Business leader.
Tech humanist.
Visionary.

Songyee Yoon is the founder and managing partner of Principal Venture Partners (PVP), a Silicon Valley-based early-stage venture firm focused on AI-native companies. She is recognized for backing iconic startups such as Together.ai, Cartesia, and Sesame, and is known for her ability to identify and support companies shaping the next generation of technological infrastructure.

After graduating from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Songyee earned her Ph.D. from MIT in Computational Neuroscience. Her deep belief in “play” as a catalyst for innovation led her to serve as president and chief strategy officer of NCSOFT, a global leader in video games, where she also founded its AI and NLP Centers to anticipate the impact of emerging technologies.

A longtime advocate for responsible AI, Songyee has championed the integration of ethics into computer science education through her philanthropy. She serves on the advisory council for Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI and has been a visiting fellow at RAND’s Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy. She is also a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, HP Inc., and a member of the MIT Corporation.

Previously a member of South Korea’s Presidential Advisory Council for Science and Technology under two administrations, Songyee brings a global perspective on the intersection of technology, policy, and ethics. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of the Wall Street Journal’s “50 Women to Watch in Business.”

Speaking

UPCOMING & PAST SPEAKING EXPERIENCES

Trend Show 2026

October 28, 2025

Songyee will speak at Trend Show 2026, held at COEX in Seoul. In the featured session titled “Race Against AI”, thought leaders across technology, business, and academia will explore the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. Representing PVP, Songyee will share her perspective on how AI is shaping the future of creativity, ethics, and human-centered innovation.

LEARN MORE

Korea-CA AI Business Forum

October 2, 2025

Held in conjunction with the Korean National Day celebration, this upcoming forum will foster collaboration between Korean AI companies and California’s tech and policy ecosystem. Expected attendees will include key figures such as the California State CIO, who will deliver a keynote on AI policy. Songyee will be invited as a keynote speaker and panelist, where she will share her insights on the future of AI and innovation. The event will also feature a showcase of pioneering Korean AI startups.

MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC) Symposium

September 17, 2025

A premier event hosted by MIT to explore the future of generative AI across research, industry, and policy. Songyee participated in the AI Innovation & Entrepreneurship panel, where she joined fellow leaders from the startup and venture ecosystem to share perspectives on how entrepreneurs and investors can drive responsible and impactful AI innovation.

LEARN MORE

Try Everything 2025

September 11–12, 2025

Try Everything is a global startup festival bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and multinational companies to discuss innovation and startup ecosystem growth. Songyee participated as a speaker, offering insights on artificial intelligence, technological transformation, and global collaboration.

LEARN MORE

World Knowledge Forum 2025

September 9-11, 2025

Recognized as one of Asia’s premier global business forums, the World Knowledge Forum promotes balanced growth through knowledge exchange. Songyee was featured as a speaker and contributed her vision on the evolving AI landscape and global cooperation.

LEARN MORE

27th Symi Symposium

July 13–17, 2025

Under the 2025 theme “Pandora’s Paradox: Discovering Hope in a Turbulent World; Cultivating Peace, Democracy & Resilient Societies”, this invitation-only retreat brought together global leaders including heads of state, UN dignitaries, academics, and innovators. Songyee Yoon was the only participant representing the venture capital industry. In closed-door discussions, she shared insights on how escalating geopolitical complexities are simultaneously opening new business corridors and heightening risks.

LEARN MORE

"AGI: When and How?" at Web Summit, Vancouver

May 28, 2025

Songyee is invited to speak at the Web Summit in Vancouver, where she explores the future of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). In her talk, she examines the tangible progress being made, the persistent challenges that remain, and realistic timelines for achieving AGI—cutting through the hype to offer a grounded perspective on this long-standing goal of AI research.

LEARN MORE

Swiss-Korean Innovation Week

May 20, 2025

As part of the 8th Swiss-Korean Innovation Week on “Human Augmentation,” Songyee delivered a virtual welcome remark and contributed to organizing the workshop. She emphasized that innovation must remain human-centered and aimed at building a better society, highlighting the importance of direction—not just speed—in technology development.

LEARN MORE

LA Gaming Conference

April 28, 2025

Songyee will deliver a keynote conversation at the LA Games Conference alongside Jon Snoddy, CEO of Operative Games. As Managing Partner at Principal Venture Partners, she will share insights on the future of interactive entertainment, emerging trends in game development, and where the biggest opportunities lie for innovation and growth.

