Born in the 1960s near Seoul, South Korea, Cynthia Mun was the oldest of her parents' three children. The family immigrated in 1974, after which Mun's siblings were born. She speaks of her mother's work as a seamstress in a Los Angeles Garment District sweatshop and her father's work as a janitor before he was employed as an electrician. She credits teachers and mentors in Los Angeles, who encouraged her and gave her the tools succeed at Westridge School in Pasadena and at Yale University. After Mun's career at MGM, the company also hired her mother in the garment shop, so her mother was able to transfer her sewing skills to a good (Culinary) union job. Mun also speaks to past careers as a corporate vide president and marketing executive (she launched Pandora music streaming service and the E-books precursor to Kindle).