FAQS

UKF is a 501(c)(6) trade association — the largest network of Korean-heritage founders in the United States. We are the hub of the K-startup ecosystem, encompassing entrepreneurs, investors, supporters, and professionals from the Korean-American innovation community.

Anyone with a connection to the Korean-heritage startup ecosystem. Our four member categories are: Startup, Investor, Supporter, and Professional. You don't need to be Korean to join — we welcome allies and ecosystem partners.

Yes. UKF is a 501(c)(6) trade association. Membership dues are not tax-deductible charitable contributions, but may be deductible as ordinary business expenses. Consult your tax advisor.

Your Category (Startup, Investor, Supporter, Professional) describes what you are. Your Tier (Community, Member, Startup, Corporate, Patron) describes your level of membership benefits. Not all tiers are available to all categories.

Yes. The Community tier is free and gives you a public directory listing, basic profile, and event notifications.

Membership dues up to Corporate Partner are processed securely via Stripe. Corporate Premier and Patron memberships are handled through our team — use the Contact Us form to get started.

Yes. You can upgrade to a higher tier at any time from your Account page. For Corporate Premier and above, please contact us at contact@UKF.net.

Both individuals and organizations can join. However, all members must select an organization during registration. The first person to register under an organization becomes its admin, and admin rights can be transferred.

Yes. The organization admin can invite team members to join under the same subscription. Paid plans are managed at the organization level.

The directory is a searchable database of UKF members — startups, investors, supporters, and professionals. It's designed for discovery and connection.

The Public directory shows limited profile fields (name, company, tagline) to anyone visiting the site. Full profiles — including contact info, intent tags, and detailed bios — are visible only to logged-in members, based on tier.

Each member can select up to 3 intent tags (Needs and Offers) from a curated list. These tags power our matching system, helping you find members who need what you offer, and vice versa.

Yes. You control which fields are displayed. Some information (e.g., contact details) is only visible to members at certain tiers, not to the general public.

Visit the Events & Resources page for a calendar of upcoming events, meetups, and programs.

Corporate Premier and above members can submit events for listing on the UKF calendar. Submissions require admin approval before publishing.

Higher-tier members can request that UKF facilitate a personal introduction to another member. Click the "Request Warm Intro" button on a member's profile, and our team will coordinate!

We follow industry-standard security practices. Payment processing is handled by Stripe — UKF never stores your credit card details. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Go to Account Settings and select "Delete Account." You will receive a confirmation email. Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Email: contact@UKF.net | Address: 345 E 73rd St 12A, New York, NY | Or use the Contact Us form on the website.

For partnership, sponsorship, or Patron-level membership inquiries, please reach out via the Contact Us form or email contact@UKF.net. Our team will follow up directly.