• CATHY YEONCHOO LEE
  • Entrepreneurship & Trend Research
    Objective
    Entrepreneurship & Trend Research Lab’ aims to nurture creative young designers to enter a competitive business market. Being original, innovative and one of a kind are essential in this new market, and entrepreneurship comes from understanding the current trends of our time.
    The PEAK is a start-up networking platform initiated by Professor Cathy Lee and researchers at IDAS under the slogan of encouraging Korean start-ups. PEAK is actively working to create a win-win start-up culture by connecting IDAS students, alumni and start-up entrepreneurs.

    PEAK aims to create a sustainable start-up ecosystem that breaks the boundaries between fields and fosters better networking and collaboration.

    We plan the contents that aim at networking between start-ups and regularly open a meet-up party offline to share the story of the journey, difficulties, needs, and the future direction as well as the vision of start-up people and to exchange creative ideas and design solutions.

    The PEAK at IDAS was created to research in the fields of design solutions for Start-ups, design for tools and relationships.


    Cathy Lee is an entrepreneur, designer, teacher, author, and mother. Graduate of Rhode Island School of Design with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Industrial Design, Cathy Lee launched her own brand Ekatrina New York in 2005 after designing at top global brands such as Ann Taylor, Gap Inc. and Lucky. Ekatrina’s line of bold and distinctive products have quickly become a household name in South Korea, selling across top department stores Lotte and Shinsegae, and national home shopping channels. Her bestselling clutch Tessa and unique costume jewelry were showcased in Korea’s blockbuster movies “Loves, Lies” (2016) and “Assassination” (2015). A tenured professor at Hongik University’s International Design School for Advanced Studies (IDAS), Cathy Lee is also an accomplished public speaker and the author of “The Other Dimensions of Design Management” in 2009 and “Trends Powerhouse” in 2010. Cathy Lee lives in Seoul with her husband and 10 year-old daughter.
    THE PEAK
















    XDAS



    WORLD DESIGN WEEK, DIRECTOR OF SEOUL FROM 2017
    World Design Weeks is a network for design weeks and festivals around the globe.

    These can feel like scary times. The spectres of nationalism, populism and protectionism loom larger than ever. Creativity and innovation oppose this trend. New thoughts and ideas only emerge when we’re open and collaborative. Closed systems stagnate. Open systems flourish.

    World Design Weeks is a force for openness. We reach out, throwing our arms wide, and invite new members to join our global design family. We believe in unity and inclusivity. Our identity is inspired by the tilt of the Earth’s axis: a fundamental aspect of our planet that affects all of us, whoever and wherever we may be. It reminds us we are all the same. And it reminds us that the simplest detail can change the world.

    As World Design Weeks, we unite the planet’s design communities. We share knowledge, resources and best practice, fostering the exchange of products and ideas, sustainable development, and the growth of individual design events.

    Our mission: to elevate the global conversation, understanding, education and connection of people with design. Let’s do it together.


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