers

Speaker

Patrick Chun
Founder & Managing Partner, Juxtapose

Patrick Chun is a Founding and Managing Partner of Juxtapose, one of the country's largest venture funds focused exclusively on de novo company creation. As a Managing Partner, Patrick is active across the firm's key pillars, working closely with the fund's leaders in concept development, user research, and talent identification. Patrick also participates meaningfully with the portfolio and its CEOs, including involvement on the boards of early-stage and growth-stage companies. Prior to Juxtapose, Patrick spent a significant portion of his career investing and building businesses at the early stage, including as a Partner at Thrive Capital and Accretive. Earlier in his career, Patrick was a venture and growth equity investor at Bain Capital Ventures and Francisco Partners, and started at McKinsey & Company in New York City. Patrick has a BA from Harvard College, an MA from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Patrick is proud to be Korean-American and enjoys giving back to the Korean-American and Asian-American innovation community. He and his wife live in New York City with their two children.


Speaker

Melody Koh
Partner and Chief Product Officer, NextView Ventures

Melody Koh is a Partner at NextView Ventures, based in its New York office. She has spent her entire career working with technology startups as an entrepreneur, operator, and investor.

Prior to joining NextView, Melody was Head of Product at Blue Apron. Melody joined Blue Apron as the first product hire post Series A and helped scale the business through hyper-growth (25x in 3.5 years) and to its IPO, building and leading teams across Product Management, Product Design, and Data Science. Previously, Melody was a Product Manager at Fab.com and the founder/CEO of a seed-funded wine subscription e-commerce service.

Melody holds an MBA with Distinction from the Harvard Business School and a BS in Commerce with Distinction from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. After living in NYC for 13 years (across various fun neighborhoods in Manhattan & Brooklyn), she now lives in NJ suburbs with her husband and two young kids.


Speaker

Jason Seu
Founding Chief Research Officer, Altis

At Altis, Jason is building the research engine: the methodology, the team, and the quality bar. He knows which questions truly matter in a deal and what research actually changes investment decisions, drawing on his background in technology, due diligence, and investing.

Jason was previously a tech investor at Mubadala / MGX, leading private equity deals in AI, Enterprise Software, Tech-enabled Services, and Crypto. Prior to that, Jason was a multi-strategy investor at Q Investments and an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where he led commercial due-diligence and value creation for leading private equity clients.

He started as a Software Developer at Samsung Electronics and holds degrees in Computer Science from Stanford and Korea University alongside an MBA from MIT Sloan.


Moderator

David Kim
Vice President, Blackstone Innovations Investments

David Kim is a Vice President in Blackstone Innovations Investments (BXII). He is focused on executing the firm's principal strategic investments in early-stage cybersecurity, enterprise software, financial technology and property technology companies. Since joining Blackstone, Mr. Kim has been involved in the firm's investments in 7AI, Method Security, Norm Ai, Veza (acquired by ServiceNow), and Adaptive Shield (acquired by CrowdStrike), among others.

Prior to joining Blackstone in 2022, Mr. Kim worked at Vector Capital, where he was a member of the private equity investment team focused on making control-oriented investments in enterprise software companies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Kim was an analyst at Evercore in the technology M&A and private capital advisory teams.

Mr. Kim received a BS in Operations Research: Engineering Management Systems, summa cum laude, from Columbia University. He serves on the board of Korea Finance Society, the largest professional network of global Korean finance professionals.

 

Startups in Focus:
AI Powering the Way We Live

Posted on by WDM Team

The Korea Society is honored to announce the return of the 2026 Startup Scene annual forum, “Startups in Focus: AI Powering the Way We Live.” This year, the annual forum brings together founders, investors, and technology leaders shaping the next chapter of applied artificial intelligence, examining how AI is transforming the way we live, work, create, and make decisions across sectors.

Featuring thematic panels on AI’s expanding role in human-machine interaction, creative economies, financial infrastructure, and everyday consumer and knowledge tools, “Startups in Focus: AI Powering the Way We Live” will spotlight the US-Korea startup corridor and the builders turning emerging technologies into real-world impact.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

 

 

ScheduleSpeakers' Bios

Registration starts at 11:00 am with networking lunch.

 

Opening Session

Michael Burke, COO, International Franchise Management, Citi

Dr. Abraham Kim, CEO and President of The Korea Society

Dr. Jinwoo Hwang, Senior Executive VP, Hanwha Life Insurance

Sangho Kim, Consul General, Consulate General of the Repulic of Korea in New York

 

Fireside Keynote

The Kindred Lens: Spotting Supernovas (12:20- 1:00 PM)

Steve Jang Founder and Managing Partner, Kindred Ventures

Moderated by Dr. Abraham Kim, CEO and President of The Korea Society

 

Opening Dialogue: Beyond the Machine, AI, and Belongings (12:20- 1:40 PM)

Peter Yoo (Senior Director, Neuro & Algorithms, Synchron)

Min Kyung Lee (Assistant Professor, UT Austin School of Information)

Networking Break 25 min

 

Session 1 – AI’s Next Wave: Data Rights, Ownership, and the New Bottleneck (2:05 PM – 2:45 PM)

SY Lee (CEO and Co-Founder, Story Protocol)

David Park (Managing Partner, Warren Equity Partners, Founding Member, Digital Storytelling Lab of Columbia University)

 

Session 2 – From Wedge to Platform: AI and Vertical Play (2:45 PM – 3:25 PM)

Tim Hwang (Co-Founder and CEO, Nitra)

Maria Bodiu (AI/enterprise SaaS investor, Venture Investing, Citi Ventures)

Networking Break 25 min

 

Session 3 – Tomorrow’s Market, Today’s Strategy: AI and Brand Identity in Next-Gen Entrepreneurship (3:50 PM – 4:30 PM)

Hyunsun Ahn (@Ahnstoppable_tech)

Taeyong Kim (CEO, EO)

Ryan Cheah (Founder, The 21st)

Sho Young Shin (Director of Platform, ERA)

 

Session 4 – Life, Upgraded: AI Startups Powering What We Work, Buy, and Learn (4:30 pm – 5:10 pm)

Chang Kim (Founder & CEO, Saywise)

Kirak Hong (CO-Founder and CTO, Sandbar)

Dorothy Chang (Venture Partner, Flybridge)

 

Closing Toast (5:10 PM)

Networking Reception till 7:00 PM

 

The order of the session is subject to change.

 

 

Steve Jang

 

 

Maria Bodiu is a New York-based investor at Citi Ventures, covering both fintech and enterprise sectors, with a particular focus on data, AI and machine learning.

Her time spent deep within the machinery of global finance at HSBC and American Express instilled her with a rare understanding of the real-world complexities that founders aim to solve. At these firms, she drove strategic planning for billion-dollar portfolios, led M&A due diligence and built data-driven profitability and sales management systems from the ground up. This foundation, coupled with her prior integral role within Citi Ventures overseeing portfolio operations and leading investments in wealth and consumer tech, provides her with an invaluable insider’s view on what it takes for startups to successfully collaborate with, sell to, or disrupt large enterprises.

