Pitch Day Fall 2025
The SHIA Pitch Day Fall 2025 Program is a transformative 10-week mentorship initiative designed to empower aspiring Korean American culinary entrepreneurs to launch their first restaurant. From September to December 2025, participants receive intensive training in business strategy, finance, design, operations, and pitching, along with personalized one-on-one coaching and expert chef sessions. The program culminates in a Pitch Day on December 22, 2025 where participants present their concepts to a panel of investors, with the winner receiving a $5,000 cash prize to kickstart their business. This program focuses on nurturing the entrepreneur and their unique culinary vision, whatever the cuisine.
This cohort is made possible thanks to the generous support of the YS Kim Foundation and Naeil Foundation. A huge shoutout to our sponsors for supporting the next generation of Korean Americans.
Important Dates
Application window: August 19 to September 19, 2025
Final Selection Announced: by end of September 2025
Welcome Session (Virtual): September 30, 2025
Program (Hybrid): September 30 to mid-December 2025
Pitch Day (In-Person at SHIA): December 22, 2025
Pitch Day Judges
Pitch Day Guest Speakers
& Partners
SHIA would like to recognize and thank all our guest speakers and partners for
their contributions to SHIA's Pitch Day.
Chef Jung-Yoon Choi
Chef Jung-Yoon Choi is the Korea Chair for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, bridging global culinary dialogue with Korea’s vibrant food culture. She is a chef, culinary researcher and cookbook writer with more than 26 years of experience across Spain, Australia, and Korea. Trained at El Bulli and the Alicia Foundation, she now leads the Sempio Korean Fermentation & Culinary Research Center in Korea. She is also the founder of the NANRO Foundation, a non-profit supporting the next generation across the culinary field and fostering cross-cultural exchange through cuisine. As co-author of The Korean Cookbook, JY brings the depth and diversity of Korean cuisine to a global audience.
Chef Sungchul Shim
Chef Sungchul Shim is one of New York City’s most exciting culinary talents, known for redefining Korean cuisine with precision, creativity, and edge. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Shim sharpened his skills in some of New York’s most prestigious kitchens—including Le Bernardin, Per Se, Aureole, and Gordon Ramsay—before stepping into the spotlight with his own restaurants, Kochi and Mari, both earning coveted Michelin stars.
Chef Shim’s philosophy centers on intentionality and balance—where every ingredient, whether humble or luxurious, is honored for its natural integrity and cultural roots. His food reflects a deep respect for tradition, paired with a constant curiosity to evolve and reimagine.
Today, with GUI Steakhouse and soon to open Chef's Table, Hwaro, Chef Shim continues to shape New York’s culinary scene—offering immersive, fire-driven experiences that resonate with discerning diners and food lovers seeking something soulful, elevated, and undeniably original.
Dan Simons
Dan Simons is co-creator and co-Owner of the Farmers Restaurant Group in partnership with the North Dakota Farmers Union. Their goal is to generate profits for American family farmers, earn farmers a larger share of the food dollar, and influence the sourcing decisions of suppliers and others in the hospitality industry. They operate eight sustainably-run restaurants, one DC-based distillery, and a full service catering and event design company. Simons is regarded as a leading voice in mission-driven business practices, known for championing people-centric culture and responsible industry standards while developing systems that deliver profitability. He teaches courses at The George Washington University, hosts the Founding DC podcast, and sits on the advisory boards of the DC chapter of Conscious Capitalism, OpenTable, and the Health Action Alliance Women's Health at Work Program.
Chef Ji Hye Kim
Chef Ji Hye Kim is the award-winning chef/owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, MI. Named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2021 and a James Beard Award Best Chef National and Great Lakes semifinalist 20, 22, 23, 24 and 25, Ji Hye aims to broaden the understanding of Korean cuisine through her cooking. Ji Hye is committed to prioritizing food security, fair wage, and equity in the industry, and has been admitted and completed programs like James Beard Chef Boot Camp for Policy Change and Food Lab Detroit’s Fellowship for Change in Food and Labor. Additionally, she is a female founder and entrepreneur and has been a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and a James Beard Foundation’s Women Entrepreneur and Leadership Program cohort.
Ad Cucina
Design and Brand Consulting
Patterson CPA
Business Accounting
Consulting
Prestige Ledroit Distributing Co.
Restaurant Beverage and
Alcohol Consulting
Eleven Eleven PR
PR & Marketing
EDENS
Eligibility
We are looking for three individuals who are ready to turn their culinary dreams into a business. The ideal candidate:
- Is at least 21 years of age.
- Is a Korean American or Korean Diaspora.
- Works in the hospitality industry as a chef or sous chef.
- Wants to open their first restaurant business.
- Has a clear concept for their business.
- Is collaborative, open to feedback, authentic, diligent, and dedicated.
For questions about Pitch Day, please contact:
Monica H. Kang, Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer
