Meet The Team
CEO
Founder & CEO
Heoak Lee
Heoak's deep-rooted passion for sharing Korean culture gave birth to the idea of hosting KoreaFest.
After 37 years of representing the Korean community, she has learned to overcome many obstacles and obstructions. She has established herself as the face of the Korean community in the greater Raleigh area and has put Raleigh, NC, on the K-Wave map with NC KoreaFest being dubbed ‘K-Con of the South’.
Board
Director of Organizational Strategy
Audreyanne Covarrubias
Audreyanne Covarrubias is a professional dancer, dance teacher, and performer with a diverse skill set that includes ballet, LA-style Jazz dance, tap dancing, Korean dancing, Samul nori drumming, and accompanist. She started studying ballet at age 4 and eventually became a professional dancer, a career which took her to perform overseas. She began her study of the Korean traditional drum, Changgu, while living in Korea and working as a professional dancer at the Lotte Hotel, Pusan.
Director of Social Media & Content Creation
Emmeline Osuyah
This is my fourth year on the InWave team! I bring a blend of creative leadership skills to our social media and strategic mindset for the logistics of our events. I hold a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Marketing. I balance my time at InWave with my professional role as a National Account Coordinator. My passion for Korean culture started with love for the food! I’m looking forward to supporting the growth of the new team members and the future of InWave!
Director of Vendor Relations & Competition
Kathryn Poulsen
Hello there! My name is Kathryn, and this is my third year with InWave! After getting into K-Pop and Korean culture in 2020 and studying abroad in Seoul in 2022, I now want to continue to share my passion for Korean culture. With a background in communications and event planning, I am excited to bring my expertise to the InWave team. I can’t wait for everyone to have the best time ever at all of our events!
Director of Outreach & Digital Experience
Dae TerBush
안녕 여러분! I am a professor of Korean History who focuses on Korea in the 19th-Mid 20th century. I was first introduced to Korean culture back in 2012 when Block B released "Nillili Mambo", played Mystic Messenger in 2016, and since then I have been really into Korean manhwas, dramas, and all other sorts of Korean media! I look forward to supporting InWave and sharing Korean culture and history with you all!
Managers
Manager of Competition & Digital Experience
Nylah Belk
Hi, my name is Nylah. This is my second year with InWave. As I return to the InWave team as Manager of Competition & Digital Experience, I'm excited to continue giving back to and growing our community. Recently, I've become a VCU & Yonsei University alumnus with a B.S. in Computer Science. Outside of building websites and apps, I love to channel my creativity through dance, which perfectly explains both of my roles. My love for dance began when I had barely learned to walk, and it's only grown deeper since then. I'm looking forward to making new memories, exchanging culture with the InWave team and community members, and reaching new heights with the team.
Manager of Intern Relations
Hannah Bolton
Hi! My name is Hannah! This is my 3rd year with InWave!! I have grown and learned a lot in my time with InWave. My main goal this year is to grow my social media designs! I look forward to seeing what I can accomplish this year.
Fun fact: I have a cochlear implant so I can choose to hear when I want to!!!
Co-Manager of Event Organization
Madison Curry
Hello, my name is Maddy! This is my second year at InWave now, and I’m so excited for this year! I’m returning as a co-event manager, and I couldn’t be more excited! I've had a love for Korean Culture since 2017, and I’ve continued my journey since then! I hope to travel to Korea next year and put the little amount of Korean I’ve learned to good use. Outside of InWave, I study communications, and I’m currently a marketing specialist/event coordinator for a small business! I love dancing, cooking, and I love film! (and Sanrio anything) :)
Manager of Creative Branding & Vendor Relations
Emu Heath
Hey there! I’m honored to be part of InWave for a second year, bringing my knowledge of graphic design to the team’s branding and creative solutions. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design from Full Sail University and have also worked alongside others in the NC K-pop community, hosting events and meetups since Fall 2024. My passion for community, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion started at a very young age and has grown exponentially since being introduced to the K-pop community and international cultures in 2017. I look forward to connecting with everyone and hope you enjoy your experience at our events!
