UpperClass bets on peer trust to reshape international student recruitment
When Dutch entrepreneur Mark Balneger first arrived in Korea as an exchange student in 2011, he didn't plan on building a career here — much less raising a family. But Korea kept drawing him back. After returning for summer school in 2013 and a working holiday in 2015, Balneger launched his own business in Seoul in 2016 through the Seoul Global Startup Center. He later worked in the Korean…
UpperClass, a new venture co-founded by Dutch entrepreneur Mark Balneger and Rodel Sta. Ana, aims to revolutionize international student recruitment by leveraging the trust between universities and their own students. Balneger, who first arrived in Korea as an exchange student in 2011, returned to the country multiple times to work and raise a family.
He now resides in Busan with his Korean wife and two children. The inspiration for UpperClass came from Balneger and Sta. Ana's shared experiences as foreign nationals in Korea and their background in technology and digital marketing. The duo believes that universities already have the most valuable asset for recruitment: their own student body.
By harnessing this trust, UpperClass hopes to reshape the international student recruitment landscape.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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