Maria earned her B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Cornell University and is a CFA® charterholder. Born and raised in Moldova, Maria is fluent in English, Russian, and Romanian and is eager to take on French as her next linguistic challenge. When not traveling to new destinations and discovering hidden culinary gems in New York City, she cherishes time with her family and continues her personal quest to find the world’s most perfectly ripe avocado.

 

 

Ryan Cheah is the founder of The 21st, a global network for young founders with 800+ members across 66+ universities and partnerships with Anthropic, Mercury, Ramp, Notion, and Hubpot. He is also the founding GP of 21st Ventures, a $4M debut venture fund investing at pre-seed and seed. Over the past 6 months, Ryan has run founder events across Asia-Pacific and is currently expanding The 21st across North America.

 

 

Dorothy Chang is a Venture Partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, investing in pre-seed and seed stage AI startups. She is also a Co-Founder of Lynx Collective, a weekly event series that connects early stage founders with critical people and resources in the NYC startup ecosystem. Previously she served as President of non-profit Kode With Klossy, working alongside Founder & supermodel Karlie Kloss to bring coding education to thousands of young women every year. Over her career, Dorothy has invested in startups as a founding partner of Liberty City Ventures (now with $1B+ AUM), a communications partner at Primary Venture Partners and an active angel investor in multiple unicorns.

 

 

Kirak Hong is the co-founder of Sandbar, a New York-based interface company with a mission to help individuals better navigate the world around and inside themselves. Sandbar’s first product is Stream, a self extension for building ideas in the moment and Stream Ring, the ‘mouse for voice’. With Stream, Kirak and co-founder Mina Fahmi have created a conversational interface designed to be an extension of your own thinking, helping you talk through ideas and capture notes in the moment.

Prior to Sandbar, Kirak worked on neural interfaces with Mina at CTRL-Labs, a startup acquired by Meta in 2019. Over his career, Kirak’s work has focused on distributed real-time stream processing from embedded smart cameras to cloud-based big data applications.

 

 

Tim Hwang is a multi-company unicorn founder, venture builder, and investor focused on building category-defining platforms at the intersection of technology and regulated industries. He is the Founder/CEO of Nitra, a healthcare financial and operating platform modernizing how medical providers manage payments, procurement, and back-office workflows. Nitra has raised over $200M+ from leading institutional investors including Andreessen Horowitz, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Sazze Partners, Pantera, KB Group (Korea’s largest bank), as well as prominent technology leaders such as Jerry Yang, Simu Liu, Will Smith, and Dunamu&Partners. Hwang is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of FiscalNote, a global market and regulatory intelligence company that owns CQ Roll Call Group and provides mission-critical data, news, and analysis to governments, legal institutions, financial institutions, and enterprises. FiscalNote operates across the US, Europe, and Asia, serves nearly 5,000 of the world’s most influential law firms, corporations, and governments, and has raised over $230M+ from investors including The Economist, S&P Global, Mark Cuban, Jerry Yang, Steve Case, NEA, and Renren. At the age of 29, Hwang completed a $1.3 billion public offering of the company on the NYSE in 2021 after exceeding $140m of ARR. Through his venture builder / investment firm, Inauguration Capital, Hwang serves as Chairman or Board Member of multiple high-growth companies, including Amber (digital insurance for electric vehicles), Exponent (modern fintech for franchise operators), Vibranium Labs (agentic AI for on-call and reliability engineering), and Jericho (a next-generation cybersecurity company for the AI era). Collectively, these companies have delivered billions of dollars in value, built cutting-edge products across multiple regulated sectors, and executed dozens of acquisitions globally. Earlier in his career, Hwang began in public service, working on the Obama ’08 presidential campaign at age 16 and later was elected to the Montgomery County Board of Education at age 18, where he helped oversee a $4+ billion budget for more than 22,000 public employees. Hwang is a graduate of Princeton University and attended Harvard Business School. He is a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, a Trustee of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and a founder of multiple nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives. He is also a member of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., the Council of Korean Americans (CKA), the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle, and YPO.

 

 

Chang Kim (“CK”) is a 3x founder and angel investor/adviser for 50+ companies and venture funds. CK is currently co-founder and CEO at Saywise, a new startup with a mission to use AI to unlock more human wisdom. Formerly, CK was the founder and CEO of Tapas Media, a mobile storytelling platform for original IP creators, which was acquired by Korea’s Kakao Entertainment at $510M in 2021. Prior, he was a product manager at Google’s Blogger. CK joined Google when the company he co-founded, TNC (a leading blogging software company in Korea), was acquired by Google. Prior to TNC, CK was at Samsung Electronics, in charge of Samsung’s mobile content strategies. CK has a B.S. in Physics from the University of Michigan and also studied Biology Education at Seoul National University.

 

 

Dr. Min Kyung Lee is an assistant professor in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin. She has been a director of a Human-AI Interaction Lab since 2016. She is affiliated with UT Austin Machine Learning Lab—one of the first NSF funded national AI research institutes, Good Systems—a UT Austin 8-year Grand Challenge to design responsible AI technologies, and Texas Robotics. Previously, she was a research scientist in the Machine Learning Department at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Lee has conducted some of the first studies that empirically examine the social implications of algorithms’ emerging roles in management and governance in society. She has extensive expertise in developing theories, methods and tools for human-centered AI and deploying them in practice through collaboration with real-world stakeholders and organizations. She developed a participatory framework that empowers community members to design matching algorithms that govern their own communities.

Her current research is inspired by and complements her previous work on social robots for long-term interaction, seamless human-robot handovers, and telepresence robots.

Dr. Lee is a Siebel Scholar and has received the Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence, research grants from NSF and Uptake, and eight best paper awards and honorable mentions and two demo/video awards in venues such as CHI, CSCW, DIS, HRI and MobiSys. She is an Associate Editor of Human-Computer Interaction and served as a Senior Associate Editor of ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction from 2017-2023. Her work has been featured in media outlets such as the New York Times, New Scientist, Washington Post, MIT Technology Review and CBS. She received a PhD and a MS in Human-Computer Interaction and an MDes in Interaction Design from Carnegie Mellon University and a BS from KAIST.

 

 

SY Lee is a serial entrepreneur and investor building infrastructure for the creative and data economies. He is the President and Cofounder of Poseidon, an open data platform for AI training incubated by Story and backed by a16z. Poseidon addresses the bottleneck of ethically sourced AI data by enabling individuals to contribute real world data, including audio, video, and sensor logs, while retaining IP ownership and receiving compensation.

As the Founder of Story Protocol, Lee leads an intellectual property infrastructure project backed by over $140M from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Samsung. Story makes IP programmable, allowing creators and brands to license and remix work at internet scale. The protocol has secured IP registrations from artists such as Justin Bieber and BTS, and has partnered with Stability AI and World Network to integrate IP protections into generative AI.

