COMMUNITY BUILDING CASE STUDY

Seoul Startups

Community building visual design event organizing

Seoul Startups stands as South Korea's largest international startup community, with a vibrant network of over 4,600 members. Our group consists of startup founders, team members, venture capitalists, and government officials, hailing not just from Korea but from across the globe. Our common message is clear - to make South Korea a more dynamic, inclusive and global startup ecosystem.

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Role

Community Leader

Responsibilities

Visual Design, Event Organizing, Marketing, Community Building, Speaker Sourcing, Website Development

Duration

March 2019 - November 2023

AS SEEN ON

How do you build THE LARGEST international startup community in south korea?

Problem

Despite being a hub of innovation, South Korea's homogeneity presents unique challenges in its quest for global competitiveness. As a relatively smaller nation, it relies heavily on globalization for growth. While conglomerates and the K-wave have been instrumental, the future hinges on nurturing global startups. This is where Seoul Startups plays a pivotal role. We bridge the gap by fostering an inclusive environment where local talents and international minds converge, network, and catalyze opportunities. Our belief is steadfast: collaboration is key to the next wave of Korean entrepreneurial success.

Our 2021 community survey was conducted to gain deeper insights into the needs and challenges of the Seoul Startups community: Read the Report

My Role as Community Leader

As a Community Leader at Seoul Startups, I specialized in visual leadership, particularly for specific events. My role involved participating in workshops and meetings, where I transformed ideas into compelling visual solutions. This included developing the branding, themes, and visual energy that define our community's spirit. Beyond visual tasks, I played a role in onboarding new speakers, organizing offline events, and creating marketing materials, ensuring a cohesive and vibrant community experience.

Our Slack group of 4,600+ members. Join the community!

Our partners and friends

FEATURED EVENTS

Struggle is Real Volume 2

In our most recent event at D.Camp startup campus, we took a bold step by shifting the spotlight from success to the rarely discussed realities of failure in the business world. We hosted three prominent speakers from successful startups, who shared their personal journeys of overcoming struggles and failures in building their businesses in Korea. This event aimed to bring a fresh perspective to an environment often dominated by glitz and glamour.

TO TAKE STARTUPS TO A GLOBAL LEVEL, YOU NEED YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Good New Days

As Covid restrictions in Korea began to ease, we seized the opportunity to look ahead to the new normal. Our upcoming event featured three insightful speakers, each offering their perspective on what the future holds for Korea as it transitions back to normalcy, with a special focus on the evolving startup scene. In line with the health policies at the time, we welcomed 30 vaccinated guests to join us for this discussion.

WATCH THE SESSION

Hack to the Future

In collaboration with KISED (Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development), we hosted an innovative hackathon at the iconic Lotte Tower in Seoul. This event brought together international and local university students from across Korea to brainstorm, code, and develop prototypes. Adapting to the challenges of Covid times, we balanced a hybrid format, combining an online collaborative workspace with an in-person demo day. On this day, we selected 10 standout projects, giving teams the opportunity to present their ideas to an esteemed panel of judges.

Results

Since my involvement with Seoul Startups, our community has experienced remarkable growth, expanding from 700 to 4,600 members. This surge not only reflects our size but also the organic, sustainable nature of our community, characterized by active engagement and mutual support. Members consistently interact, posing questions and sharing insights, all aimed at enhancing the Korean startup ecosystem. Our efforts and achievements have gained recognition, with features in numerous Korean publications. Looking forward, we remain committed to developing new plans and initiatives to continue this upward trajectory.

More of our Past Events

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Reflection

Reflecting on my journey with Seoul Startups, I feel an immense sense of accomplishment. Immersing myself in the Korean startup scene was an enriching experience, working alongside driven individuals committed to transforming South Korea into a dynamic, inclusive, and globally-ready startup ecosystem. My pride in our community's growth is profound, yet it doesn't overshadow the relentless effort and grit it required. The opportunity to collaborate with government officials and business leaders, especially as a foreigner, was incredibly rewarding, giving me a sense of achievement that's hard to put into words.

Forever grateful

Uniting a diverse team from countries such as the USA, Korea, Cyprus, the UK, Poland, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Australia, Serbia, Germany, and El Salvador under a singular mission was a dream realized. Together, we worked towards making the Korean startup scene more dynamic and inclusive. This journey wasn't just about professional collaboration; it was about forging lifelong friendships and sharing unforgettable experiences.

Immense gratitude is due to Marta Allina, the founder of Seoul Startups. With her 15 years of experience in Korea, Marta has tirelessly nurtured this community, bringing together business opportunities and diverse communities, driving us towards our collective goal.

Christian Piponides

PRODUCT DESIGNER

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