The mission of Startup Grind is to educate, connect, and inspire entrepreneurs. Startup Grind Seoul in partnership with Asan-Nanum Foundation meets monthly in the heart of Seoul. There will be networking, delicious food, and amazing people! Come and be part of Seoul, Korea's Startup Community.

This month, we will be interviewing Ahyeon Elysia Lee, the vice presidnet of Woozoo.

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Ahyeon Elysia Lee is a vice president of Woozoo which started its business in 2012 as a social venture to provide affordable housing for young people in Seoul, South Korea. Many young people come to a big city with big dreams but just like many other megalopolises, single-hoseholds in their 20s and 30s of Seoul are suffering from outrageous rent of the city with lack of quality housings; which leaves no other choice but shabby, tiny rooms with security hazard. The loneliness and the sense of isolation in the big city naturally follow which became a huge social problem.

Woozoo was born to propose a solution to it with a form of social-housing in which the young can enjoy their lives in Seoul not only with more spaces shared but the sense of belonging to a community. Woozoo has been providing a new type of residential experiences for more than 4,000 people as opening its 106th branch in July 2019; which makes it the biggest and fastest growing coliving company in South Korea. It is targeting to expand to the global alliance initially focusing on APAC region and towards west; also construction of its own coliving building of 240 units is in progress to present and establish new residential experience, community and culture in Seoul. With its vision, it is recently acquired by Zigbang, the biggest online real estate platform in South Korea.

Before joining Woozoo, Ahyeon has been a business strategist and project manager in various industries and regions following her passion to experience diversities. The 13 cities she worked and lived includes a few East African ones such as Nairobi, Kenya which shows her consistent pursuit to expand her boundaries. Now she's focusing on her career to grow in start-up scenes while actively particiapting other social activies such as mentoring at JUMP, leading clubs at TREVARI and writing columns for Maeil(매일경제).