Meet The Team
CEO & Board
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 Member
Audreyanne Covarrubias
Audreyanne Covarrubias started studying ballet at age 4 and eventually became a professional dancer, a career which took her to perform overseas in Korea, where she developed a passion for Korean traditional drumming.
Directors
Director of Korean Cultural Arts
Sun-mi Shin
My name is Sun-Mi Shin the representative of NC Korean Dace Group. I majored in Korean dance in Korea, taught Korean dance in the Raleigh region, and practiced towel dancing in Korea. I have performed many times in the US and Korea every year. As Korean culture is becoming widely known around the world, I hope that traditional Korean culture, which is its root, will also be inherited. I have been leading this initiative with Heoak for the past 20 years. In the future, I will lead the way with InWave so that the beauty and style of Korean dance can be known not only in the US but also around the world!
Director of Content Strategy
Jessica Romero
I am a graphic designer student and self taught video editor. I am also a Social Media manager for a few local companies in Raleigh. I got involved in the Korean culture in High School when I got introduced to the music and then fell in love with the dancing aspect of it all. Since then, I’ve attended just about all of the InWave events. I hope my perspective and marketing experience can help grow this community and make it an even better experience for everyone!
Director of Social Media & Intern Relations
Emmeline Osuyah
Hi everyone, I’ve been a part of the InWave team for the past three years, bringing a blend of creative 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 an Account Coordinator. My passion for Korean culture started with a love for the food at a very young age! I’m looking forward to learning and growing more with the team at InWave!
Director of Grants & Sponsorships
Dae TerBush
안녕 여러분! Recently, I earned my Master’s in Public History, where my field of research was in Korean history pre-1950s. I was first introduced to Korean culture back in 2012 when Block B released "Nillili Mambo" 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!
Director of Vendor Relations
Kathryn Poulsen
Hello there! My name is Kathryn, and I am currently working towards a Master’s degree in International Studies at NC State! 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 Digital Experience & Contest
Kennedy Cooper
Hi everyone! I am currently a student at East Carolina University studying Computer Science with the intention of becoming a Multi-Media Designer. I've been interested in Korean culture since 2019, when I first learned about K-pop and started making dance covers, which I still take part in as the President of ECU's K-pop dance team 'Hooked' and Member of Raleigh K-pop dance team 'Priism'. I've been attending KoreaFest since 2020, and I am so excited to be continuing on the InWave team as the Director of Contest Organization & Digital Experience! I can't wait to bring the community even more together to take on new opportunities and experiences!
Interns
Milli Simon
Hi there, I'm Milli! I've been a K-pop fan since 2010, my favorite groups are &Team and Ampers&One. I love spending time with my cat and dancing to girl group songs!
Isabelle Koziarz
Hello! My name is Isabelle, and I'm a high schooler located in Raleigh, NC. I'm a figure skater, theatrical performer, singer, and overall just happy to be here! I started my journey with InWave back in 2023 and have loved every step of the way! It has been so amazing to grow with InWave, and I can't wait to see what will come.
Kate Hartsell
Hi, I'm Kate! I am in my last semester at NC State, where I am majoring in Fashion and Textile Management! I love to dance, film, and edit videos! My favorite K-pop groups are TXT, Twice, and ZeroBaseOne! I can't wait to work with InWave to continue to develop my creative skills and support a growing community that educates through Korean culture.
Christopher Parker
Hi everyone! My name is Christopher Parker, and I am a Senior at East Carolina University's Honors College, double-majoring in Management Information Systems and Marketing. I discovered K-pop in 2020 and developed a strong interest in learning and performing its choreographies. This led me to join Hooked, ECU's K-pop dance team. My involvement with InWave began in 2024 as a contestant in KoreaFest's K-pop Group Dance category. I am now joining the Website Management & Sponsorship team, excited to connect with everyone.
Emu Heath
I'm a Graphic Designer and Artist with a passion for culture, language, psychology, and the many ways humans exist in the world. I got into K-pop in 2017 through EXO, and started engaging with the local K-pop community in 2024. My current favorite groups are BoyNextDoor and ARrC! I'm excited to connect with you all!
AJ Achas
Hi! I'm AJ, and I'm in my 2nd year with InWave. I help create content, but I'm mostly just here for the vibes!
Chris Valiente
Hello! I'm Chris, and this is my second year with InWave! I'm just a chill guy who loves music and content creation and will take any chance I get to travel anywhere. I hope to continue spreading Korean culture and creating entertaining content for people to enjoy through our videos!
