W Korea and The University of Utah Asia Campus Successfully Conclude Their First Startup & Education MICE Project, “UAC Startup Sprint2026”
- W KOREA
- Jun 15
- 4 min read
W Korea and The University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC) successfully hosted UAC Startup Sprint 2026, an intensive entrepreneurship bootcamp held on June 13 at the UAC campus in Songdo, Incheon. The program was designed to provide university students with hands-on experience throughout the startup journey, from problem discovery and customer validation to solution development, business model design, and final pitching.
The event brought together students from diverse academic backgrounds and institutions, including The University of Utah Asia Campus (UAC), SUNY Korea (Stony Brook University), The University of Hong Kong, and Kyungdong University. Participants formed teams to identify real-world problems, develop innovative solutions, and collaborate across disciplines and cultures while experiencing the entrepreneurial mindset firsthand.
Throughout the program, students engaged in customer interviews, market validation, Lean Canvas development, MVP planning, and pitch preparation. With guidance from industry mentors and startup professionals, participants refined their ideas and presented them during the final pitch competition. The winning team was awarded a grand prize of KRW 1,000,000.
The grand prize was awarded to Bohemian, led by SUNY Korea student Do-Gyeong Oh. Bohemian is an AI-powered personalized publishing SaaS platform that enables individuals to transform their life stories, experiences, and personal records into professionally published books. By leveraging artificial intelligence to simplify writing, editing, formatting, and publishing, the platform lowers traditional barriers to publishing and empowers anyone to share their stories with the world. The judges praised the team's clear problem definition, market relevance, and innovative use of AI technology.
“We sincerely appreciate the opportunity and support provided through this event,” said Do-Gyeong Oh, team leader of Bohemian. “UAC Startup Sprint gave us an incredible learning experience and valuable insights into entrepreneurship. We will continue developing Bohemian and hope to return with even greater achievements in the future.”
The program featured a distinguished lineup of entrepreneurs, investors, and media professionals who served as keynote speakers, mentors, and judges. Yeonho Jeong, Founder & CEO of Multiplez, delivered a session titled Launch Before You're Ready, emphasizing the importance of rapid testing and customer feedback through Proof of Concept (POC) and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). Jake Song, CEO of Insideal, shared insights on the startup journey from idea generation to business creation, focusing on problem discovery, market understanding, and solution design.
Wontae Kim, Producer at SBS, presented How to Prove an Apple, drawing parallels between startup growth and the process of validating an idea through small experiments, customer trust, and market acceptance. Soh Jeong Yoon, Director at KB Investment, provided an investor's perspective on what makes startups investable and how founders can maximize their fundraising potential. Hyungtaek Park, Executive Director at WAF Investment, shared lessons on entrepreneurial resilience and the long-term 1 journey of building a company. In addition to their presentations, all speakers actively participated in mentoring sessions and served as judges for the final competition.
During his keynote address, W Korea CEO Wook Kim highlighted the unprecedented opportunities available to today's students and young entrepreneurs, noting that innovation is no longer limited to large corporations. “Artificial intelligence, digital platforms, content creation, sustainability, and emerging technologies are reshaping every industry,” he said. “Small teams, young founders, and even university students now have the ability to create ideas and solutions that can impact millions of people.” He encouraged participants to view entrepreneurship not merely as business creation, but as a mindset centered on problem-solving, experimentation, and action.
UAC Startup Sprint 2026 marked the first Startup & Education MICE project jointly developed by W Korea and The University of Utah Asia Campus. The collaboration represents a new model for educational programming that combines entrepreneurship, industry engagement, and global networking within a MICE framework. Through this initiative, students gained exposure to real-world startup practices while connecting with professionals across multiple industries.
W Korea is a global event management company specializing in MICE, culture, and entertainment. The company has successfully executed international projects across the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Singapore, India, and Japan. Its portfolio includes the New Murabba Seoul Forum, APOLLO Global Management Seoul Forum, Global Cyber Security Forum, CMA 55th Anniversary Conference & Gala Dinner, and the YOUNITE Concert Tour in India. W Korea provides comprehensive planning, production, marketing, and operational services for global brands and institutions.
“UAC Startup Sprint was designed to help students go beyond simply presenting startup ideas and instead experience how real startups identify problems, understand customers, and refine solutions through market feedback,” said Jacob Lee, Manager of the Career & Internship Development Center (CIDC) at the University of Utah Asia Campus. “This program was especially meaningful as the first Startup & Education MICE project developed in partnership with W Korea. We look forward to expanding future entrepreneurship, industry collaboration, and career development initiatives that empower students to thrive in a global environment.”
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