Songyee Yoon PhD ’00, an entrepreneur, innovator, investor, and chief in AI and the gaming trade, has been appointed as a School of Engineering visiting innovation scholar for the 2023-24 tutorial 12 months.
Yoon, who’s as a member of the MIT Corporation, serves as president and chief strategic officer of NCSOFT, a world chief in recreation publishing and digital leisure. Under her management, NCSOFT has expanded to incorporate places in seven nations on three continents. She performed a pivotal position in founding the NCSOFT AI Center, a state-of-the-art AI analysis facility that has helped the corporate develop and combine the most recent AI and machine studying applied sciences into their merchandise.
In 2021, Yoon based Chamaeleon, an early-stage enterprise capital agency. As a managing companion on the agency, Yoon focuses on client software program, content material and media, and deep and frontier tech. She significantly helps entrepreneurs working on the intersection of AI, leisure, and social platforms.
As a visiting innovation scholar, Yoon will interact in a range of actions with school, college students, and workers throughout MIT’s School of Engineering. She will present steerage to the dean of engineering on strategic initiatives, cutting-edge applications, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem inside the college.
“I am both humbled and excited to embark on my journey as an innovation scholar, where I will champion entrepreneurship and empower female engineers to flourish within diverse career paths,” says Yoon.
A central theme all through Yoon’s profession and lots of philanthropic pursuits has been a ardour for selling inclusivity and supporting future leaders.
“As technology continues to transform our world, there is a growing need for inclusive innovation. Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how amplifying all voices fosters more creativity and adds richness to building,” provides Yoon. “I am honored to help the School of Engineering bridge the gap between inspiration and realization, and nurture the next generation of trailblazing leaders who will shape the world with their brilliance.”
Yoon obtained a bachelor’s diploma in electrical and electronics engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and a PhD in computational neuroscience from MIT. She additionally obtained a juris physician from Santa Clara University School of Law and is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Program.
After receiving her PhD, Yoon labored at McKinsey and Co., then served as vp of communications intelligence at wi-fi service supplier SK Telecom, the place she used AI applied sciences to develop a wise, customized information providers platform. In 2008, she joined NCSOFT.
As a member of the MIT Corporation, Yoon has served on a number of visiting committees at MIT and is the present chair of the Governance and Nominations Committee. She serves on a quantity of advisory boards. She is an inaugural member of the Advisory Council of Stanford University’s Human-Centered AI Center and a board of trustees of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Yoon is chair and founder of the NCSOFT Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes company social accountability and helps the socially deprived. In an effort to assist working dad and mom, Yoon personally oversaw the event of the “Laughing Peanut,” a 400-child daycare facility positioned on the NCSOFT R&D middle, and “Projectory,” for nurturing and fostering creativity.
Yoon has obtained a quantity of awards and accolades for her contributions to expertise and enterprise. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, was named one of the 50 Women to Watch in Business by The Wall Street Journal, and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
“Dr. Yoon is a true visionary. Her extensive experience in AI technologies, coupled with her passion for supporting entrepreneurs and championing diversity in engineering, make her an ideal fit as visiting innovation scholar,” says Anantha Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “The faculty, students, and staff in the School of Engineering will all benefit from her expertise and vision.”