Previously, Lee founded Radish Fiction, a mobile storytelling platform that pioneered serialized microtransactions in the U.S. market. Following its $440M acquisition by Kakao Entertainment as part of a $950M deal, Lee served as Kakao’s Global Strategy Officer, overseeing international M&A and investment strategy. He is also the Co-founder and Chairman of SOPO, a New York-based Korean fast-casual restaurant company bringing Korean comfort food to a modern dining format.

Lee was the first East Asian President of the Oxford Union, where he hosted speakers ranging from John McCain to Peter Thiel. He is a Trustee of the Asia Society, a David Rockefeller Fellow at the Trilateral Commission, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and was a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Hertford College, Oxford.

 

 

Dr. David K. Park, Ph.D. is Managing Director and Head of AI & Strategy at Warren Equity Partners. A Senior Fellow at Columbia University’s Committee on Global Thought, he previously served as Senior Vice Provost at Northeastern University and Dean of Strategic Initiatives at Columbia, where he founded the Digital Storytelling Lab. Dr. Park’s career spans academia, private markets, and entrepreneurship, with scholarship and writing focused on AI, institutional design, strategy and judgment. He has founded and advised multiple technology ventures in machine learning and natural language processing, with a focus on how institutions build enduring strategic advantage in periods of technological disruption.

 

 

Peter Yoo, Ph.D., is the Senior Director of Neuroscience and Algorithms at Synchron. For over a decade, he has been developing minimally invasive brain–computer interfaces aimed at restoring independence for people with paralysis.

He leads efforts to build more general and scalable models of brain activity, with the goal of moving beyond narrow, task-specific systems toward broadly applicable neural decoding. His work sits at the intersection of neuroscience and machine learning, focusing on how to translate complex brain signals into reliable, real-world interfaces.

 

Global Venture Without Borders:
A Conversation with Eric Kim

Posted on by admin

As part of our commitment to building the next generation of founders, The Korea Society is bringing Startup Scene to Yale Ventures – connecting one of the world’s most dynamic consumer technology investors with Yale’s entrepreneurial community. We are honored to welcome Eric Kim, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Goodwater Capital and Yale University alumnus, for a fireside conversation on building global consumer technology companies across borders.

Eric Kim will reflect on his journey to founding Goodwater Capital, a leading global venture firm with a portfolio of transformative consumer technology companies including Kakao, Coupang, Spotify, ByteDance, and Stitch Fix. Please join us as Eric shares insights on the rise of the global startup ecosystem, cross-border investment strategy, and how investors identify and scale the next generation of consumer platforms.

This conversation will be moderated by Josh Geballe, Senior Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Yale University and Managing Director of Yale Ventures.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

Co-Hosted with

 

In-person attendance for this event is limited to Yale University students. If you wish to view the post-event recording, please indicate your interest via the form provided.

 

Global Venture Without Borders: A Conversation with Eric Kim

Thursday, April 2, 2026 | 12:00 PM (EDT)

VIDEO RELEASE: Friday, April 10, 2026


Tsai CITY (Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale)
17 Prospect St, New Haven, CT

 

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About the Speaker:

Eric Kim
Goodwater Capital

Eric J. Kim is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Goodwater Capital, a global consumer technology venture capital firm. He has led investments in companies including Kakao, TikTok, Coupang, Xendit, Viva Republica (Toss), Daangn Market (Karrot), MoMo, Scentbird, Hallow, Midi Health, and Everlywell.

Previously, Eric was a Managing Director at Maverick Capital, where he helped build the firm’s global venture capital, leading investments across North America, Europe, and Asia. He began his career as a business analyst at McKinsey & Company.

Eric has long been involved in education and the arts. A classically trained cellist, he was a member of the Grammy-nominated Yale Cellos. He serves on the Board of Advisors for Yale University’s School of Music and on the boards of Empowerly and StudySmarter, companies operating at the intersection of AI and education, and previously served on the national board of College Track.

Eric earned his undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science from Yale University (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude) and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

 

 

About the Moderator:

Josh Geballe is Senior Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Yale University and Managing Director of Yale Ventures. He is responsible for a wide range of services and programs for students, faculty, and the broader New Haven community to launch new startups based on Yale research, provide training in entrepreneurship and innovation, expand external research partnerships, and foster the growth of the local innovation and entrepreneurship community

Prior to launching Yale Ventures in 2022 Josh served as Chief Operating Officer for the State of Connecticut under Governor Ned Lamont. With responsibility for all executive branch agencies covering 30,000 employees, he led successful initiatives to modernize government operations and led the state’s nationally recognized response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to his three years in public service Josh spent his career in the technology industry, most recently as CEO of Core Informatics, a venture-backed scientific software company that was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific where he went on to serve as Vice President and General Manager of Digital Science. Previously he spent 11 years at IBM in a variety of international executive roles.

Josh serves on the boards of directors of several non-profit organizations, including ClimateHaven where he is the founding board chair, Connecticut Innovations, AdvanceCT, BioCT and the Mory’s Association.

Josh holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA from Yale University.

 

Startup Pathways for Students 2026

Posted on by admin

Startup Pathways for Students: Emerging Design Competition & More
Meet the student team finalists from Startup Scene: 2025 Student Ideation Competition—newly rebranded this year as the Startup Scene: 2026 Emerging Design Competition—and explore NYC-wide resources for aspiring entrepreneurs. This session highlights college and university-level student startup ideas and introduces programs, mentorship, and opportunities to help students take their first steps into the startup ecosystem. A networking reception with light refreshment will follow.

 

Startup Pathways for Students: Emerging Design Competition & More

Friday, January 23, 2026 | 5:10 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speakers:

 

Eun Soo Cho is a multiple award-winning student entrepreneur with a background in interaction design. With a multidisciplinary approach spanning engineering, design, and marketing, Eunsoo has earned recognition including 1st Place at the 2025 Stanford Longevity Design Challenge, the Indigo Award (Gold) for Apps for Social Change, and selection as a finalist for the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards. She was also a team member of the first-prize–winning project at The Korea Society’s inaugural student entrepreneurship competition. Eunsoo earned her MFA from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) and is currently working in product strategy at a Series C startup based in New York.

 

 

Melissa Lent-Lume is currently the Senior Project Manager on the Tech and Creative team at New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). In her role, Melissa works to grow the tech workforce and support the growth of emerging sectors, such as AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, and quantum. Specifically, Melissa leads the Startup and VC Internship Programs initiative at NYCEDC, which offers paid work opportunities in the tech and investment world, professional development, and mentorship to New York City students.

Previously, Melissa was the Deputy Policy Director at the Center for an Urban Future, a nonprofit think tank focused on creating a more equitable economy in New York City and expanding economic opportunity for all New Yorkers. Her research influenced policy and the inception of new programs from the creation of the SUNY Reconnect program to the mayor’s investment in the CUNY 2X Tech initiative. She graduated as a valedictorian from Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Hunter College.

