ENACTUS YONSEI is a branch of the global non-profit Enactus organization that is focused on sustainable entrepreneurship and promotes structural change in our community’s businesses. The Yonsei Annals interviewed the club’s president, Lee Yeon-jae (Jr., Dept. of Economics), vice-president and public relations manager, Lee Seo-young (Sr., Dept. of Human Environment and Design & Dept. of Business Administration), and “Normal People” project manager, Jeong Sol (Jr., UIC, Economics and Asian Studies) to learn more about the club and its future plans.

Annals: Could you briefly introduce your club?

Lee Yeon-jae: Enactus Yonsei is a global coalition organization that solves societal problems through business tools and has multiple branches that operate within various universities. Actually, its first Korean branch was established in Yonsei in 2004. Since then, with the ultimate goal of supporting our community through innovation, we constantly interpret market trends and devise various ways to utilize that data. Right now, we are working on five individual projects.

Annals: Why did you join Enactus Yonsei?

Yeon-jae: As a high schooler, I had known of the “Dong-nae-ppang-nae” project and its breakthrough within the community. Learning that Enactus Yonsei was behind it, I quickly applied during my sophomore year. The project was strikingly inspirational because it provided practical solutions that could place local bakeries on a level playing field with franchise companies. I suppose such an agenda continues to be our principle when it comes to incorporating theoretical knowledge into practical applications for others.

Lee Seo-young: While double majoring in business administration, I was faced with a dilemma. With various labor rights issues and environmental problems arising, I was unsure whether profit maximization should be the absolute priority in running a business. I anticipated that my involvement in the club would allow me to have a clearer vision of what a sustainable, forward-thinking business should look like.

Jeong Sol: I did not have a keen interest in business until I joined this club. One day a friend who was already a part of Enactus Yonsei told me about how the club’s close interactions with the community were quite memorable. That exchange stuck with me and led me to join. I now appreciate that this club deals with a wide variety of problems.

Annals: What makes Enactus Yonsei unique from other entrepreneurship clubs on campus?

Jeong: Our most distinctive feature is that we are completely student-run, so members are given authority over all of the club's affairs. This, of course, brings its challenges. Still, we get to witness the effects of our contributions, and this strengthens our passion for social ventures. For one, during the “Dosirak” project we actually witnessed multiple craftsmen’s businesses reviving. We try to remain as close to the actual scene by conducting various meetings and surveys with institutions and creating additional content for projects.

Annals: What projects are you currently working on?

Seo-young: The five projects mentioned earlier are “Jieum,” “Hi, Dear,” “Colors,” “Dosirak,” and “Normal People.” “Jieum” provides platforms, such as podcasts, YouTube, and publications for North Korean refugees to freely express themselves. “Hi, Dear” provides seniors with craft kits that help them search for hobbies and are currently undergoing expansion. In the case of “Dosirak,” it focuses on reviving declining industries, and we are currently working on the Inhyeon-dong Print Street in Jung-gu, Seoul. We have been connecting student designers with craftsmen in Inhyeon-dong to promote sustainable and high-quality work in opposition to environmentally harmful crafting. More details on each project can be found on our official website!

Annals: What is the main priority when selecting societal problems in the community? How do they connect with the club’s values?

Yeon-jae: I would not say that we have a set of uniform standards we consider every time. We value the sincerity members feel since that sentiment is what ultimately produces the best results. Of course, we take the practicality of providing a solution into account, but we try not to prioritize one issue over another. We want to create effective and sustainable solutions for various sectors of our community.

Annals: Could you elaborate on how the “Normal People Project” began and its reception?

Jeong: As we keep track of market trends, we were fully aware of COVID-19’s devastating effects on local businesses in Sinchon. They took a bigger hit because there already had been a decline in sales due to gentrification and the population outflow of students. Bearing in mind the imminence of the crisis, we had to quickly develop marketing channels and distribute meal kits that were in its Minimum Viable Product (MVP)[1] stage. The entire project is on track and partnered Sinchon restaurants have been supportive throughout the entire process. Also, all of this started off with an interaction with the owner of Dal-paeng-i. As the official representative of Sinchon markets, he introduced us to other shop owners who are part of the Sinchon Residents Association like Suligneun maeul and Buchu Gopchang. Based on this expanded partnership, we implemented our initial business model based on “WECOOK”[2] to alleviate shop owners’ financial burden. We continue to make improvements along the way.

Annals: What are the difficulties that Enactus Yonsei usually face?

Seo-young: Considering social issues while needing to see a business profit is always challenging because we need to embody the perspective of consumers and shop owners, which are on opposite sides of the spectrum. For example, most businesses would concentrate on setting a reasonable price and producing an appealing product. However, we have to go over the business’ potential influence on suppliers and devise a backup plan for these problems. Personally, it was hard to set a price range that both consumers and shop owners could agree upon during “Dosirak.”

Annals: What are some of the things you want to immediately embark on after things become safer with the pandemic?

Yeon-jae: We had to halt some of the projects we were working on due to safety regulations. I hope we can revisit them because relevant societal problems are still left unsolved.

Jeong: I want to interact with groups of people as soon as possible. It feels quite ironic when we try to promote for businesses when we ourselves do not get to visit the places often. The current situation is delaying our overall process because it takes more time to communicate. I hope that everything returns to “normal,” so we can work even more efficiently and confidently on our projects.

Annals: Is there anything you would like to say to our readers and those who might be eager to join Enactus Yonsei?

Yeon-jae: We do not expect candidates to be experts in business administration. Anyone who is passionate enough to encounter societal problems is welcome. Our projects are meaningful, but there are times when members have to do tedious tasks like paperwork or networking with people in order to have success. For these reasons, candidates will need to have perseverance and a sense of responsibility.

Seo-yeong: We welcome students who have creative ideas and confidence in carrying out their work. Failure is not a thing to be afraid of, but rather an opportunity to learn. Please feel free to apply!

[1] Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A product that embodies minimal features so as to examine either a hypothesis or an idea in the very initial step in business

[2] WECOOK: A shared kitchen system that provides preloaded appliances and infrastructure for food manufacturers