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Exploring Social Innovation Career-Up Internship\n\nFourth Interview from 4-Month Aligned Journey\n\nUnderdogs CEO-Intern Interview\n\n# The boundary between social innovation companies and profit-pursuing general corporations is becoming blurred. Solving social problems has become an essential value that both general corporations and social innovation companies must pursue. This also suggests that there are increasingly more social innovation companies that young people can knock on the door of.\n\n# The problem is that recruitment difficulties in social innovation companies remain severe. The stereotype that 'pursuing social value means low wages but plenty of work' acts as a barrier to hiring. For this reason, we are paying attention to the process and results of the Social Innovation Career-Up Internship Program conducted by the Catholic University of Korea. It is an opportunity to remove prejudices surrounding social innovation companies.\n\n# In the fourth story of 'Youth and Innovation Companies - 4 Months of Alignment,' 27-year-old Ha-eun Song, who has been focused on preparing for the civil service exam after graduation, met Jo Sang-rae (38), CEO of Underdogs. How are these two people coordinating their dreams?\n\n[※Reference: The purpose of the 'Social Innovation Career-Up Internship Program' is to provide recent graduates and prospective graduates with opportunities to work in the social innovation field, and to provide social innovation companies with opportunities to recruit prepared talent. This program was planned by the Catholic University of Korea with support from the Life Insurance Social Contribution Committee-Kyobo Life's Non-Profit Sector Public Interest Activities Support Project. Seven social innovation companies—MarksPhone, Mither, Social Balance, Adi, Underdogs, Yearmot Sharing Foundation, and Plan M (in alphabetical order)—and 10 young people participated.]\n\n✚ The name 'Underdogs' is interesting. What kind of company is it?\n\nCEO Jo Sang-rae (hereinafter referred to as CEO Jo): "Underdogs is a content and community company specializing in entrepreneurship education. We teach everything from the initial stages of materializing business ideas to processes necessary after starting a business, including consulting and space planning. Among early-stage entrepreneurs receiving entrepreneurship education, many pursue social value. Underdogs pursues social value through entrepreneurship education."\n\n✚ 'Pursuing social value through entrepreneurship education?' That sounds somewhat unfamiliar as a philosophy.\n\nCEO Jo: "Is that so? Let me explain more simply. There are more entrepreneurs trying to solve social problems, environmental issues, and regional issues than you might think. However, most of them face difficulties in the process of defining and materializing the items needed for their business. We help these entrepreneurs develop the stamina and capabilities to solve social problems. We are pursuing social innovation through business consulting."\n\nUnderdogs' business approach is somewhat different from social enterprises that directly solve social problems, but the results exceed expectations. Among the companies that received entrepreneurship education from Underdogs, 32 were designated as social enterprises (January 2014-November 2021). 96 companies that completed Underdogs' entrepreneurship education were selected for the social entrepreneur development project. Underdogs' goal of pursuing social innovation through entrepreneurship has become a reality.\n\n✚ What prompted you to participate in the Social Innovation Career-Up Internship Program?\n\nCEO Jo: "First and foremost, I had a strong desire to meet good people. As time went on, it became harder to find good colleagues. At the right time, a professor from Catholic University made a direct proposal, and I felt attracted to the opportunity to meet young people who understand social innovation enterprises. So I participated in this program. And intern Ha-eun Song, whom I met that way, is doing very well."\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "After graduating from university, I continued preparing for the civil service examination. I was very interested in environmental and human rights issues, so I prepared for the exam in those areas. However, I realized that solving these problems isn't limited to policymaking. After that, I looked for companies where I could think together about social problems, and through that process, I learned about the internship program."\n\n✚ Was there a reason for choosing Underdogs?\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "While researching the companies participating in the program, I happened to see an interview with the CEO. After hearing what was mentioned in that interview, I wanted to work at Underdogs."\n\n✚ What was the content?\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "It was an interview about how starting a social enterprise rather than a general company means you must think together about how to solve social problems. I thought it would be meaningful to start my career at a company where I could think about solutions to social problems."\n\n✚ What kind of work is intern Ha-eun Song doing at Underdogs?\n\nCEO Jo: "She is participating in the 'Aegis Impact Stage' program, which works with Aegis Asset Management. It's a business that fosters social ventures that recreate spaces to create social value."\n\n✚ Are you satisfied with intern Ha-eun Song's abilities?\n\nCEO Jo: "Of course. I'm very satisfied. Underdogs often works with companies or institutions when planning and starting a creation project. Since you have to work with various people, communication is more important than anything else. Intern Ha-eun Song is playing a significant role in this aspect. There is praise that she works clearly, accurately, and quickly."\n\n✚ Are you satisfied with working at Underdogs as an intern?\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "Yes. I'm truly satisfied."\n\nCEO Jo Sang-rae of Underdogs (right) and intern Ha-eun Song. [Photo = The Scoop Photo]\n\n✚ Wasn't it difficult when you first encountered this work?\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "The most surprising thing when working at Underdogs was that the company meticulously records the projects it has undertaken so that successors can refer to them. Senior colleagues also teach carefully by referencing previous cases when giving instructions. Working wasn't that difficult."\n\n✚ Then does intern Ha-eun Song see through the project she's currently in charge of?\n\nCEO Jo: "Yes. The Underdogs team system involves fully focusing on work from the start of a project until it ends. The scale of the project that intern Ha-eun Song is in charge of is quite large, so it seems she will work exclusively on this project."\n\n✚ It seems there might be some regret that intern Ha-eun Song doesn't get to experience various projects.\n\nIntern Ha-eun Song: "As the CEO said, the project I'm involved in has a long duration and large scale. As a result, there is a lot and variety of work to be done within it. Just by observing senior colleagues' work from the side..."\n