LEARN MORE

Startup Scene 2025 – The Korea Society

April 22, 2025

Songyee will deliver the keynote address at The Korea Society’s 2025 Startup Scene Forum in New York City. Titled “Startups in Focus: Driving U.S.–Korea Economic Synergy”, the forum highlights entrepreneurs advancing cross-border innovation between Korea and the U.S. Her talk will offer insights from her experience as a gaming pioneer and early-stage AI investor.

LEARN MORE

A Fireside Chat with Songyee Yoon at HBS

April 6, 2025

Songyee joins a fireside chat at Harvard Business School.
With over two decades of leadership at the intersection of AI, ethics, and interactive entertainment, she shares her perspective on how technology and purpose can come together to shape the future. As one of the most successful Asian female leaders in global tech, she reflects on what it means to build at scale, champion innovation, and lead with conviction in industries that often lack diverse representation.

LEARN MORE

Supercell AI Panel (during GDC)

March 20, 2025

Songyee was invited to speak at Supercell’s AI Panel, where she discussed the transformative impact of AI on game design, development, and player engagement. The panel brought together prominent figures in the gaming industry to share insights on the future of AI-powered experiences.

LEARN MORE

SUI Gaming Summit (during GDC)

March 18, 2025

At the SUI Gaming Summit, held during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, Songyee joined fellow leaders in gaming and Web3 to explore how blockchain and AI technologies are reshaping the gaming ecosystem. The summit focused on fostering innovation and empowering communities through decentralized platforms.

LEARN MORE

TedAI San Francisco Conference

October 22nd & 23rd, 2024

TED events bring together a group of industry leaders and change makers for unique experiences dedicated to TED's global mission of sharing meaningful new ideas. We are devoted to curiosity, reason, wonder and the pursuit of knowledge — without an agenda. We welcome people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world and connection with others. TEDAI San Francisco is curated and organized by Sam & Walter De Brouwer, in collaboration with TED.

LEARN MORE

Financial Times' Business of Entertainment Summit

September 19-20, 2024

The Financial Times’ inaugural Business of Entertainment Summit will bring together the key players across film & TV, music and gaming to find solutions to the industry’s biggest challenges, identify how collaboration can breed success and explore how businesses can capitalize on disruption.

LEARN MORE

Christie's Art + Tech Summit

July 17-18, 2024

Christie’s Art+Tech Summit is a two-day conference bringing together artists, technologists, academics, regulators and industry leaders, continuing Christie’s commitment to lead the dialogue about the role and impact of technologies in the art world.

LEARN MORE

Milken Global Conference

May, 2024

The Milken Global Conference gathers thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers to confront challenges from geopolitical tensions and the pressing climate crisis to the complexities of artificial intelligence.

LEARN MORE

GamesBeat Summit 2024

May, 2024

GamesBeat Summit brings together leaders across the spectrum of the video game industry ecosystem including entrepreneurs, talent, anchor corporations, support organizations, investment capital, and innovation enablers.

LEARN MORE

IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing

April, 2024

The world’s largest and most comprehensive technical conference focused on signal processing and its applications. Songyee will speak about AI in game development and what more will come in coming years.

LEARN MORE

Seoul Innovation Forum

Jan 9, 2024

At CES in Las Vegas, Songyee will address a gathering of business leaders to share her perspectives on AI and its implications for Korean businesses.

LEARN MORE

Future Investment Initiative (FII)

Oct 24-26, 2023

Global, inclusive and driven by data, the FII fosters great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions and actions in four critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability.

LEARN MORE

New Global Sport Conference

Oct 23, 2023

The New Global Sport Conference is a groundbreaking gathering of global leaders in the gaming, sports, and esports industries.

LEARN MORE

MIT AI conference

Oct 21, 2023

MIT AI Conference embodies MIT’s tradition of “mens et manus” - applying technology for real-world impact - by convening a cross-section of AI thought leaders including leading academics, engineers, executives, investors, and experts.

LEARN MORE

more +
"The absence of finality in AI’s framework reveals significant ethical challenges. Human decision-making is not just a product of logical reasoning. It is formed through empathy, emotional intelligence, and an understanding of social dynamics."