 

 

Linda Zhou is a 2nd-year MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management and Managing Partner of the NYC/Midwest team at Dorm Room Fund, the leading student-run venture fund investing in student founders. Prior to business school, she built grant programs and accelerators for AAPI non-profits, emerging music artists, filmmakers, journalists, and more at Gold House, while also leading the Gold House Ventures Accelerator for early-stage founders. Linda began her career as community manager at the Harvard Innovation Labs (“i-lab”), leading to a stint as first employee & Chief of Staff at the i-lab incubated fintech startup Juno.

About the Moderator:

 

Holly Oh Diamond is a serial entrepreneur and social impact founder passionate about building businesses that drive equity in the workforce. She is the founder of DHD Consulting, a recruiting firm specializing in Korean and immigrant-owned businesses, and WorkOnward, an AI-powered, map-based hiring platform designed to make job opportunities more accessible for immigrant and women-owned small businesses.

With a background in social work and more than a decade of hands-on experience in recruiting and workforce operations, Holly is known for her people-first, operator-driven approach to solving real-world hiring challenges and supporting economic mobility for underrepresented communities. Her work has been backed by Techstars, Village Capital, and Robin Hood Foundation.

She also owns and operates Mista Oh, a Korean restaurant in Flatiron, New York City, which she opened during the pandemic to support her family and experienced firsthand the realities of small business ownership, hiring, and workforce management.

Today, Holly extends her impact through WorkOnward Foundation, connecting for-profit and nonprofit efforts to expand access to employment through place-based data, technology, partnerships, and community-driven workforce development. She currently serves as a staff member at United Korean Founders and as a board advisor to the New York State Restaurant Association.

 

 

New Year, New You! Powered by K-Health

Posted on by Yurim Oh

As we step into the new year, wellness and innovation take center stage. Korea’s rapidly advancing medical and biotechnology industries are reshaping how people pursue healthier, longer, and more connected lives—spanning AI-enabled diagnostics, precision medicine, global clinical collaboration, and wellness tourism.

Join us for a timely discussion with William Ban (Himedi), Taesoo Sean Kim (IceMiller), and Ken Nesmith (Lunit) spotlighting Korea’s health-tech startups, scale-ups, and leading institutions at the forefront of medical innovation. The conversation will explore where Korean startups are creating value across the healthcare continuum, how they are partnering with U.S. healthcare systems, investors, and regulators, and what these cross-border collaborations mean for the future of patient care, precision medicine, and wellness-driven industries.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

New Year, New You! Powered by K-Health

Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speakers:

 

William Ban, COO, Himedi
William Ban is Co-Founder & COO of Himedi, a healthcare platform bridging global patients with Korea’s advanced medical and wellness ecosystem. With a focus on patient experience innovation, William works at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and global mobility – helping modernize how people access diagnostics, preventive care, and specialized treatments across borders. Through Himedi, he collaborates with leading Korean hospitals and clinics to translate Korea’s rapid advances in medical technology, bio-innovation, and wellness into seamless, trusted experiences for U.S. and international patients.

 

 

Taesoo Sean Kim, Partner, IceMiller
TaeSoo Sean Kim is a partner in Ice Miller’s Business Group and co-chair of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Practice Group. Sean represents biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and technology companies in commercial transactions, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic business matters.

With a focus in emerging technologies, Sean negotiates complex technology licenses, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts across fields such as drug discovery, small molecules, cell and gene therapies, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptography, lithium batteries, and other innovative technologies. As a registered patent attorney with a focus on business transactions, he provides strategic guidance on intellectual property (IP) development, IP portfolio management, and IP commercialization to both startups and established companies.

In his role as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Practice Group, Sean serves as a relationship partner to Asia-based clients in cross-border transactions and disputes, including M&A, joint ventures, commercial agreements, and IP matters. He also leads efforts on large-scale economic development projects, such as lithium battery manufacturing and recycling plants, overseeing site selection, incentives, real estate, and regulatory compliance.

Sean is deeply involved in the startup community, having served on the Board of Korean Startups and Entrepreneurs. He currently serves as outside general counsel to startups, guiding them from pre-funding to multiple rounds of venture financing and exit.

 

 

Ken Nesmith, Group Head – Oncology, Lunit
Ken brings over 15 years of experience in healthcare and life sciences. He cofounded Lexent Bio, serving as CEO until its acquisition by Foundation Medicine, and previously led product strategy at Counsyl. His career also includes roles at Noom, BCG, and Codon Devices. Ken holds a BS from MIT and an MBA from Wharton, and today leads the Lunit Oncology Group.

Riding the Momentum: How VCs Navigate Hype and Sustainable Growth

Posted on by admin

This edition of Startup Scene will explore one of venture capital’s most elusive forces: momentum. As the landscape rapidly shifts—from the rise and retreat of web3 and blockchain to today’s explosive AI wave—both founders and investors face a critical question: how do you tell the difference between short-lived hype and the kind of transformative momentum that drives lasting impact?

Join us for an exclusive presentation featuring three distinguished investors – Bryan Kim (Andreessen Horowitz), Mike Kim (Third Prime), and Karen Moon (Node Innovation Ventures) – as they each share their distinct investment philosophies and portfolio strategies. Together, their talk will offer a wide range of views into today’s ever-evolving startup landscape: from AI emerging technologies, to cross-border investments, and to innovations in consumer platforms. 

The conversation will be moderated by Danny Crichton (Lux Capital). 

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

Riding the Momentum: How VCs Navigate Hype and Sustainable Growth

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 | 6 PM (EDT)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

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About the Speakers:

 

Bryan Kim (“BK”) is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he invests primarily in consumer AI applications. He is particularly interested in how AI is reshaping consumer experiences across core themes such as productivity (ElevenLabs, Cluely, Raspberry), consumer health (Function Health, Slingshot AI), creation (Captions, Civit.ai, Glif, Viggle), and connection (BeReal, Partiful).

He is also actively exploring new categories and behaviors emerging at the frontier of consumer AI. BK serves on the boards of Captions and Partiful, and as a board observer at ElevenLabs and Function Health.

Prior to joining a16z, BK spent several years at Snap, where he helped scale the company through its hyper-growth and IPO. He built and led the growth and product operations teams, driving user expansion globally. He also scaled the finance team from zero to 70+ people and led several key milestones, including the IPO. As a founding member of the strategy team, he sourced and integrated major acquisitions such as Looksery (which powers Snap AR Lenses) and Bitmoji.

Earlier in his career, Bryan was CFO at Bungalow and a founding General Partner at Uncommon Projects, an operator-led seed fund. He began his career in investment banking at Credit Suisse, advising technology companies on M&A and capital markets transactions.