Manager of Social Media
Kate Mallett
Hi everyone! My name is Kate, and I’m excited to join InWave as the Social Media Manager! Outside of InWave, I work in biomedical research and am also a freelance digital artist who loves illustration, character design, and finding new ways to express creativity.
My love for Korean culture grew while living and teaching in South Korea, where I had the opportunity to experience the culture firsthand. After returning to the U.S., I continued connecting with Korean music and culture and eventually volunteered at KoreaFest, which introduced me to the InWave community. I’m excited to bring my creativity, leadership, and love for connecting with others to the team, and I can’t wait to see what we create together!
Co-Manager of Event Organization
Diana Salas
Hi everyone, my name is Diana, and I am an undergraduate at UNC-CH double-majoring in Biology and Public Policy. I'll be serving as the Co-Manager of Event Organization, and I'm excited to help plan and coordinate events that celebrate and promote Korean culture. My interest in Korean culture began through its rich history, food, music, and strong sense of community. With a background in advocacy and leadership, I'm looking forward to learning from everyone and contributing to impactful programs such as Koreafest 2027!!
Interns
Davina Ahlawat
Hi everyone! My name is Davina! This is my 2nd year as an intern, but I’ve helped out as a volunteer multiple years prior too! I started getting into Korean culture through dramas and then food. I then studied at Yonsei University in Seoul and absolutely fell in love with the country and culture! I’m currently working as a nurse at Duke Hospital! I love to travel and try new things, and I am so excited to meet everyone this year!
Callum Bograd
My name is Callum, and I am super excited to return as an intern! I spend most my time listening to music, studying or doing one of my many hobbies. Looking forward to another busy and fun year with InWave!!
Ise Cabrera
I am a Central Florida-based photographer and graphic designer actively engaged in volunteer work for various non-profit organizations; primarily those promoting the arts and culture in my community. My interest in Korean culture and language manifests through study of its tradition and various arts including music, poetry, graphic design & typography, film, and more. My background consists of both behind-the-scenes and on the ground work in special events both helping bring the events to life and capturing the fun on camera. I’m excited to join the InWave team and grow my skills as a creative with my team!
Elle Flannery
Hi hi! My name is pronounced as “Ellie” and I was actually named after a dachshund…but I’ve always had a passion for entertainment from a young age. I often post on my own SNS content account but I’m excited to officially start my journey with InWave with the hopes of being able to make someone smile! :3
Kyler Flynt
I’m 24 years old I have enjoyed Korean Culture since I was really young due to my sister continuously working at Asian restaurants as I was growing up. I am excited to be interning for inwavemovement and can’t wait to help with these events and meet new people!
Jennifer Hernandez Gomez
Hello! My name is Jennifer, and I am a current UNCSA undergraduate student. While at school, I'm studying animation and hope to develop my filmmaking skills. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to study and grow as an artist! I can't wait to be a part of this community!
Arianne Paul-Forton
Hai! I am Arianne Paul-Forton, currently a full-time Master’s student. With an ongoing aspiration to post-produce and video editing Music Video projects and live event video production, I hope to always create content that connects, inspires, and represents people like me.
Jay Saggere
Hello! My name is Jay and this will be my second year on the Competition team with InWave! I’m a 4th year Event Management student at the University of Florida and aspire to pursue a career in the concert/tour industry. A few hobbies of mine include dancing, cooking, and learning languages. Super excited to be back and can’t wait for KoreaFest 2027!
Wendy Vallejos
Hello! I'm Wendy, and I graduated from UF this past spring. I've been a fan of K-pop since the third grade and have been dancing for around 5 years!
Carinna Zaldivar
I’m Carinna I’ve been working in the music industry for around five years now mainly as a photographer and production assistant just recently making my way into Kpop