South Korean education service provider Vine Group has been expanding its businesses beyond teaching, entering into areas such as food and beverage, asset management and IT services, with continued investment in people and commitment to social responsibility.

Behind its expansion has been the “100 Project,” an in-house venture program founded three years ago to promote diversity and creativity among company employees. The ultimate goal of the program, according to the company, is to create 100 businesses.

Many of the group’s existing businesses started as ideas from the 100 Project.

Coffee franchise “Cafe Comma,” pizza franchise “Go Pizza,” as well as “The Save,” an IT solution for small business owners, are examples of business ideas that came to fruition through the project.

“We have tens of business ideas submitted to the 100 Project every week. Twenty-eight businesses currently up and running actually started from the program. There’s nine other business ideas under review,” a group spokesperson said.

“Vine Group’s foray into other business areas was a natural result that came with following our company’s principle, which is believing in the potential of our company members and respecting their ideas,” he added.

Founded in 2017, Vine Group’s main business is education counseling and coaching services. The company operates a study counseling center “Wawa Education Coaching Center,” study coaching service, “Sang Sang Coaching” and a one-on-one English language learning program called “Power English.”

While expanding its business horizons, the group has also widened its reach to local communities. 

 
Its “Happy Together” volunteer corps, consisting mostly of Vine Group employees, has been going out to regional communities to support the needy. In 2017, it launched the “We Can Do” social contribution project, which helps teenagers build confidence and nurtures leadership and communication skills

In line with the company’s commitment to giving back to society, it established in 2019 The Save, an IT company that provides integrated business solutions for small business owners.

Entrepreneurs can use the app, developed by The Save, to borrow various necessities and appliances, such as card payment machines, water filters and surveillance cameras, and manage the cash flow of their businesses. This could help cut costs and lower the entry barrier to start businesses, the company said.

The IT company is preparing to launch a service that can connect accountants and office administrators with businesses outside of Seoul. It’s also developing a service that can manage finances and help business owners borrow loans from banks.

“We started off as an education service company, that’s why we put great value in bringing out individuals’ potentials, whether it be our students, customers, or our employees,” said Koh Nak-do, a brand manager at Vine Group.

“It’s exactly like our group’s name. We want to bring out the best of people and grow their potential like a grape vine that grows endlessly.”