Her mother Young Nim Park was born in Icheon, South Korea and graduated from Sogang University.

She moved to the USA to pursue a master's degree in chemistry at Ohio State University on a full scholarship.

Joo graduated from Columbia University[1] with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering and operations research.

She began a career in the banking industry working at Goldman Sachs and then Morgan Stanley as an institutional fixed income derivatives saleswoman.

[2][3][4][5] In 2004, Joo switched careers and began working as a chef after attending The French Culinary Institute, (Pastry Arts) and graduated at the top of her class.

Jinjuu was widely recognized to be London's premier modern Korean restaurant and expanded to three locations (Soho, Mayfair, and Hong Kong).

[8][9] She left the Jinjuu brand in 2019 and then opened a fast casual concept, Seoul Bird in 2020 in the Westfield Mall, Shepherd's Bush, London.