While K-Beauty has taken social media by storm, most of the narrative targets Gen Z and Millennials. In this 20-minute session, I share my journey as a 50 Hispanic man individual navigating complex Korean skincare regimens while learning video editing and social media algorithms from scratch. I’ll unpack the real friction points—from overwhelming ingredient lists to fast-paced creator tools—alongside the massive market opportunity brands miss when ignoring mature consumers eager to adopt modern trends.
What happens when two strangers, connected only by a shared love of K-pop, choose to study somewhere neither of them speaks the language, instead of the well-trodden path most students take? In this session, we'll walk through our journey from fandom to friendship to career pivot, and the lessons in resilience and collaboration we picked up along the way.
Format: Presentation-style narrative walkthrough with photos, followed by open Q&A. 30 minutes total, structured as:
What brought us to Korea (3 min): how a shared interest in K-pop turned into a decision to study abroad somewhere unconventional, and why we chose the harder, less familiar option over an easier one.
How we met at Yonsei (4 min): photos and memories from meeting each other as strangers on the same path, and how that friendship formed fast, under pressure, without much shared context to start from.
Cultural & everyday challenges (6 min): the real, on-the-ground moments: language barriers, cultural misreads, and daily frictions of navigating a new country together, and how we worked through them as a team.
What we learned / takeaways (5 min): how trust gets built between people without a shared frame of reference, how to make decisions with incomplete information, and how discomfort became a source of growth rather than something to avoid.
How this shaped our careers (4 min): the direct throughline from that trip to where we are professionally now, and why we think unconventional experiences like this are underrated as career-building moments.
Q&A (8 min)
This session explores how the Santos Bravos Dual community has grown from a shared passion for music into a multicultural community with its own sense of identity and belonging. We will discuss how Duals from different cultural backgrounds come together, connect through their shared love for Santos Bravos, celebrate their diverse identities, and create meaningful relationships beyond fandom.
The session will be an interactive conversation combining storytelling, real experiences, and audience participation. We will begin by introducing the Dual community and how it has grown, followed by a discussion about cultural identity, belonging, and the role of shared passions in bringing people together. We will also share examples of fan-led initiatives and community activities that demonstrate collaboration, creativity, and leadership.
The fans club Santos Bravos US
The 30-minute session :
• 5 minutes – Introduction to the Santos Bravos Dual community
• 10 minutes – Culture, identity, and belonging within the community
• 10 minutes – Real stories, community projects, and fan leadership
• 5 minutes – Audience reflection and discussion
The goal is to show how a fan community can become much more than fandom: a space where people from different backgrounds can connect, celebrate culture, build friendships, and create a shared identity.
Speakers : Mirella & Rosa
