# Mir Hwang

> Mir Hwang is the co-founder and CEO of GigFinesse, an Austin-based live entertainment company he built with his cousin, former Google engineer Ryan Kim. A former touring session drummer and 2019 NYU graduate, Hwang draws on his experience booking shows to connect artists and venues and manage the work around performances. His company had raised more than $15 million by 2026; he is a 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and mentors founders through NYU’s Entrepreneurial Institute.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at GigFinesse
- **Organizations:** GigFinesse, NYU Entrepreneurial Institute
- **From:** Seoul, South Korea
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree; psychology major and chemistry minor, New York University, College of Arts and Science
- **Known for:** Forbes 30 Under 30, Consumer Technology, class of 2024, with co-founder Ryan Kim., Crain’s New York Business 20 in Their 20s, 2023., GigFinesse won the New Venture track of NYU’s $300K Entrepreneurs Challenge in 2019.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2019** — Played in bands and worked as a touring session drummer in the United States and Canada.
- **2019** — Graduated from NYU and co-founded GigFinesse with cousin Ryan Kim; the team won the New Venture track of the NYU $300K Entrepreneurs Challenge and participated in Summer Launchpad.
- **2020–2022** — Following the shutdown of live events, tested GigFinesse in Austin, pitching prospective customers on foot and tutoring chemistry to cover living expenses; the exact relocation date is not established.
- **2022** — Publicly profiled as an NYU Founder in Residence; announced GigFinesse’s $3.6 million seed round in December.
- **2023** — Named to Crain’s New York Business 20 in Their 20s.
- **2024** — Recognized with Ryan Kim on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in Consumer Technology.
- **2025** — GigFinesse received Opportunity Austin’s Creative & Digital Media Disrupter Award and was reported to have supported more than 50,000 shows nationwide.
- **2026** — A Series A brought total investment above $15 million; September NYU coverage confirmed Hwang’s Austin base and more than 1,000 shows powered monthly.

## Achievements

- Forbes 30 Under 30, Consumer Technology, class of 2024, with co-founder Ryan Kim.
- Crain’s New York Business 20 in Their 20s, 2023.
- GigFinesse won the New Venture track of NYU’s $300K Entrepreneurs Challenge in 2019.
- GigFinesse won NYU’s InnoVention competition in 2019.
- Co-founded a company that had raised more than $15 million by May 2026.
- GigFinesse received Opportunity Austin’s Creative & Digital Media Disrupter Award in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — NYU announced Hwang as moderator for an October 9 Entrepreneurs Festival conversation with Posh founder and former Summer Launchpad classmate Avante Price; the announcement states Hwang is based in Austin and GigFinesse powers over 1,000 shows per month.
- **2026-05** — Inc. reported a Series A bringing GigFinesse’s total funding above $15 million; this figure is total funding, not the disclosed size of the Series A alone.
- **2026-04** — Published “Ending the Shadow IT of Talent Booking” in Hospitality Technology, arguing for centralized systems for hospitality entertainment operations.
- **2025-10** — Forbes included GigFinesse in a feature on 15 Under 30 startups combining technology, collaboration and creativity, reporting more than 50,000 shows supported nationwide.

## Links

- Website: https://www.mirhwang.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mir-hwang-6511a2177/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mir-hwang
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25