He holds a BA in Economics and International Relations from Carleton College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

 
 
 

Mike Kim is a General Partner at Third Prime, where he primarily invests in vertical AI applications. He is particularly interested in the intersection of AI and various physical industries and has led investments across aerospace (Moonware), energy (Everstar), and advanced manufacturing (First Resonance). Prior to joining Third Prime, Mike was a partner and senior investment professional at Valinor Management, a multi-billion-dollar “Tiger Cub” investment firm, where he led investment activities across a number of industries including industrial technology. Prior to Valinor, Mike was a partner and senior investment professional at other leading, multi-billion-dollar, investment firms including UBS O’Connor, Suvretta Capital Management, and Trian Partners, originating and underwriting investments in public and private companies with a research-intensive, long-term orientation. Mike started his career as an investment banker in the Technology M&A group at Bank of America in New York, where he advised both public and private companies in the technology industry. Mike received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University.

 
 

Karen Moon is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with over 20 years of experience across retail and technology. Her expertise is at the intersection of data-driven consumer insights, AI, and human-centered design.

She is currently founding CCO at Spangle AI, an agentic AI startup optimizing shopping journeys for brands and retailers. Karen also co-founded, scaled, and sold a predictive analytics startup Trendalytics, which served industry-leading clients such as Revolve, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Shinsegae, Gap Inc., J.Crew, Levi’s, Urban Outfitters, Target, Ulta, Stitch Fix, Estée Lauder Companies, Zappos, and more. The company was also a Google Machine Learning Competition Finalist.

Karen has several years of experience as an investor and advisor in consumer brands and technology through Suttona Capital, Node, and Goode Partners. As an active advisor and investor, she has supported founders on go-to-market strategy, fundraising, hiring, and strategic partnerships. Her corporate advisory work with corporate executive teams and boards includes digital transformation and new business expansion opportunities. She began her career in Goldman Sachs’ TMT investment banking group, followed by roles in corporate strategy and new business development at Gap Inc. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from UCLA, where she graduated summa cum laude.

 

About the Moderator:

 
Danny Crichton analyzes science, technology, finance and the human condition as Partner, Research at Lux Capital, a venture capital firm investing in emerging and growth-stage science and technology ventures. Previously, he was managing editor at TechCrunch as well as a foreign correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea. He’s a Fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York. For several years, he was an early-stage VC investor with General Catalyst in Palo Alto and Charles River Ventures in Boston and New York. After graduating Stanford with honors in Mathematical and Computational Sciences, he was awarded a Fulbright research scholarship to South Korea, where he investigated the country’s modern industrial policy for startup innovation. Danny is based in Brooklyn.

 

 

Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow 2025 Student Ideation Competition

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The Korea Society would like to thank everyone for their support for the inaugural “Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition.” The competition is a part of the Society’s corporate series, Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (hereinafter Startup Scene), proudly supported by Hanwha Life exclusively. Startup Scene is dedicated to empower the startup entrepreneurial community that encompasses the US and South Korean economic landscape.

The Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition is designed to encourage innovative thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit among Korean-American and Korean students enrolled in colleges across the United States. This year, the participants were challenged to pitch their startup that addresses expanding education access, or improving disaster relief efforts.

WINNERSApplication PeriodEligibility and Terms of ApplicationPrizes and Terms of Participation

We are excited to announce the winners of the “Startup Scene: Student Ideation Competition”:

1st Place: Glowthy (School of Visual Arts)
2nd Place: Square One (Northwestern University)
3rd Place: Comitia (Yale University)

The finalists had the opportunity to share their startup ideas at the 2025 Startup Scene Annual Forum. For more information on the 2025 Startup Scene Annual Forum, please visit the Annual Forum webpage here.

Application Period: Monday, February 17 to Sunday, March 16, 2025 (11:59 PM EDT)
Final 3 teams announcement: Monday, March 24, 2025
Final pitch and Award Ceremony: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

For any questions, please contact us at corporate@koreasociety.org.

[How to Apply]

Please send your startup idea as a short pitch video (max. 3 minutes) and a written summary (max. 2 pages) to corporate@koreasociety.org.

Your pitch should include the followings:
Pitch Video:
    • A brief description of your startup ideas in the most creative way possible
    • What problem you are solving, for whom, and the solution addressed
    • Any innovative solutions that your business idea applies to enhance education access and disaster relief solutions.
* The video pitch will be reviewed strictly by judges internally. Top three finalists are invited to submit their video pitch to upload on the Annual Forum mobile platform for voting by participants of the annual forum.

Executive Summary (850 words)
    • A brief overview of your startup ideas
    • Problem Statement: What problems are you trying to solve
    • Market analysis: Identify your target customers, estimation of market size, and marketing strategy
    • Revenue Model: Outline how you plan to make money.
    • Unique advantage: How is your idea/solution innovative?

[Eligibility]

    • Students from all U.S. schools are eligible to apply.
    • Individual or team applications (max.3 students per team) will be accepted.
    • In alignment with Startup Scene’s mission, each team must include at least one team member of Korean heritage.
    • Only currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in U.S. schools during the 2024-25 academic school year (August 2024 – May 2025) are eligible to apply.
    • We will only accept applications from student email addresses. No personal email addresses will be accepted.
    • Teams do not have to comprise students from the same school; students from different schools may be included in one team.

 


[Prizes]

1st place: $1000
2nd place: $800
3rd place: $500

Top 3 teams will also receive a travel stipend to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC on April 22, 2025, titled as “Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy” at Citi Headquarters. This year’s theme of the Annual Forum is Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy.

Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Venue: Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013

[Terms of Participation]
Please note the following terms of participation:
    • The idea cannot already have been pursued by another company.
    • The idea must be developed independently by the participants and must not infringe the rights of third parties.
    • Team name and short description may be published on the website and social media of The Korea Society.
    • The competitors must be ready to attend the Startup Scene Annual Forum on April 22nd for their final pitch.
    • There is no fee for application or competition.
    • The decision of the jury is final, any legal action is precluded.
    • The submitted summary and video pitch of any application will be reviewed by the staff and judges preselected by The Korea Society. Finalists must participate in the Startup Scene Annual Forum, where activities and presentations are open to the pre-registered attendees of the forum.

The Korea Society cannot assume any responsibilities or provide any guarantees with respect to confidentiality of contestant team proprietary information. While the judges will be expected to use discretion with respect to proprietary information, they cannot guarantee non-disclosure. All participants must acknowledge the public nature of the competition and assume all risks associated with any disclosure during the competition.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

 

Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
2025 Student Ideation Competition

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue
24th Floor New York, NY 10017

 

Join our membership program here!

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Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy

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The Korea Society is excited to announce the return of Startup Scene’s keystone annual forum for 2025: “Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy”, supported exclusively by Hanwha Life.

Please join our keynote conversation with Dr. Songyee Yoon, Founder and Managing Partner of Principal Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in AI-native companies. A visionary leader who scaled NCSOFT into a global gaming powerhouse, Songyee is keenly interested in the future of AI and emerging technology and their venture points with human life. Songyee takes several leadership roles including being a member of the MIT Corporation and a member of the board of trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Hewlett Packard, Inc.

This year’s forum will celebrate pioneering entrepreneurs who energize the business landscape with their innovative approaches, alongside accelerators and investors who empower their progress.

