Do you wonder what it takes and how to build success as an entrepreneur? Although interested, do you find running a startup company quite intimidating? If your answer is yes, join us for our upcoming Young Professionals’ Network program and take your passion to the next level.

The Korea Society is delighted to host a panel discussion featuring three successful Korean American entrepreneurs and startup expert – Ryan Kim (Founder and CEO, Kim’C Market), Sol Park (Managing Director, Korea International Trade Association) and Jun Yoon (Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Culinary Agents and Vice President, Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE). The discussion will be led by moderator Sang Lee, President of KSE and CEO of VegaX and Konstellation.

In this event, the panelists will spark thought-provoking conversations and inspire a new generation of leaders. They will delve into the realities, challenges, and success they experienced building their entrepreneurial ventures. The discussion will also provide the most important, transformative advice reflecting current K-startup business trends and success stories and share tactical strategies for new Korean businesses in building a solid ground in the US.

Come open-minded, find your potential, and kick start your entrepreneurial journey.

Registration for in-person attendance will be first-come, first-served basis as limited seats are available. The session will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in person or prefer to participate virtually.

The Korea Society is excited to present this Young Professionals’ Network in partnership with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE).

This program is made possible by the support from Yang Won Sun Foundation.

Young Professionals’ Network
K-Startups: Empowering the Future of Young Entrepreneurs

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 | 6 PM (EDT)

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

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Ryan Kim
Ryan Kim is the founder and CEO at Kim’C Market (www.kimcmarket.com). The wholesome, natural Asian online grocer is known for its high quality Korean food that it directly imports from farmers and artisans in Korea. The startup is also famous for single-origin, freshly milled Korean rice that customers can customize their own rice by the rice crop, milling rate, and weight.

Kim’C Market has grown more than 50x since its inception in 2019 organically without ads or big marketing budget. Building its reputation as the premium food purveyor, the market sees its B2B business also growing to supply Michelin-starred restaurants, gourmet food stores, and amusement parks.

Prior to launching Kim’C Market in New York City, Ryan followed his passion to work in diverse industries including banking, government, politics, tech, and business consultancy.

Ryan received M.A. in Politics from NYU, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Statistics and Economics from UC Berkeley.

Sol Park
Sol Park is currently a managing director at Korea International Trade Association (KITA) New York Center, fostering the Korean/Korean-American Startups.

Prior to KITA NY, Park was an executive assistant to the Chairman of KITA. Park assisted the Chairman in every aspect of his duties during his tenure, including decision-making for the management, and communicating with top CEOs & government ministers in Korea. Throughout this experience, Park met hundreds of Korean companies and start-ups, having noticed what the Korean/Korean-American start-ups need in order to survive in the fiercely competitive global economy.

Earlier in his career as an Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Park was a Chief Researcher, Export & Import Department of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Korean Government). Having served this position, Park has become capable of figuring out the broad view of economic and trade issues between Korea and US.

Park studied economics (B.A.) at Sogang University, Seoul, Korea, graduated with honors, Summa Cum Laude.

Jun Yoon
Jun Yoon is currently a Vice President at Korean Startups and Entrepreneurs, empowering new entrepreneurship and learning amongst the Korean/Korean-American and a Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of venture-backed Culinary Agents, the leading trusted professional networking community for the food, beverage & hospitality industry.

Prior to Culinary Agents, Yoon Co-Founded Image Space Media in 2008, an In-Image advertising company based in New York City. The VC-backed company was successfully acquired by Vibrant Media, the leaders in alternative contextual ad products, in 2012. With the acquisition, he became VP of Engineering for Vibrant Media and managed global (US and UK) engineering team.

Earlier on in his career, Yoon was a Lead Engineer at Inform Technologies, a venture-backed start-up where he led product development of semantic technology for premium content brands such as CNN and Washington Post.

Yoon has also been an active angel investor, investing in several start-ups including healthcare, fashion, machine learning and software & technology sectors. Yoon studied Computer Science (M.S.) at Stony Brook University in the area of Natural Language Process and earned his B.S. degree at ChungAng University, Seoul, Korea. Yoon won 40 under 40 awards from Stony Brook University.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Sang Lee
Sang H. Lee is the CEO and Co-Founder of digital asset management firm, VegaX Holdings. Formerly an investment banker at leading European investment bank BNP Paribas, Sang has significant experience in financial engineering, fintech and in the advisory and execution of more than $10.0 Bn equivalent of investment banking transactions in North America. He was recognized as “Top Global Talent,” providing him with exclusive opportunities to work with the bank’s Executive Committee on global strategic initiatives. Sang was also recognized as an ‘Under30CEO Entrepreneur to Watch in New York City,’ a ‘GOOD100’ fellow, and the founder of a non-profit for Korean Entrepreneurs (KSE). Sang is also a 3-time fintech founder of award winning fintech companies such as DarcMatter (est. 2015) and Konstellation (est. 2018).

Sang’s leadership as the co-founder and CEO of leading fintech companies, most recently including VegaX Holdings, touts a laser focus on successfully delivering upon the companies’ universal mission globally: Utilize key fintech solutions to enhance capital flow, create transparency, and provide efficient access to financial services globally

ABOUT THE PARTNERS:
Korea International Trade Association (KITA)
KITA New York Center was established in 1967, in the financial capital of the US, New York City. Designed to promote and support bilateral trade between Korea and the US, KITA provides overseas representation of its 80,000 member companies, across a wide spectrum of industries. Focused on expanding Korea’s role in the world’s economy, KITA New York Center is vital in the promotion, development and support of small & medium sized enterprises KITA New York Center provides members with trade related services, including on the spot consultation and personalized advisory support on trade rules and regulations, import and export procedure, business management, market research and technology development. Additionally KITA New York office explores new trade opportunities via trade missions, trade shows, and market surveys and business matchmaking. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) is the powerhouse behind Korea’s international trade development and global competitiveness. With seven offices around the world, KITA’s “on the ground” support enables swift and successful entry into new markets, while ensuring longevity and growth with continual support and guidance.

Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs (KSE)
KSE is a nonprofit organization seeking to cultivate and develop the technology startup ecosystem in the United States, particularly involving Korean-American and South Korean founded companies.