Seoul Business Agency launched a premium CEO community program called "SBA Founders Round" on March 25, convening roughly 40 CEOs and executives at the Seoul Startup Hub Gangnam Scale-up Center. The initiative targets growth-stage corporations preparing for scale-up, with a structure built around peer exchange and practical collaboration rather than classroom-style instruction.
The program's name reflects its design: "Round" signals a roundtable format where horizontal, open discussion replaces top-down lectures, while also referencing the fundraising "series round" - a nod to the capital-raising dynamics these companies face as they eye global expansion.
What the seven-session program covers
SBA Founders Round will run seven sessions through the year, tackling the core agendas that define the scale-up phase. Topics include AI innovation, organizational design and leadership, global market entry, business scaling mechanics, policy utilization, and exit strategies. The second session, scheduled for April 2, features former KT Executive Vice President Shin Soo-jung speaking on the systems and leadership required to sustain growth as organizations expand.
The March 25 kickoff drew attendees from promising startups and innovative corporations across Seoul. SBA CEO Kim Hyun-woo and SamproTV CEO Kim Dong-hwan were among the participants. The half-day event moved through an opening session, keynote lecture, Q&A, and structured networking.
AI agents reshape the strategy conversation
The first keynote came from Professor Shin In-sik of the KAIST School of Computing, who also serves as CEO of Fluiz. He addressed a question that sits at the center of current executive planning: "In the era of AI agents, how are corporate growth strategies changing?" Shin outlined how the spread of AI agent technology is rewriting competitive dynamics and detailed approaches companies can use to build defensible positions.
The networking session that followed moved from theory to practice. CEOs shared their growth trajectories and current management challenges, identifying specific points where collaboration between companies could unlock faster progress. For executives navigating similar transitions, pairing peer exchange with structured frameworks from resources such as AI Learning Path for CEOs can turn high-level AI awareness into concrete operational planning.
"Beyond a simple education program"
Kim Hyun-woo, CEO of SBA, characterized the initiative in practical terms: "SBA Founders Round is SBA's premium CEO community that explores the next stage of corporate growth and seeks new opportunities amid a rapidly changing business environment." He added that SBA plans to "expand practical support and opportunities for consolidation so that corporations can continue to grow."
Why this matters for executives and strategy
Scale-up CEOs operate in a narrow band where generic startup advice no longer fits and large-enterprise frameworks introduce bureaucracy they cannot afford. Peer communities structured around shared growth stages fill a gap that advisory boards and accelerators rarely cover - candid exchange about what breaks during rapid scaling, which hires matter most, and how leadership bandwidth gets allocated when everything competes for attention.
The presence of an AI-focused opening keynote signals where SBA sees the strategic pressure point. AI agent technology changes cost structures, service delivery models, and the speed at which competitive moats erode. For leadership teams building their AI fluency alongside their growth plans, structured learning paths like AI for Executives & Strategy offer a way to bridge the gap between technical awareness and board-level decision-making - without waiting for the next scheduled roundtable.
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