Open to opportunities · 2026

Ye🦋on
Hong

Systems thinker. Product builder.
Data architect.

Yewon H. builds systems where AI, data, and product execution converge — from rebuilding automotive aftermarket ops with GenAI to shipping LLM infrastructure at NAVER Cloud.

Math-CS @ UCSD · HL Mando · NAVER Cloud · CES 2× Exhibitor

N Full deep-dive in Notion Projects · Research · Full context
40%+
Data Quality ↑
15h
Saved / Week
CES ×2
Exhibitor
Awards Won
[ PM + DATA ARCHITECT ]
Transforming fragmented ops into scalable, GenAI-powered systems.
[ CES 2025 EXHIBITOR ]
Hyundai MOBIS · Global Top-10 Automotive Supplier.
40%+
Missing Attributes Reduced
10–15h
Saved per Week via Automation
CES ×2
Global Stage Exhibitor
HyperCLOVA
NAVER LLM — Backend/AI Dev + TPM
Hackathon & Competition Awards
The Story So Far

4 Acts. One through-line.

Every chapter follows the same pattern: understand the system deeply, then build something that makes it work better.

Act 1 · 2021–2022
Understanding Systems from the Inside
UCSD · Big Data Program · Fasoo Internship
Started by learning how data systems actually work — not from a textbook, but by building them. Big Data infrastructure program at UCSD, software engineering internship at Fasoo (Seoul), and personal projects in Flutter, Python, and C++.
Big Data Infrastructure
Act 2 · 2022–2023
Testing Ideas in the Real World
Betcha · Hyundai Cradle · CES 2024 w/ Grinda AI
Got curious about where AI was going to matter. Deep research into GAN/VAE architectures, LLM quantization, B2B SaaS landscape — while simultaneously testing ideas: Betcha startup pitch circuit, 2nd-place hackathon at Hyundai Cradle, and first exhibition at CES 2024 with Grinda AI.
Sports → Social → Debate: Our Bet Story
Act 3 · 2023
Getting Inside the Machine
NAVER Cloud — HyperCLOVA X TPM Intern
Got inside the machine — Backend/AI Developer and Tech PM on HyperCLOVA X. Showed me what it actually takes to ship AI products at scale. The GenAI research I'd done independently gave me the context to ask better questions and contribute faster.
NAVER Cloud Role
Act 4 · 2024–Present
Owning the Full Stack
HL Mando Aftermarket NA — Full-time
Data architecture, automation pipelines, and GenAI validation for a global product catalog. 40%+ reduction in missing attributes, 10–15 hours saved weekly through automation, and a return to the global stage at CES 2025 with Hyundai MOBIS.
Full Story
Professional Experience

Where I've Shipped.

Click each role to see the full breakdown — the problem, my role, what I built, and the impact.

🚗
HL Mando Aftermarket North America
Product & Technology · Data & Catalog Strategy
Full-time · 2024 – Present · Irvine, CA
Product ManagementData Architecture Gen AIB2B/E-commerce AutomationERD Modeling
40%+ attrs improved
15h saved/week
TL;DR — Walked into a fragmented automotive product data operation and rebuilt it end-to-end: ERD-based data architecture, Python/VBA/UiPath automation, and a GenAI validation layer. Result: 40%+ fewer missing attributes, 10–15 hrs/week recovered from manual work, and a catalog that scales. This is Act 4 — every prior chapter converges here.
The Problem

The automotive aftermarket catalog ran on scattered spreadsheets, manual re-entry across Amazon VC / AAP / WHI, and no consistent data model. SKU–MSS–ASIN mappings were fragile. Amazon rejections were frequent. Promotion cycles required heroic effort.

My Role

Took ownership of the full lifecycle. Designed a relational ERD spanning SKU, MSS, ASIN, Fitment (ACES), and Attributes (PIES). Built automation in Python, VBA, and UiPath. Embedded a GenAI validation layer for attribute completeness and fitment accuracy. Coordinated between Amazon VSP, suppliers, sales, and engineering.

ERD Data Architecture

10-layer relational model: Core Product (SKU) → Distribution (MSS/PTNO) → Marketplace (Amazon ASIN, AAP, WHI) → Fitment (ACES/PIES) → Media → Pricing & Promotions → Inventory → Returns → AI Validation Log → Automation Tasks.

GenAI & Automation Layer

AI-assisted catalog validation for missing attributes and incorrect fitment. LLM-based error explanation for Amazon/AAP rejections. VBA/RPA + LLM hybrid automation for documentation. Rule-based + LLM-assisted product evaluation prototypes.

