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Join us for a conversation with Tae Kim, author of The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant. Now as the world's leading AI chipmaker, Nvidia offers a fascinating window into the new era of global entrepreneurship vis-à-vis its partnership with Korea; Nvidia's commitment to provide 260,000 GPUs to South Korean companies redefines the strength of innovative cooperation across mobility, manufacturing, and robotics. This conversation will take you inside the forces shaping our AI-powered future and offer fresh insights into the culture, strategy, and leadership behind Nvidia's rise as a global technology leader.
Purchase the book here.
Author signing available at the event.
The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant with Tae Kim
Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 6:30 PM (EST)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speaker:
Photo: Helena Hong |
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Tae Kim, Senior Technology Writer at Barron's and Author of The Nvidia Way, is a senior technology writer at Barron's. He previously was the U.S. technology columnist at Bloomberg Opinion and also worked as an investing journalist for CNBC. Earlier in his career, he was an equity analyst at hedge funds and an investment analyst at a fund of funds. |
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The Korea Society’s Young Professionals’ Network, in partnership with the Asian American Dental Society, proudly presents Balancing Ambition and Passion, a panel discussion on balancing career, creativity, and personal passions.
Many young professionals pursue demanding careers while also nurturing interests beyond the workplace—from writing and the arts to entrepreneurship, community work, and other creative pursuits. How do individuals reserve space for these passions while building their professional lives?
Speakers will reflect on how they have cultivated meaningful pursuits outside of their primary careers and how these experiences shape their perspectives on work, creativity, and personal growth.
Panel Speakers
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Patricia Park: Author and Professor of Creative Writing, American University
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Additional speakers to be announced.
Join us in person at The Korea Society on Tuesday, May 6 at 6:00 PM, followed by opportunities for audience discussion and networking.
Become a member or renew your membership today to join our community and stay up-to-date with our organization’s activities. Membership begins at the Individual Level ($50/year).
| Click Here to Attend in Person |
Balancing Ambition and Passion
In-Person: Tuesday, May 6, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
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Join us for an upcoming program in The Korea Society’s Young Professionals Network: Lessons Learned series, presented in partnership with the Korea Finance Society (KFS).
This program features Karen Choi, Partner at Capital Group, who will reflect on her professional journey and share lessons from building a long-term career at the highest levels of the global finance industry. She will offer candid perspective on leadership and the realities of sustaining a career while balancing competing priorities, with insights for young professionals as they consider the intersection of growth and purpose in their own careers.
The discussion will be moderated by Sandra Schubert, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. Drawing on shared industry experience, the conversation will be followed by a Q&A and networking session, offering an opportunity to engage directly with the speakers.
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The Korea Society is pleased to present this Young Professionals’ Network event in partnership with the Korea Finance Society (KFS). KFS seeks to build a community to promote the advancement of Korean and Korean-American financial professionals in the United States through networking, education, and mentorship. |
| Click Here to Attend in Person |
This event will be recorded; Please sign up below for the video release
| Sign Up Here to Receive the Viewing Link |
YPN Lessons Learned with Karen Choi
In-Person: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 | 6:00 PM (EDT)
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue, 24th Floor
New York, NY 10017
About the Speaker:
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Karen Choi is a partner and fixed income portfolio manager at Capital Group. She has 27 years of investment experience and has been with Capital Group for 17 years. Earlier in her career at Capital, as a fixed income investment analyst, Karen covered utilities, regional banks, and non-bank financials in the U.S. Prior to joining Capital, she was a senior vice-president and fixed income analyst at AllianceBernstein and before that with Prudential Financial. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Wellesley College. She also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. |
About the Moderator:
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Sandra Schubert is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor in the Asset & Wealth Management Division of Goldman Sachs, where she leads a team responsible for advising ultra-high net worth families and family offices, endowments, and foundations. She is a member of the firm’s Top Advisors, a select group that represents the top 10% of advisors globally. Sandra joined Goldman Sachs after receiving her MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to graduate school, Sandra spent several years in Asia and in France, heading the ELLE brand for Hachette Filipacchi in Korea. Sandra received her undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School. She serves the communities where she lives and works as a current Trustee and past Investment Committee Chair of the Brooklyn Public Library, a Trustee of the Korea Finance Society, and Steering Committee Member of the GS Asian Professionals Network. |
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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 
| Click Here to Receive a Viewing Link |
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)
Tsai CITY (Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale)
17 Prospect St, New Haven, CT
About the Speaker:
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Eric Kim
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About the Moderator:
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The Korea Society is calling for entries for “Startup Scene: 2026 Emerging Design Competition.” The competition is a part of Startup Scene: Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (hereinafter Startup Scene), a program initiative dedicated to empower the startup entrepreneurial community that encompasses the US and South Korean economic landscape. This is proudly supported by Hanwha Life exclusively.
The “Startup Scene: Emerging Design Competition” is designed to encourage innovative thinking, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit among Korean-American and Korean students enrolled in colleges, universities, and graduate schools across the United States. This year, the participants are challenged to pitch an innovative startup concept that leverages emerging technologies to address pressing challenges and issues.
Application Period: Monday, December 15, 2025 to Monday, March 30, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
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.
About the Speakers:
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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. |
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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. |
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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:
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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. |
Final 5 teams announcement: Friday, April 17, 2026
Startup Scene Annual Forum: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Final pitch and Award Ceremony: Friday, June 12, 2026
For any questions, please contact us at
How to Apply
Please fill out the following application form here.
Your application should include the following components:
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 leverage emerging technologies to address pressing challenges and issues. |
* The pitch video will be reviewed strictly by judges internally.
Executive Summary (850 words)
A concise overview of your startup idea, including the specific emerging technologies and technical methods you plan to leverage (e.g., multimodal AI models, edge computing, synthetic data generation, blockchain-based verification, advanced materials, etc). Please explain the core technological concept empowering your solution avoiding general terms like “AI.”
| • A brief overview of your startup ideas | |
| • Problem Statement: What problems are you trying to solve | |
| • Technology & Product Approach: Explain how your solution works, including the key technology utilized, why it's needed, and what makes it feasible today. | |
| • 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 2025-26 academic school year 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 and Terms of Participation
Prizes
The top 5 finalists are also expected and will receive a travel stipend to attend the 2026 Startup Scene Annual Forum in NYC (Thursday, May 21, 2026 at Citi Headquarters) and receive coaching sessions with our partner organizations to realize the idea into a working company.
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026
Venue: Citi Headquarters
388 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013
The top 3 teams will receive special prizes and recognition, as listed below:
1st place: $5000
2nd place: $3000
3rd place: $1000
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 at NYC 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. |
While the judges will be expected to use discretion with respect to proprietary information, The Korea Society cannot assume any responsibilities or provide any guarantees with respect to confidentiality of contestant team proprietary information. 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
2026 Emerging Design Competition
The Korea Society
350 Madison Avenue
24th Floor New York, NY 10017