Elaine Chon-Baker

Elaine Chon-Baker is the Founder and Managing Director of Mokja Ventures, a Washington, DC-based boutique venture fund investing in restaurants and hospitality tech. Mokja, meaning “let’s eat” in Korean, honors her heritage and the deep bond she shares with her parents and six sisters.

Elaine brings a clear-eyed perspective and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities across multiple industries. Her unconventional path — from global telecom and tech to the restaurant world — reflects her belief in following curiosity and trusting the path that appears. With an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to see around corners, she helps founders anticipate challenges and identify creative, strategic paths forward.

In addition to investing, Elaine consults with startups, nonprofits, and government entities, including a current contract with the DoD. She offers targeted insight through short-term engagements or ongoing advisory roles, valued for her clarity, decisiveness, and ability to connect dots across industries.

She is an Entrepreneur in Residence and guest lecturer at Cornell University and an advisor to Black Women in Food/Dine Diaspora and the Edna Lewis Foundation. She previously advised the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs and RE:Her.

Elaine is the mother of artist-entrepreneur @kimchi.juice and two sons in college and high school.

Photo credit: Eric Vitale