40%+ missing attributes/images reduced
10–15h/week saved through automation
Amazon & AAP rejection rates
CES 2025 w/ Hyundai MOBIS
SKU–MSS–ASIN structure rebuilt
PythonVBAUiPath RPASQL ERD ModelingACES/PIESAmazon Vendor Central AAPGenAI/LLMSmartsheetOpenAI APIpandas
🍀
NAVER Cloud — HyperCLOVA X
Backend / AI Developer + Technical PM Intern
Internship · 2023 · Gyeonggi, Korea
LLMAI Product Development Gen AISoftware EngineeringProduct Management
Act 3
TL;DR — Backend/AI Developer and Tech PM on HyperCLOVA X — NAVER's large language model platform. Got inside how a top-tier AI product is actually built and shipped at scale. Specific details are under NDA, but the learning was foundational. The GenAI research I'd done independently gave me the context to ask better questions and contribute faster.
The Problem

Most people who talk about AI products have never worked inside one. I wanted to understand what it actually takes to ship a production LLM product — the engineering decisions, the product trade-offs, the gap between research and deployment at enterprise scale.

My Role

Dual role as Backend/AI Developer and Technical PM on HyperCLOVA X SaaS. Details under NDA — but the work touched real LLM infrastructure, SaaS platform management, AI product lifecycle coordination, and shipped products used at scale in Korea.

Shipped on HyperCLOVA X production LLM
Bridge role: Engineering ↔ Product
Attended N23 — NAVER Cloud annual conference
Foundation for GenAI at HL Mando
HyperCLOVA XLLM Systems Backend DevelopmentAI Product ManagementSaaS Infrastructure
💾
Fasoo
Software Engineering Intern
Internship · 2022 · Seoul, Korea
Software EngineeringSoftware DevelopmentResearch
Act 1
TL;DR — Software Engineering internship at Fasoo, a leading Korean enterprise data security and DRM company. Contributed to software development while building foundational technical skills — the start of understanding how production systems are built from the inside.
Context

Fasoo is an enterprise data security and digital rights management (DRM) company serving global clients across government, finance, and tech. Exposure to real production enterprise software, data handling at scale, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Connects to Act 1

The internship established a concrete understanding of how production software systems work — bridging UCSD coursework to real-world engineering. This hands-on foundation directly enabled the technical depth I brought to NAVER Cloud and HL Mando.

Software EngineeringEnterprise DRM/SecurityProduction Systems
🎰
Betcha — iGaming Discuss Forum
General Manager for Development · PM & Backend Tech Lead
Startup · 2023 · Product + Engineering
Product ManagementSoftware Development AI Product DevelopmentWeb PlatformBusiness Development
Act 2
TL;DR — B2C/B2B web platform for the iGaming space. Served as General Manager for Development — leading backend architecture, team management, dev sprints, and product strategy. Pitched to investors at STEP-UP 2023 (Newport Beach) and UKC 2023 (Dallas, TX).
My Role

Full ownership of product roadmap and backend engineering sprints. Team Management, Task Management, and Back-End Engineering as Tech Lead. Full stack: Frontend, Backend, DevOps, Data Science/ML, and Stock modeling.

Stage Moments

Pitched Betcha's market disruption strategy to investors and industry leaders at STEP-UP 2023 (Newport Beach). Then took it to UKC 2023 in Dallas, TX — one of the largest Korean-American professional conferences globally.

Full-stack WebBackend Engineering Product ManagementBusiness DevelopmentInvestor Pitching
Stage Presence

Where Research Meets the Real World.

Global conferences, competitions, and exhibitions — from Las Vegas trade shows to university hackathons.

⭐ Global Flagship
CES 2025
w/ Hyundai MOBIS
The world's largest consumer tech show. Represented Hyundai MOBIS — a global top-10 automotive supplier — at Venetian Expo, Las Vegas. The culmination of Act 4's work.
January 2025 · Venetian Expo, Las Vegas, NV
First Exhibition
CES 2024
w/ Grinda AI
Brought an early-stage AI startup to CES 2024. First time taking a product I believed in to a global audience — as a co-founder and exhibitor, not just an attendee.
January 2024 · Venetian Expo, Las Vegas, NV
Exhibitions & Industry Events
2025.11
AAPEX 2025
Venetian Expo, Las Vegas · Automotive Aftermarket Expo
2025.09
AWS Summit LA 2025
Los Angeles Convention Center
2024.11
AAPEX 2024
Venetian Expo, Las Vegas · First AAPEX exhibition
2023.11
N23 — NAVER Cloud Conference
Gyeonggi, Korea · Annual developer conference
Competitions & Talks
🥇
Health-App Product Management Ideathon
Product strategy for a health application · Oct 2022
1st Prize
🥈
B2C/B2B Platform for PBV — Hyundai Cradle
Check-in/out platform for Purpose Built Vehicles · Mountain View · Jan 2023
2nd Place
🥉
SoCal Korean American Software Pioneer
ML solutions for underserved populations · USC, LA · Jul 2023
3rd Place
TALK
AV Tech Presenter — AI/ML in Autonomous Vehicles
Alongside engineers from Google and Meta · Jul 2023
PITCH
Betcha @ STEP-UP 2023 + UKC 2023
Newport Beach · Dallas, TX · Investor pitches
Research & Market Intelligence

How I Stay Ahead.

