To the stars: Celebrating the boundless potential of women’s entrepreneurship with leaders of industry, academia, and government

"Living on a space station is entrepreneurial in a way. In space, every problem must be solved by a small group of people with very limited resources—their survival depends on it. So, in that sense, spaceflight and entrepreneurship are very similar." – Dr. Soyeon Yi, South Korea’s first and only astronaut

In May, Coupang and the Korea Women Inventors Association (KWIA) co-hosted “Women Entrepreneurship and IP,” a seminar that brought together leaders of industry, academia, and government to share their experiences and ideas to accelerate innovation and creativity for the future.

Coupang continually strives to build a diverse and inclusive workplace and society, which includes supporting the over 65,000 women who have partnered with us as entrepreneurs and leaders of all different industries, as well as the tens of thousands more women who work at Coupang to wow our customers every day. 

To further these efforts, Coupang, together with the KWIA, prepared this seminar to find and discuss ways to unlock even greater participation and representation of women in entrepreneurship, small business, and intellectual property. 

Speakers at the event included:

• Donghyun Ryu, Vice Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO)
• Maria Castillo Fernandez, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea
• Prof. Hyesook Lim, Professor of Electronic Engineering at Ewha Womans University, and former Minister of Science and ICT
• Yongsun Kim, President of the Korea IP Protection Agency
• Kyung Hee Song, Chief of the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property
• Mi Ok Yun, President of the Korea Venture Business Women’s Association
• Dr. Soyeon Yi, Managing Director at NOUL and Korea’s first astronaut

The seminar also included the participation of:

• Hanseung Kang, Representative Director of Coupang Corp.
• Soonsun Kim, President of KWIA
• Ryan Brown, Representative Director of Coupang Fulfillment Services
• Jangwon Hong, President of the Korea Patent Attorneys Association
• Helen Yoon, Head of Coupang Retail and Vice President

Helen Yoon / Soonsun Kim

After welcome remarks from representatives of the co-host organizations, Coupang VP Helen Yoon and KIWA President Soonsun Kim, the speakers discussed a wide range of topics, including best practices to enhance opportunities for women, positive developments in bridging inequality in Korea and the EU, and the Korean government’s vision for women in IP. A consistent theme throughout the entire seminar was the importance of diversity and the need for greater female representation to spark new innovations and creativity across all industries. 
“When we need diverse thoughts, ideas, and characteristics, we really need different people like women, especially in male-dominated societies and industries,” said Dr. Soyeon Yi, Korea’s first and only astronaut and now Managing Director at NOUL. “So, we all need to shine as individuals and contribute diverse perspectives. It’s really hard, but I think the secret is to remember that you’re a woman, but forget that you’re a woman also.” 

“Korea’s first and only astronaut” Dr. Soyeon Yi in a fireside chat with Nina Ramesh, Director of IP Legal at Coupang

Similarly, Professor Hye Sook Lim, the former Minister of Science and ICT and current Professor of Electronic Engineering at Ehwha Womans University, encouraged female inventors to pursue their dreams. “Never underestimate yourself. If you challenge yourself and gain experience, you will find yourself growing,” she said. “And just imagine—where you could be, what you could do, what responsibilities you could have, what could happen... I want you to live a life that’s driven by that curiosity, where you ask yourself, ‘What would it be like to do that kind of work?’”

  Former Minister of Science and ICT and Ewha Womans University Professor Hyesook Lim 

The speakers also praised companies like Coupang that are driving both innovation and inclusivity throughout Korea and beyond. “Coupang ranks among the top 20 companies in Korea in terms of patent applications, showing real strength in this aspect,” said Donghyun Ryu, Vice Commissioner of KIPO. “As a policymaker, this is something that I’m very grateful for, and I hope to see Coupang continue growing even further as a global company.”

“It's great to talk to people who are serious about gender equality,” said Maria Castillo Fernandez, Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Korea, who also shared her appreciation. 

Hanseung Kang, Representative Director of Coupang Corp.

"At Coupang, we recognize the value of diversity and are proud of it,” said Helen Yoon, Head of Coupang Retail and Vice President. “We have many talented female inventors here at Coupang, along with many remarkable women working with us in IP who are representatives of their legal, operational, and technical fields. We are as committed as ever to helping female entrepreneurs and small business owners grow and develop alongside us.” 

Seminar Topics and Speakers:
Welcome Remarks

• Helen Yoon, Head of Coupang Retail and Vice President
• Soonsun Kim, President of Korea Women Inventors Association

Opening Speech and Inaugural Address

• Donghyun Ryu, Vice Commissioner of KIPO
• Maria Castillo Fernandez, Ambassador of the EU to the Republic of Korea 

 Donghyun Ryu / Maria Castillo Fernandez

Best Practices to Enhance Female Opportunities Within the IP Community

•  So Young Sohn, Professor of Industrial Engineering at Yonsei University
• Tessa Kim, Director of Product UX Design at Coupang
• Yu Yeon Park, Senior Partner at DANA Patent & Law Firm
• Jin Hee Park, CEO of 96percent Co., Ltd. 

Korean Government’s Vision for Women in IP

• Yongsun Kim, President of the Korea IP Protection Agency
• Kyung Hee Song, Chief of the Presidential Council on IP  

Yongsun Kim / Kyung Hee Song

Fireside Chat 

• Dr. Soyeon Yi, Managing Director at NOUL and Korea’s first astronaut

Key Insights on Entrepreneurship and Women 

• Prof. Hyesook Lim, Professor of Electronic Engineering at Ewha Womans University and former Minister of Science and ICT 
• Mi Ok Yun, President of the Korea Venture Business Women’s Association
• Chunhong Hwang, CEO of DowGene DNA Research Institute
• Dr. Soyeon Yi, Managing Director at NOUL and Korea’s first astronaut

From left: Dr. Soyeon Yi, Chunhong Hwang, Mi Ok Yun, and Prof. Hyesook Lim 

This article is from the Coupang Newsroom and to read more please visit here.