The two-day event runs Friday through Saturday at Understand Avenue in Seongsu-dong, spotlighting a decade of social venture growth and the road ahead — with AI innovation talks, pop-up showcases and hands-on exhibitions all under one roof
Seongdong-gu in Seoul will host the 10th Social Venture Expo at Understand Avenue in Seongsu-dong this Friday and Saturday.
The Social Venture Expo, first held in 2017, marks its 10th edition this year. The annual festival brings together social venture companies, related institutions and local communities in the "Social Venture Valley" centered on Seongsu-dong to share the values of social innovation.
This year's theme — "Conti-New: The Road to Tomorrow, Seongdong Social Ventures" — reflects the milestone anniversary, with the event focusing on reviewing a decade of growth and achievements while exploring new roles and directions for social ventures together with residents.
The main program includes an awards ceremony for the Social Venture Innovation Competition, an "Insight Talk" session sharing the latest developments in AI and other technologies alongside real-world examples of solving social problems, a "Policy Exhibition Wheel" tracing the growth of Seongdong-gu's social ventures, and a "Business Social Pop-Up" showcasing innovative technologies and products from leading social venture companies.
The opening ceremony on Friday will feature the awards presentation for the 10th Social Venture Innovation Competition. Nine companies were selected from social ventures nationwide that have been operating for seven years or fewer, chosen for presenting creative and innovative business models. They will share a total of 75 million won ($55,600) in business development funding. Awards span the Startup and Scale-up categories — grand prize, excellence award and merit award — along with special prizes from sponsors including KT Corp, Sampyo and Musinsa.
The second segment, the Insight Talk, will examine how emerging technologies such as AI can be applied to social problems and what the future holds for social ventures. Park Jeong-ung, co-founder of Unlearning Company, will deliver a keynote address on the theme "How Should Social Ventures Work in the Age of AX?" Kim Ha-yeon, CEO of Nanum Vitamins and winner of last year's competition grand prize in the Startup category, will then share firsthand experience and case studies under the theme "How Small Organizations Solve Bigger Problems: A Social Venture's Practical AI Story."
The venue will also feature exhibition and hands-on experience spaces open to the public. The Policy Exhibition Wheel will offer a comprehensive look at the support policies Seongdong-gu has pursued over the past decade and the growth they have driven. At the Impact Enquête Zone, competition-winning companies will introduce the social problems they are working to solve, and moviegoers can select the issues they care about most and show their support.
The Business Social Pop-Up will give visitors a chance to encounter the innovative technologies and products of leading social venture companies up close. Going beyond simple product sales, each company will explain what social problem it is addressing and let visitors experience firsthand the changes that technology and ideas can bring to everyday life.
Seongdong-gu District Mayor Yoo Bo-hwa said she hopes the expo will serve as an opportunity to look back on a decade of Seongdong social ventures and chart a new path forward. "We will continue to spare no effort in supporting the Seongdong Social Venture Valley as it expands its reach to the world, and in helping the innovative companies driving solutions to social problems grow sustainably," she said.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