    

 

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

 

Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
2025 Annual Forum
“Startups in Focus: Driving US-Korea Economic Synergy”

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

IN-PERSON

Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013

 

Join our membership program here!

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ScheduleSpeakers' Bios

Registration starts at 11:30 am with networking lunch. 

 

Opening Session 

Michael Burke, COO, International Franchise Management, Citi

Thomas Byrne, CEO and President of The Korea Society 

Dr. Jinwoo Hwang, Senior Executive VP, Hanwha Life Insurance

 

A Fireside Keynote

Dr. Songyee Yoon, Managing Partner, Principal Venture Partners 

Moderated by Sandor Hau, Managing Director and President, Charlesbank Credit.

 

Session 1 – Korean Startups on the Global Stage: Insights from the Investors

Murat Aktihanoglu, Managing Partner, ERA 

Richard Diamond, Managing Director, Global Head of FinTech and Information Services, Citi Bank 

MyeongSeon Kim, Head of NYC office, Korea Venture Investor Corporation 

David Lee, Head of NBA Investments and Senior Vice President, National Basketball Association (NBA)

 

Session 2– Synergy in Innovation: Corporates and Startup in Collaboration

Ran Wei Baker, Sr. Director, Global Head of Marketing, Microsoft 

TaeSoo Sean Kim, Partner, IceMiller

Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services, World Economic Forum

 

Session 3 – Navigating NYC’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem

Holly Diamond, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkOnWard 

David Joo, Co-founder of Neuroaide and former CO-CEO and Co-Founder of Knowre

Kaila Lim, Head of Community and Founder Experience, Antler

 

Startups in Focus- Meet the Founder Sessions 

Jinha Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Spatial 

Jae Pil Park, Founder and CEO of Nara Space 

Keith Ryu, Co-Founder and Board Member, and Former CEO of Fountain

 

 

  11:30 AM   REGISTRATION/ LUNCH
  12:30 PM   OPENING SESSION
  12:50 PM   A FIRESIDE KEYNOTE
  1:20 PM   SESSION 1
Korean Startups on the Global Stage: Insights from the Investors
  2:00 PM   NETWORKING BREAK
  2:15 PM   STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER
  2:35 PM   SESSION 2
Synergy in Innovation: Corporates and Startup in Collaboration
  3:15 PM   NETWORKING BREAK
  3:35 PM   STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER
  3:55 PM   SESSION 3
Navigating NYC’s Thriving Startup Ecosystem
  4:25 PM   NETWORKING BREAK
  4:35 PM   STARTUPS IN FOCUS-MEET THE FOUNDER
  4:55 PM   CLOSING/ SPECIAL SESSION
(Student Ideation Competition Winning Team)
  5:10 PM   APERITIF AND HOR D’OEUF
 

Keynote Speaker

Songyee Yoon, Founder and Managing Director of Principal Venture Partners
Songyee is the founder and managing director of Principal Venture Partners, a venture capital firm investing in AI-native companies. She served on South Korea’s Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology under two presidents. She is a member of the MIT Corporation and serves on the board of trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and HP, Inc. Songyee’s book, Push Play, explores the significance of play in innovation.

Moderated by

Sandor Hau, Managing Director and President, Charlesbank Credit
Sandor Hau is a Managing Director and President of Charlesbank Credit. He oversees the firm’s opportunistic Credit team and investing strategy. Sandor joined Charlesbank in 2016 from Nomura Securities, where he was a Managing Director and Head of Corporate Credit and Special Situations. Previously, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs and Head of Credit Investing and Private Equity within the principal strategies group.

He is currently a board member for Learfield, a media and technology services company focused on college sports and Interon Labs, a biotechnology company focused on neuro-immunotherapy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Investment Working Group at Ohio State University.

He is actively involved with the Korean American community as co–chairman of The Korea Finance Society, a member of the Council of Korean Americans and a former board member of the Korean American Family Service Center. He recently received a commendation from the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs for the Republic of Korea for his contribution to Korea-U.S. financial cooperation.

Sandor received a BS in Economics, summa cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was also a Rotary Scholar at Yonsei University.

Panel Speakers

Murat Aktihanoglu
Murat Aktihanoglu is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Remarkable Ventures, Remarkable Ventures Climate and ERA. A venture capitalist since 2011, Murat has invested in over 350 early-stage tech and climate companies with a combined market cap of $10+ billion. He previously founded Centrl and the nonprofit Entrepreneurs Roundtable, fostering New York’s startup community through monthly investor meetings. Murat co-authored Location-Aware Applications in 2011 and has held engineering roles at Sony and Silicon Graphics. Murat is a sought-after speaker at technology and entrepreneurship conferences worldwide. He serves as a Council Member for the U.S.-Japan Council, a board member for the Belgian American Chamber of Commerce, and an Ambassador for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Additionally, he advises organizations such as the MIT Enterprise Forum and mentors various startup programs globally. He holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Bilkent University.

Ran Wei Baker, Head of Marketing for Microsoft for Startups
Ran Wei Baker is currently the Head of Marketing at Microsoft for Startups, where she works with early-stage founders to build faster, build better, and sell more with Microsoft. Ran leverages her background in Corporate Strategy, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship to launch brands that foster meaningful human connections and deliver impactful business results. Somewhere in between storytelling and consumer understanding, Ran is a wanderlust. She enjoys spontaneous trips, hikes in the mountains, and learning about cultures around the world. Music is her native language, and her favorite brain foods are books.

Holly Diamond, Founder and CEO of WorkOnward
Holly Oh Diamond is a serial entrepreneur and social impact founder passionate about building businesses that drive equity in the workforce. She is the founder of DHD Consulting, a leading recruiting firm specializing in Korean companies, and WorkOnward, an AI-powered hiring platform designed to make job opportunities more accessible for immigrant and women-owned businesses. With a background in social work and over a decade in recruiting, Holly is known for her innovative, people-first approach to solving hiring challenges and supporting economic mobility for underrepresented communities. Her work has been backed by Techstars, Village Capital, and the Robin Hood Foundation. She also owns Mista Oh, a Korean restaurant in Flatiron, NYC, which she opened during the pandemic to support her family.

Richard Diamond – Global Head of Fintech and Information Services, Citi
Richard (Rick) Diamond heads the Global Financial Technology and Information Services investment banking practice and joined Citi in 2017 after 21 years at JPMorgan where he was a senior relationship banker in the Technology Investment Banking Group heading the Global Technology Services effort. Rick’s experience includes mergers and acquisitions, raising public equity through IPOs and secondary offerings, raising private equity for public and private companies, raising high-yield debt, loan and bank syndication and convertible equity financings. Rick received a B.A. in history from Wake Forest University and an M.B.A. from the Columbia Business School. Rick lives in Ridgewood, NJ with his wife Jennie and their two children Millie and Richard.

David Joo, Co-founder of neuroaide and former Co-CEO and Co-founder of Knowre
David Joo is an entrepreneur, investor, and advisor dedicated to supporting companies and products that drive positive societal impact.

