“It was destiny,” YoonJin Chang said of her love affair with technology startup companies.
Chang, the 2010 Miss Korea Sun and co-founder of Silicon Valley tech company LifeSite, presented last Saturday at the 2016 WonderWomen Technology Conference in Long Beach, California.
From July 16 to 17, entrepreneurs from around the world gathered at the Long Beach Convention Center to celebrate diversity in industry andย educate women in technology where Chang joined two other panelists in the breakout session “Panoramic View: The Global Impact on Diversity Inclusion in Tech.”
Growing up in a military family, Chang received early exposure to the world of technology.
“My father studied computer science, so I grew up touching computers allย the time,” Chang said.
After growing her interest in science and biology, Chang eventually began working with large industries where she realized how much of a difference thatย technology makes on the lives of others.
“Software is so flexible, it can impact so many people in the world in very simple ways. That mesmerized me,” Chang recalled. “The process of building a dream, turning that dream into a product and then getting that product out to people was so fascinating to me.”
One day, Chang got a phone call from Silicon Valley. Her good friend Chris Wong, who believed that she would be a great woman leader, was on the other lineย to see if she was interested inย spearheadingย a start up in San Francisco. Desiring to join a movement that benefits others and enacts change as she witnessed technology do so many times, Chang eagerly said yes.
And like fate, Chang, the crowned Miss Korea Sun, was well on her way to make her mark in the technology world. Yetย even destiny did not ensure smooth sailing.
“It was very difficult in the beginning. A lot of people would ask me ‘You’re Miss Korea, why are you working here?’ย Being Miss Korea was more of an obstacle for me to overcome because I had to convinceย peopleย that I was aย serious business person,” Chang said.
In difficult moments, Changย credits her Christian faith as a source thatย energizes her.
“God is everything to me. Without Him I don’t have anything. It has been difficult for me to move to a different countryย andย start a business, every step is so challengingย thatย I sometimesย doubt myself. But God is always the one who allows me to findย valueย in myselfย and hold on to it,” Chang said.
Nothing could deter Chang from her destiny of working in technology startups. One day after having difficulty sharing legal documents with her parents living in Korea, Chang had an idea to extend her insurance startup to include the function of sharing information.
LifeSite wouldย digitally organize important life documents and allow people to share them securelyย with close family members, shielding themย from the stress and potential harm thatย cluttered documents bring. Armed with enthusiasm, determination and funding, LifeSite was birthedย in 2015.
From the company’s conception to today, Chang recognizes the importance of teamworkย contributing to theย success of LifeSite, a recent winner of the 2016 Red Herring Top 100 North America.
“Everyone on my team is extremely talented. We started to realize that there is nothingย without teamwork. Because weย are all skilled in different ways, we needed to collaborate together,” Chang said.
The opportunity to spendย time with diverse people is something that Chang takes away fromย her beauty pageant daysย as Miss Korea Sun.
“I got to meet so many people from different industries like fashion, technology and media.ย I now have great friends who are smart and beautiful,” Chang, whoย previously worked as aย Korea Times journalist,ย said.
In fact, Miss Korea is a title that Chang does not take lightly.
“Even now, because I’m Miss Korea, I feel more responsibility for what I say and do. Iย strive to not abuseย the title that people have given meย andย be qualified to holdย it,” Chang said.
Though Chang ran the beauty queen circuit for a portion of her life, she also prescribes herself as a geek who loves reading comic books and meetingย with industry engineers. Chang values the ability to poke fun at herself and enjoy her job at a topย technology company.
“Business doesn’t always have to be serious. You definitely have to be responsible for other people’s time and money, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it. People who enjoy it actually have better businesses since they’re contagious energy spillsย over to happy clients and more productivity,” Chang admitted.
Chang enjoysย surrounding herself with the frequent company ofย herย mother and father.
“They support me a lot and understand what I go through, but they’re also objective andย give me theirย straightย opinions of my decisions because I’m human too. Talking with my family makes me a stronger and wiser person,” Chang said.
Chang also spends her time conversingย withย friends, usually female entrepreneurs who she connects withย about work life and the risky adventure of starting one’s own company, viewing her conversations as a form of remedy for her.
In her free time,ย Chang enjoys going to theย movies and hiking, evenย completing aย Half Dome hike over the course of 2 days withย 40 pounds on her backย months ago.
“I thought I was dying but it was so fulfilling,” Chang said.
As for the immediate future, Chang wishesย toย continually pursue LifeSite’s vision as the company’sย Director ofย Business Developmentย and help people to manage their lives well. Chang also desiresย to appreciate little moments in her life, whether that may be drinking coffee in the morning or getting to sleep in 10 minutes more.
Ultimately, Chang wishes to be a person who is able to sympathize with and guide others toward actualizing their dreams. And as theย co-founder of a successful Silicon Valleyย tech company, Chang desires to mentor young Korean entrepreneurs in the future.
“It’s so difficult to be able to start a successful company in America. I understand the cultural differences, and I have so many storiesย and tips that I can pass on to Korean entrepreneurs that I’d love to do after this,” Chang said.
That and “Iย will probablyย get a bike soon,” Chang said with a smile.
By Hankyul Sharon Lee