Books

PUBLISHED BY SONGYEE
2024

Mosaic of Minds: Navigating the Coexistence of Artificial Intelligence and Humanity

Mosaic of Minds offers thought-provoking discussions on how to develop ethical AI that benefits humanity. As AI proliferates, complex philosophical questions about right versus wrong emerge, raising concerns about potential harms. However, renowned AI experts argue that open debate and collaboration between diverse perspectives can uncover solutions hidden in differences.

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE

2024

Push Play: Gaming for a Better World

Play is in our DNA, but gaming has always had a bad rap. Since the first humans carved a game board into the dirt, we’ve been told that playing around isn’t a useful way to spend our time. But gaming pushes us to imagine what more we can become. In Push Play, readers will discover how gaming can help us craft a better world together.

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE

2022

The Most Humane Future

AI is already transforming our world: what questions should we be asking? This book taps leading scholars and AI experts from around the world to explore their views on the technology and propose new perspectives. (Korean language)

Coming in English spring 2024

LEARN MORE
‍

2021

Laughing Peanut

An inside look at the ground-breaking NCSoft Nursery School Project – The Laughing Peanut – which broke the mold on what it means for a company to provide childcare to employees. Unlike the standard corporate childcare facility, The Laughing Peanut was created specifically to attract and retain talent, with its experimental approach to design, curriculum and programming. (Korean language)

LEARN MORE

"Gamers are early adopters in nature. They desire experiences and hold high expectations for our technology adoption. Gaming has consistently been the innovation epicenter for testing new technology, including AI."

Articles & Podcasts

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FROM SONGYEE
Korean American Perspectives | September 9, 2025
Cracking the Code: A Korean American Pioneer in Tech and Artificial Intelligence

A deep-dive conversation with Songyee on the future of AI and gaming, and her journey as a Korean American leader in tech. Moderated by CKA Board members Lisa Yang and Catharina Min as part of the 2024 CKA Women’s Affinity Group webinar series, the discussion highlights her efforts to promote gender diversity, improve work-life balance for women in tech, and advocate for ethical AI development.

LISTEN HERE
The FICPA Podcast | June 23, 2025
AI Transformation in the Accounting Profession

In this episode of The CPA Intelligence and Ethics Show, Songyee explores how AI is transforming the accounting profession. She discusses the evolving responsibilities of financial professionals and emphasizes the need for ethical adoption, continuous learning, and human-centered leadership in the age of intelligent automation.

LISTEN HERE
IVE CORP | June 22, 2025
A Conversation on AI, Embedded Ethics, and Human-Centered Technology

In this in-depth conversation with IVE CORP, Songyee reflects on the long and layered history of artificial intelligence—highlighting its origins in human desire to create life and the repeated cycles of failure and resurgence. She emphasizes the importance of “human-centered science,” embedded ethics in tech education, and the risks of cultural bias and social inequity encoded in AI systems. The dialogue also touches on the need for transparent regulation, the dangers of techno-capitalist greed, and the role of media in shaping public values in the AI era.

LISTEN HERE
ThoughtStretchers Podcast w/ Drew Perkins | May 30, 2025
AI in Education

Songyee joins Drew Perkins to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping education. She discusses ethical implications, challenges in deployment, and the importance of creativity and critical thinking in an AI-powered classroom.

LISTEN HERE
The Dart Board Podcast w/ Daniel Dart | May 28, 2025
Why Gaming Matters

Songyee joins Daniel Dart on The Dart Board Podcast to discuss the transformative role of gaming in society. Drawing on her experience as a venture capitalist and former gaming executive, she explores how games drive innovation, shape culture, and offer new ways to approach complex global challenges.

LISTEN HERE
Forbes | April 24, 2024
The Flaw in Artificial Intelligence’s Limitless Potential

While AI’s power is unending, we must also consider how its decisions have a real human impact that may go against its programming.

READ MORE
Forbes | March 27, 2024
The Gaming Industry’s Edge in the Artificial Intelligence Revolution

"Artificial intelligence (AI) has been part of gaming since the early days of arcade games. It has evolved from simple decision-making processes in games like Galaga to complex systems that power today’s large and immersive gaming worlds."

READ MORE
Forbes | February 27, 2024
Playing Together: Making Work More Like a Game

"According to the most recent Gallup poll on employee engagement, only 32% of employees in today’s workforce say they are engaged at their jobs."