Every study here connects to something I later built or shipped. Research isn't separate from the work — it's how I understand what to build next.
🗄️
Data Structure & Algorithm
Systems & Infrastructure Depth
→ Connected to: ERD work at HL Mando, automation pipeline design, Python scripts for data validation.
🤖
Generative AI
LLMs, Multimodality & GenAI Strategy
→ Connected to: NAVER HyperCLOVA X internship, GenAI validation layer at HL Mando.
🧠
Deep Learning & Computer Vision
Neural Architectures & AI Systems
→ Connected to: NAVER on-device AI context, LLM quantization understanding.
📊
Market Intelligence
Industry Signals & Product Trends
  • JetBrains Developer Ecosystem 2025 (24,534 global devs)
  • AI Jazz Performance × Human-AI Synergy research
  • AI × Art analysis — MoMA "Unsupervised" exhibition
  • Automotive aftermarket domain: VIO, ACES/PIES, B2B catalog
→ Connected to: Translating insights into real value; AI-human relationship framing that shapes product decisions.
Personal Projects

Things I've Built.

01
Automated Data Validator
GenAI-powered validation pipeline for product catalog data. LLM batch script detecting semantic inconsistencies in automotive part descriptions — mismatched fitment, wrong unit types, duplicates. Directly deployed at HL Mando.
PythonOpenAI APIpandas
02
ERD-Based Catalog Data Model
Entity-relationship diagram restructuring HL Mando's aftermarket product data architecture. Mapped relationships: part numbers ↔ vehicle fitment ↔ attributes ↔ supplier data. Foundation for the 40%+ attribute quality improvement.
ERDSQLData Modeling
03
League of Legends Spell Cooldown Checker
Real-time spell cooldown tracking tool with a responsive, game-integrated user experience. Built in Flutter/Dart as an early mobile app project.
FlutterDart
04
HandIn — Realtime Chat Application
Real-time chat platform built with Kivy/Python. Explored real-time data sync, state management, and multi-user interaction design patterns.
PythonKivy
05
Mosaic Generator — MFC Application
C++ MFC desktop application that algorithmically generates mosaic images from source photos. Maps image tiles to create pixelated mosaic art.
C++MFC
Startup Experience

Building Before the Blueprint.

Two ventures where I tested ideas at the intersection of product thinking, engineering, and real-world markets.

🎯
Betcha — Startup Pitch Circuit
2023 · STEP-UP & UKC · PM & Tech Lead
B2C/B2B web platform for the iGaming discussion space. Led product strategy, backend engineering, and investor pitching across two major conferences in 2023.
PM & Tech Lead: Full ownership of product roadmap + backend engineering sprints
STEP-UP 2023 investor pitch — Newport Beach
UKC 2023 global stage — Dallas TX
🌐
Grinda AI — CES 2024 Exhibitor
January 2024 · Co-founder · Las Vegas, NV
Brought an early-stage AI startup to CES 2024. First time taking a product I believed in to a global audience as an exhibitor, not just an attendee.
Exhibited at CES 2024, Venetian Expo, Las Vegas
Early-stage AI product on the world's most influential tech stage
Connected Act 2 (testing ideas) to Act 4 (building at scale)
Tech Stack & Skills

The tools that power the work.

From data architecture and GenAI to automotive data standards and automation.

🦋
About

Yewon Hong

Yewon Hong Yewon Hong
Emailyewonhong311@gmail.com
in
LinkedInyewonhong
GitHubyewonh311
📱
Mobile+1 858-531-9935
🎓
EducationMath-CS @ UC San Diego
📋
NotionFull Portfolio ↗

Yewon H. builds systems where AI, data, and product execution converge. My work begins with a simple principle: "The Power of Record-Keeping" — every decision I make starts with understanding the system.

From studying Big Data infrastructure at UCSD to rebuilding automotive aftermarket operations with GenAI, each chapter of my career follows the same pattern: understand the system deeply, then build something that makes it work better.

My differentiator is the ability to sit at the intersection of technical depth and product strategy — translating between systems and stakeholders, between data and decisions.

Writing Journey
"Where words, numbers, and meaning intertwine."

Writing is exploration, not just expression. I write to understand patterns: in people, data, and the subtle connections between logic and emotion. Sometimes code that tells stories through structure. Other times, essays tracing how language mirrors intelligence — both human and artificial.
→ @yzylife_iz
Interests
🎵 Music
📚 Writing & Literature
🎨 AI × Art
🦋 Aesthetics
🤖 Human-AI Synergy
🏙️ NYC / Culture
☕ Coffee
🏃 Running
🪴 Space Design