Kim Hyo-jeong speaks during the NomadHer Seoul International Women's Festival, March 23. Courtesy of Kim Hyo-jeong

Kim Hyo-jeong was a student at a university in Paris when she started daydreaming about solo travel. She ended up taking a Trans-Siberian train from Paris to Vladivostok, a cross-continental journey that took 200 hours to complete. Undeterred by the dangers of solo travel, Kim has visited over 48 countries alone, an experience that she used to create NomadHer, an online platform for solo women travelers.

Kim discovered that many women have difficulty traveling alone when it comes to security and safety, a concern that drove her to establish NomadHer. Since its inception in 2019, NomadHer has drawn together over 300,000 women seeking adventure in new places. Touted as a combination of TripAdvisor and Bumble BFF, the app works to provide a safe space where women can message one another, share travel tips, stories and ideas and participate in travel meetups organized by NomadHer.

In France, where she founded the company, Kim gained recognition for her dedication to making NomadHer the No. 1 app for globetrotting women. Last year, Kim was invited to speak at Women@Dior, a global conference held by Christian Dior and UNESCO in Paris to commemorate International Women's Day. In addition, NomadHer was nominated as one of the 24 most innovative social startups by the city of Paris and the French National Olympic Committee in 2024. It won the grand championship prize from UN Tourism as the most innovative women's empowerment travel tech company in 2023.

Group photo at the Seoul Female Globetrotter Festival on Oct. 21, 2023 / Courtesy of Kim Hyo-jeong

Despite her love for travel, Kim was able to bring the focus back to her home country of Korea with "She Can Travel Busan," a NomadHer festival that took place from Sept. 27 to 29. The festival, hosted in partnership with the Busan city government, gathered as many as 100 NomadHer users from over 20 countries for three days at Gemstone, a cafe hidden along the coast of Busan's Songjeong-dong. Kim was the host and lead organizer of this annual event that saw a diverse group of women come together to celebrate the joys of solo travel.

The first day of the festival delved into the theme of empowerment. Kim held a panel discussion with broadcaster Laura McLuckie, freelance journalist Raphael Rashid, Global Startup Center Program Lead Kim Jay Hyun-jung and Ufulu Swim founder Tess. Each speaker shared their travel story and how it led to personal growth and success in Korea.

"I think, as women, we can have it all," McLuckie said. As the founder of WellMi, a wellness content and consulting agency, McLuckie recalled the challenges she faced starting a business in Korea. "I'm told you can't do this. You're a foreigner, a woman, a mother. You can't do this. Well, watch me. I'm just doing it one step after another."

On the second day, participants were able to choose from a variety of fitness classes that ranged from K-pop dance, muay thai, yoga and surfing. Each class was taught by a certified woman instructor to ensure the safety of all participants.

The third day centered on the theme of inspiration, featuring a panel talk with renowned entrepreneurs and leaders. Notable speakers included Beatrice Baccarini, an advocate for gender equality at the Organization for Security and Co-operation, and So Sharon Ji-hye, the director of corporate affairs and sustainability leader at L'Oréal Korea.

"We see tech as an enabler for how people experience beauty," So said as she elaborated on the integration of beauty and tech within L'Oréal.

Mental health issues concerning women in the workplace, such as burnout, were also addressed. "Mental and physical health is the foundation for everything," Jasmine Park, a wellness adviser and coach who had previously worked at Microsoft.

She said one of the hardest things that she had to do as an entrepreneur was quit her job to focus on healing. "It's not about speed, it's about direction. You can be as fast as you wanna go, but if your direction is wrong, you're going to have to stop and reroute."

Everyone who came to the festival was able to get a sneak preview of the NomadHer documentary that Google will use to promote its campaign #WeArePlay in the coming months.

Kim recalled the conversation she had with the Google production team. "They asked me, 'Where do you want to film the video, Paris? Seoul?' I said Busan because it's my hometown and my favorite city," she said.

With solo women travelers rising in number and market value, NomadHer hopes to grow to a community of over 1 million users and gain $4 million in funding. Visit NomadHer.com for more information, or find the app on Google Play or the App Store.

Alice Hong is a freelance writer and comedian based in Seoul. Follow @hippohong on Instagram.