He is currently the co-founder of neuroaide, an AI-powered writing assistant designed specifically for neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluators. Neuropsychologists diagnosis cognitive, mental health, and learning conditions, such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, and Anxiety, and produce comprehensive reports necessary to secure accommodations from schools and other institutions. Due to the intensive nature of writing these reports, evaluations often face significant delays, with wait times in many parts of the country averaging six months. neuroaide directly addresses this bottleneck, reducing the time required to produce these reports by half.

Previously, David was a co-founder and co-CEO of Knowre, an education technology company providing personalized math learning to students worldwide. Founded in 2012, Knowre experienced significant growth before being acquired in 2018 by Daekyo, a publicly listed education company based in South Korea.

Before his entrepreneurial ventures, David worked across a variety of investment banking roles, including capital markets, leveraged finance, and M&A. He also engaged in public market investments, focusing on distressed debt and capital structure arbitrage strategies. David currently serves on the board of Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering and advancing the tech startup ecosystem for Korean and Korean-American founders in the United States.

MyeongSeon Kim, Head of NYC office, Korea Venture Investor Corporation
MyeongSeon Kim is the Head of the New York Office at Korea Venture Investment Corp. (KVIC), a sovereign fund committed to strengthening South Korea’s startup ecosystem and expanding its global footprint by backing high-potential venture capital and private equity funds. Prior to his role in New York, he led KVIC’s Silicon Valley Office, where he played a key role in connecting Korean startups with the U.S. innovation ecosystem—building on his earlier position as Global Investment Team Leader, where he oversaw cross-border fund investments and fostered international VC partnerships.

With nearly two decades of experience across venture capital, asset management, and insurance investment, he brings a global perspective and strong financial expertise to KVIC. He holds an Executive MBA from Aalto University and a Bachelor of Laws from Ajou University.

Sean Taesoo Kim, Partner, IceMiller
TaeSoo Sean Kim is a partner in Ice Miller’s Business Group and co-chair of the firm’s Asia-Pacific Practice Group. Sean represents biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and technology companies in commercial transactions, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic business matters.

With a focus in emerging technologies, Sean negotiates complex technology licenses, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts across fields such as drug discovery, small molecules, cell and gene therapies, artificial intelligence (AI), cryptography, lithium batteries, and other innovative technologies. As a registered patent attorney with a focus on business transactions, he provides strategic guidance on intellectual property (IP) development, IP portfolio management, and IP commercialization to both startups and established companies.

In his role as co-chair of the Asia-Pacific Practice Group, Sean serves as a relationship partner to Asia-based clients in cross-border transactions and disputes, including M&A, joint ventures, commercial agreements, and IP matters. He also leads efforts on large-scale economic development projects, such as lithium battery manufacturing and recycling plants, overseeing site selection, incentives, real estate, and regulatory compliance.

Sean is deeply involved in the startup community, having served on the Board of Korean Startups and Entrepreneurs. He currently serves as outside general counsel to startups, guiding them from pre-funding to multiple rounds of venture financing and exit.

David Lee, SVP and Head of NBA Investments
David is SVP and the Head of NBA Investments, the corporate venture arm of the National Basketball Association. David previously co-founded two different startup studios, one as part of SK in the chairman’s office and one with his former boss & Head of Private Equity Group at Bain & Company NY. He also worked at the early stages of Coupang and Nexon, which have since become decacorns. David received his Bachelor’s degree from Yonsei University and his MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jinha Lee, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Spatial
Jinha is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Spatial, an immersive media platform leveraging gaming and AI to reshape how people engage with online commerce, education, and entertainment. With over 3 million experiences built by a global community of more than 15 million creators, Spatial is trusted and used by over 1,000 leading brands. In addition, Spatial is also pioneering VR gaming for Gen Alpha with its original title, Animal Company, which has become the top earning game on the Meta Quest store within just seven months of launch.

Prior to founding Spatial, Jinha pioneered technologies to physically interact with digital data for the past decade. In 2013, Jinha took the stage at TED to present his invention, SpaceTop, a pioneering AR computer that lets you “reach inside” the screen. Jinha was a Principal Designer at Samsung, where he founded the Interactive Visualization Lab and led the redesign of Smart TVs, turning them into an interactive social hub for the living room. He also co-designed the Red Dot Award-winning Bradley, an innovative tactile wristwatch for the blind, which was one of the most successful projects in Kickstarter’s design category in 2013. Jinha was named one of the “35 Innovators Under 35” by the MIT Technology Review, one of the “32 Greatest Living Designers” by Fast Company, and a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum.

Jinha has a Master’s degree in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT (Media Lab) and completed his undergraduate studies with a bachelor’s in Electronic Engineering from the University of Tokyo.

Kaila Lim, Head of Community and Founder Experience, Antler
Kaila is a public speaker and community leader shaping NYC’s tech scene by curating spaces where hyper obsessed early-stage founders build and connect. As Head of Community at Antler VC, she brings together founders for the signature six-week residency. With a background in competitive public speaking, sales training, and founder communities, she instinctively fosters deep relationships and transformative spaces. Passionate about the founder journey and hospitality experience, she’s dedicated to elevating the founders at Antler and supporting those of the founder ecosystem at large. She writes about her life lessons and takes notes on books on kailajlim.com and has lived in NYC, California, and Seoul and now works in NYC, while visiting Seoul for her grandmother each year.

Jae-Pil Park, Co-founder and CEO of Nara Space
Jae-Pil Park is the CEO and founder of Nara Space Technology, a company revolutionizing the small satellite industry with advanced nanosatellite platforms and space-based solutions. Since establishing the company in 2016, he has led the development of cutting-edge satellite technology, positioning Nara Space as a key player in the growing space economy. With a deep understanding of satellite systems and a vision for more accessible and efficient space solutions, Jae-Pil is driving innovation in Earth observation, communication, and beyond. Prior to founding Nara Space, he played a pivotal role in the CubeSat Technical Demonstration Mission CANYVAL-X (2012–2018), a groundbreaking collaboration with NASA. As Project Manager and System Engineer, he spearheaded the development of CubeSat-based astronomical observation technology, demonstrating precision satellite formation flying. His expertise in satellite engineering, mission design, and space commercialization continues to shape the future of next-generation satellite technology.

Drew Propson, Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum
Drew Propson is the Head of Technology and Innovation in Financial Services at the World Economic Forum. She leads a portfolio of initiatives focused on advancing innovation while maintaining financial system stability. Current research areas include the deployment of AI and emerging technologies in financial services, technology-driven systemic risks, and fintech market trends. Drew has additionally presented and authored work on financial inclusion, regulatory dynamics, and entrepreneurship.

Drew holds MBAs from Columbia Business School and London Business School, a PhD in Spanish literature from UC Berkeley, and a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington. Her experience prior to joining the Forum includes private equity research, development finance, and international strategy and operations.

