I am an Assistant Professor of Organization Theory and Entrepreneurship at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University.
I am interested in the role of entrepreneurship in society, specifically how and when it operates as a channel for upward mobility and as a solution to social problems. My research examines (1) how individuals’ socioeconomic origins affect their entrepreneurial outcomes; and (2) how entrepreneurs are motivated by creating social impact and solving specific problems like climate change. To answer these questions, I employ a variety of methods including field experiments, econometric analysis of archival data, and qualitative interviews. My work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals including Management Science, PNAS, and Academy of Management Discoveries. My recent work focuses on how the socioeconomic backgrounds of entrepreneurs and investors shape startup investor behaviors. This work was selected as a finalist for the 2023 Organization Science/INFORMS Dissertation Proposal Competition.
I received my PhD in Management at Columbia Business School, MS in Strategy and BBA from Seoul National University. I grew up in Upstate New York and Seoul, Korea, and currently live in Pittsburgh. When I am not doing research, I enjoy spending time with my dog.