Hailey Greaves
Hello! I am a Film & Television BFA major (with a concentration in Directing) and minoring in Fandom, Subculture, and Cult Media Studies. I've recently come back from studying abroad in South Korea at Yonsei University during the Spring 2025 semester and had a life-changing experience. I hope to further my involvement with Korean culture through InWave.
Davina Ahlawat
Hi! I am currently a nurse at Duke. I love to dance and sign and learn about cultures and traditions. I have especially been interested in Korean culture and am trying to learn the language. I love K-dramas and am always open to recommendations! I am excited to start at InWave and meet everyone!!
Melissa Spano
Hey there! I’m Melissa, and I’m so excited to be back for my second year with InWave! My love story with Korean culture started at 7 years old, and I’ve been hopelessly hooked ever since. That makes me part of that sweet spot between late second-gen and early third-gen K-pop fans—the best of both worlds! You might recognize my boyfriend, AJ, and his best friend, Chris, from their hilariously chaotic videos for InWave – plot twist: I’m the one behind the camera! I love being part of the creative process, brainstorming ideas, and capturing those moments that really connect with all of you.
Callum Bograd
Hello! My name is Callum. This is my first year interning with InWave, and I am super excited to go on this journey. I thoroughly enjoy music and dancing as well as figure skating, and I enjoy watching soccer, f1 and hockey. I can't wait to work with such a friendly team of people during this amazing experience!
Jay Saggere
Hi! I am a 3rd-year Tourism, Hospitality, Event Management (THEM) major and an aspiring Concert/Tour Manager. I got into K-Pop in 2022 and also revived my passion for dance through the genre. I am currently part of Genesis Dance Crew at my university, and dance has become my main hobby! I also love to cook and learn languages.
Hannah Bolton
Hi! This will be my Second Term with the Inwave Team! I have been into K-pop since 2010. It began with Shinee, then more came down the road. I’m currently relearning American Sign Language and want to pick up another language! I look forward to meeting everyone and working to make something beautiful!
Jezel Alvarado Antunez
Hello! My name is Jezel. I am a first-year student majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and minoring in Advertising and PR at UNC Chapel Hill. I started listening to K-pop around 2018, but fell deep into it in 2020. I am a huge blink and nctzen! I’m excited to be part of the InWave Team!
Zuha Fatima Salman
Hello, I’m Zuha! I love working with social media and creating fun, engaging content. Photography has a special place in my heart, and I enjoy designing posters whenever I can. During my A Levels, I was the Head of the Photography Society, which made me fall even more in love with visual storytelling. I got into Korean culture thanks to BTS and have been hooked ever since. I’m a fun-loving person with a big soft spot for soft toys, and I hope to pursue a BS in Computer Science and learn animation in the future.
Diana Salas
Hey! My name is Diana. I’m a third-year Biology and Public Policy major undergrad. This will be my first time interning with InWave, and I am super excited to gain experience in festival and event management. I love to watch soccer, read, collect cards, and my favorite K-pop group is Red Velvet
Nylah Belk
Hi, I’m Nylah. I’m a senior computer science major, and I’ve recently returned from studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. As a new intern, I hope to further show my appreciation of Korean culture while helping build community!
Megan Masone
Hi, I’m Megan! I’m a Korean Studies undergrad, and this will be my first time working with InWave. I’m excited to support their events in the upcoming months! When I’m not working, you can find me watching hockey (Go Canes!), trying new recipes, or frantically studying for my Korean language tests.
Maddy Curry
Hi! My Name is Madison/ Maddy! I am a communications major with an interest in the Korean language and culture. I have always had an interest in graphic design and event coordination, so I am super excited to be working with Inwave since I will be able to touch on all of my areas of interest! I am currently an event coordinator for a Korean pop media club at VCU called V4RI3TY, so I am super excited to be working on a bigger project with some amazing people! In my free time, I enjoy dancing, crocheting, and learning Korean
Christian Atwater
Hey everyone!! I am a college senior studying at Elon University. Music and the arts have always been my way of exploring different cultures, so discovering K-pop in 2021 inspired me to learn more about Korean culture as a whole. In my free time, you can catch me cooking and baking, listening to music, or performing with my a cappella group and K-pop performance group at my university! I’m excited to get started at InWave as a new intern and contribute to bringing amazing events to life :)