Keith Ryu, Co-founder, Chair, and former CEO of Fountain
Keith Ryu is the former co-founder and CEO of Fountain, an HR platform for hourly workers that has raised $225M from investors including Y Combinator, SoftBank, Peter Thiel, B Capital, and Mirae Asset. He remains on Fountain’s board and actively invests in startups, with a passionate focus on cross-border opportunities that bridge Korean technology and culture to U.S. markets. A builder at heart, Keith spends his free time creating new products and businesses, leveraging the latest AI coding tools. Leveraging his global network across San  Francisco, New York, and Seoul, he aims to foster a strong engineering culture within Korea and transition it into a top-tier software and technology exporter.

Opening Speakers

Michael Burke
Michael Burke is the Head of Citi’s International Franchise Management (IFM) team. IFM helps manage Citi’s international franchise by coordinating governance, talent and business connectivity for Citi’s activities in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions around the world. Michael joined Citi in August 1998 in the finance and strategy department of the Corporate and Investment Bank (CIB). Since then he has worked in a variety of Finance, Strategy and Business Risk / Compliance roles. A former US Navy officer, Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University and Masters’ degrees from New York University and Harvard University.

Thomas Byrne
Thomas J. Byrne joined The Korea Society as President in August 2015. Since June 2023, he had also taken the role of “Honorary Ambassador,” appointed by the minister of MOTIE under the auspices of KOTRA/Invest Korea, to help promote trade and investment ties between Korea and the U.S. Byrne comes to the Society from Moody’s Investor Services, where he was Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, spokesperson, and Director of Analysis for the Sovereign Risk Group in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, based in Singapore. Prior to that, he was the Senior Economist of the Asia Department at the Institute of International Finance in Washington D.C. from 1984 to 1996. Byrne has an MA in International Relations with a concentration in international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced international Studies and a BS in Biology from State University of New York at Stony Brook. Before his graduate work, he served in South Korea for three years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. Byrne teaches as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in New York City and at Georgetown University’s Graduate School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. As president, he has written opinion articles published in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg View, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, The National Interest, and Reuters Breakingviews.

Jinwoo Hwang
Dr. Jinwoo Hwang currently holds the position of Senior Executive Vice President at Hanwha Life Insurance. With over three decades of work experience at Hanwha Group, Dr. Hwang has served in a variety of roles, including Senior Research Fellow, Director of Economic Research, and Director of Economic Analysis. He first joined the Hanwha Economic Research Institute in 1993, then transitioned to Hanwha Securities and Hanwha Life Insurance. Dr. Hwang earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from Yale University and his B.A. in Economics from Seoul National University.

 

Scaling SaaS: The Art of Storytelling & Investor Strategy

Posted on by admin

When it comes to building a successful SaaS (Software as a Service) business, many assume that exceptional coding skills are the key to success. However, our next Startup Scene offers a different perspective- one that highlights the power of storytelling and strong investment relationships.

Please join us for an insightful session with John Sung Kim, a serial SaaS founder of Five9 (NASDAQ: FIVN), DoctorBase, and Jetbridge. He will share his expertise on launching SaaS startups, emphasizing how compelling storytelling can drive investor engagement, team-building and business growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn firsthand from John’s entrepreneurial journey and discover the strategies that turn great ideas into thriving companies.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

Scaling SaaS: The Art of Storytelling & Investor Strategy

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 6 PM (EST)


 The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

Join our membership program here!

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About the Speaker:

John Sung Kim was the founder/CEO of Five9 (NASDAQ: FIVN), DoctorBase (now part of Tebra), and JetBridge (bootstrap profitable). He was an early angel investor in Rappi (the largest delivery app in LATAM market) and SpaceX. He has written articles for TechCrunch and Forbes, and given speeches on startups at Stanford, Kyiv Polytechnic, UCSF and Penn State University.

 

Tech, Culture, and K-Beauty: Dino’s Playbook for Building MBX

Posted on by Yurim Oh

Join us for an exclusive conversation with Hyungseok Dino Ha (hereinafter Dino), Co-Founder and CEO of MBX (formerly Memebox), a visionary multi-brand beauty and personal care company leading the convergence of technology, culture, and K-beauty. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei, MBX has established itself as a global leader in the beauty industry, backed by $200 million in venture capital funding. By seamlessly blending data-driven technology with cultural insight, MBX is redefining how K-beauty influences the global beauty landscape.

In this program, Dino will reveal the key moments that shaped his entrepreneurial journey — from his early career at TMON and Tom Ford to his transformative experience in top accelerator programs like Y Combinator and SparkLabs. Learn how he harnessed the global rise of K-beauty and used technology to create a next-generation beauty powerhouse. This conversation offers essential lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, beauty industry enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the dynamic intersection of tech, culture, and K-beauty in building groundbreaking business opportunities.

 

This program is supported by Hanwha Life

 

 

Tech, Culture, and K-Beauty: Dino’s Playbook for Building MBX

Tuesday, January 28, 2025 | 6 PM (EST)

 

The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017

 

Join our membership program here!

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

 

Dino Ha is the founder and CEO of MBX Corp, also known as Memebox, a position he has proudly held for twelve years. Combining engineering expertise with a deep passion for fashion and beauty, Dino is dedicated to building a tech-driven beauty company that aims to revolutionize beauty culture worldwide.

Dino began his academic journey with a degree in Environmental Engineering. His career path took a significant turn when he joined the Army, voluntarily deploying to Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom to combat terrorism. During his military service, Dino met his first American, an encounter that inspired him to pursue a career in the fashion and beauty industry after completing his service.

After his time in the Army, Dino moved to New York to attend the Parsons School of Design. While studying, he joined Tom Ford at the launch of the brand, working for two years in the PR and marketing department. This experience provided him with invaluable insights into the fashion industry’s inner workings and the importance of brand management.

Following his tenure at Tom Ford, Dino returned to Korea to join TMON, an e-commerce startup founded by his friends. At TMON, he led new business initiatives and sales strategies, contributing significantly to the company’s growth and its eventual acquisition by LivingSocial for $300 million. This successful venture fueled Dino’s entrepreneurial spirit and inspired him to establish his own company.

Dino remains enthusiastic about the future of MBX Corp and its ability to deliver K-beauty brands and products to consumers worldwide. MBX currently operates five brands across skincare, color, and haircare categories. The company generates most of its revenue in the US, with products available in retailers such as Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Target, and exports to more than 40 countries globally.

 

ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

 

ShoYoung Shin (Sho) is the Director of Platform at Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA). ERA is NYC’s leading tech accelerator for early-stage startups and has made over 365+ investments to date. Sho supports portfolio companies by managing ERA’s robust platform of 1000+ mentors, partnerships, and alumni network. Before joining ERA, Sho was an Immigrant Justice Corps Community Fellow for the MinKwon Center for Community Action, where she represented clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as a DOJ partially accredited representative. She is also co-founder and co-director of the Amherst Asian Alumni Network, made up of 1000+ members.