READ MORE
Forbes | January 29, 2024
Gaming as a Lens Into the Future

"Play has played an essential role in human evolution and development...This crucial aspect of our youth goes beyond mere entertainment; it drives us towards innovation and social breakthroughs."

READ MORE
GamesBeat | April 25, 2023
Artificial generative intelligence risks a return to cultural colonialism

"The explosive rise in the popularity of AI chatbots has brought us to a pivotal moment that will have lasting effects on our collective worldview."

READ MORE
GamesBeat | December 20, 2023
What game development methodology can teach the Biden administration about solving the COVID-19 pandemic

"Tackling the pandemic is a resource management and optimization problem. At its heart, it is a multilateral dependency puzzle ­– one that should be familiar to anyone involved in the building of games and virtual worlds."

READ MORE
Medium | December 11, 2023
Importance of Play

"Anthropologists and developmental theorists do not doubt the significant role of play in human evolution."

READ MORE
Dong-A Ilbo | June 25-September 3, 2000
Connect Series

A ten-part series on the emergence of digital life. "Moving beyond the era of imitating analog space, we now find ourselves in a period where digital technology is cultivating its own culture. The emergence of 'digital life', distinct from analog life, is imminent."

READ MORE
more +

In the News

INTERVIEWS & OTHER MEDIA COVERAGE
WSJ Pro | August 1, 2025
“AI Hiring Spree and Its Impact on Venture Capital”

In an interview with Wall Street Journal Pro, Songyee discusses the implications of aggressive AI talent acquisition, cautioning against inflated valuations and highlighting the importance of backing teams focused on disciplined execution and deep, sustainable innovation.

Read more
WSJ Pro VC Daily | June 6, 2025
“Circle’s Shares Soar; Tesla Tanks; Question of the Week”

In an interview with WSJ Pro VC Daily, Songyee shares her perspective on the future of corporate venture capital (CVC) in AI. She emphasizes the importance of trust-based partnerships between CVCs and startups, highlighting how collaboration between CVCs and traditional VCs can accelerate strategic insight and innovation in the AI ecosystem.

Read more
Axios | January 25, 2024
Songyee Yoon: Transforming gaming using responsible AI

"All this technology and the software that's being developed really reflects the perspective of those who are developing it."

Read more
The Korea Economic Daily | January 15, 2024
Interview with NCSoft President Songyee Yoon

"You cannot expect an AI trained on inherently biased data to produce unbiased output."

Read more
The Miilk | January 10, 2024
Seizing AI Sovereignty

"Korea must move faster to develop AI models."

Read more
Hankyoreh | June 22, 2023
For NCSOFT’s Yoon Songyee, fighting prejudice is about so much more than AI

"The game company’s chief strategy officer shares her thoughts on AI and being a working mother."

Read more
Chosun Ilbo | March 2nd, 2023
A Conversation between Songyee Yoon and Tod Machover, Professor of MIT Media Lab

"In the current age of Artificial Intelligence, the significance of human creativity has become paramount. Now, more than ever, we need to shift our emphasis in education towards nurturing 'small c' creativity, which encapsulates everyday problem-solving and innovative thinking..."

Read more
Maeil Economic Newspaper | October 19, 2022
A conversation between Songyee Yoon and Esther Wojocicki

"Children who are encouraged to take risks and not fear failure often have the highest chances of succeeding in their endeavors. This approach fosters resilience and adaptability, critical traits for navigating life's challenges."

Read more
Design House | March 2022
The Gaming Industry is the Darling of Design

"NCSoft President Songyee Yoon, an outstanding engineer and artificial intelligence expert, says that games are the crown jewel of design. She considers the convergence of technology and design to be natural and does not distinguish between developers and designers."

Read more
Forbes | June 12, 2017
NCSoft Goes West: How The Korean Video Game Giant Is Translating Success

"In 1998, a startup called NCSoft launched one of the most popular video games of all time, although you've probably never heard of it."

Read more

Chosun Ilbo | December 17th, 2011
A Conversation between Songyee Yoon and John Maeda, President of RISD

"The role of artists will become more important in the 21st century. While science and technology drove development in the 20th century, designers and artists can lead the creative economy with the assistance of AI and other tools."

Read more

more +

Contact

Seoul | San Francisco | Boston | Miami | New York
contact@principalvc.com