Yerrie Kim is the new Executive Director of Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE), starting on 1 October. With a global career spanning innovation, education, and venture building, she brings a unique blend of strategic leadership and purpose-driven ambition to CBS.
Photo: Vítor Hugo Silva Mendes
“Entrepreneurship is not something reserved for a select few - it's a mindset and skill set that can be cultivated by anyone driven to create meaningful change”, says Yerrie Kim, the new Executive Director of Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship, and continues:
“CSE has serious momentum - actively incubating 300 startups as part of Denmark's dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. I see my role as building on these foundations, positioning CSE as the obvious choice for responsible innovators and venture builders.”
She will oversee a key strategic area, as CBS boasts some of the most entrepreneurial alumni in Europe. According to PitchBook’s annual ranking, which measures alumni’s ability to raise venture capital, CBS was ranked number 5 of European Universities - standing alongside world-renowned institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.
Yerrie Kim has worked with entrepreneurship for a long time, and her career has taken her from incubating technology products at EF Education First, to building digital ventures at McKinsey. Most recently at the LEGO Foundation in Denmark, her team has supported global research organisations and social enterprises to support the power of play and experimentation in early childhood. Across these roles, one theme stands out: the power of education to drive change.
“The red thread between all my career choices is education. Being at an academic institution like CBS, with so much proximity to both research and new ideas feels amazing. I think this role allows me to combine my past experiences in unique ways to create new value for CSE,” says Yerrie Kim.
Clarity, cohesion and collaboration
Yerrie Kim describes her leadership style in three words: clarity, cohesion, and collaboration:
“I like to continuously ensure that everyone has clarity of purpose. This allows for cohesive decision making, especially in complex ecosystems. Ultimately the goal is to strengthen productive and creative collaboration.”
She hopes to make CSE a place where diverse talents feel welcome, safe to experiment, and empowered to build businesses that matter. As CBS’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation, CSE already has a dynamic learning environment where students, researchers, and entrepreneurs collaborate to address society’s greatest challenges.
Yerrie Kim’s leadership will further strengthen CSE’s contribution to transforming society with business - something Yerrie Kim’s mentor, Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, the former CEO of LEGO Group, emphasises as well. Having witnessed her leadership firsthand at the LEGO Foundation, he reflects on her ability to combine strategic clarity with empathy and impact:
“What distinguishes Yerrie is her rare combination of strategic clarity and commitment to education as a transformative force. Her entrepreneurial instincts and ability to navigate complex global systems make her uniquely suited to lead CSE into its next chapter.”
A global perspective, locally rooted
Having lived and worked in Korea, Hungary, US, UK and now having spent four years in Denmark, Yerrie Kim sees Denmark as a unique environment for innovation - characterised by trust, tech integration, and a strong emphasis on humanistic values.
“There seems to be a deep-rooted sense of not just individual, but also collective responsibility of well-being. This has truly been eye-opening for me - it’s part of the unique fabric of Danish culture - both at home and at work”, says Yerrie Kim and continues:
“I’m energised by the opportunity to help address societal challenges while building on Denmark’s innovation strengths, contributing to European competitiveness, and expanding CSE’s global standing.”
She sees CBS as uniquely positioned to bridge academic research with entrepreneurial practice:
“CBS sits at the crossroads of many global trends. There’s huge potential for academic institutions to play a transformative role in shaping future entrepreneurs and connecting ecosystems across sectors.”