Christina Yu Chen

2015 - 2016

Alumni

Legatum Fellow

From:

China

Sector:

Food & Beverage

Location:

China

Degree:

MBA, Sloan School of Management

Christina’s venture connects talented chefs with China’s growing cohort of young professionals seeking healthy and authentic cuisine. The venture gives migrant and retired women an opportunity to launch their own small businesses through a platform that allows them to advertise their specialties directly to consumers. Entrepreneurs also have the option to open their homes to local diners and foreign travelers seeking a taste of the best of the local cuisine. Christina plans to expand her platform beyond China, empowering many more entrepreneurs and satisfying a growing consumer curiosity for regional dishes.

While traveling in Malaysia, Christina dined with a local family and found that she learned much more about the culture and cuisine than when she ate in restaurants. On a later trip to Cambodia, Christina wanted a similar experience and was inspired to start her venture. From watching her own mother, Christina understands the skills that women acquire after many years of cooking for large families, and wants to design a business model that allows them to share their talents.

Before beginning her MBA studies, Christina spent four years in the New York and Beijing offices of a leading investment bank and was promoted to CFO for the Asia Consumer Retail group. She has a strong business acumen, team and business unit management skills, and appreciates working in a culturally diverse environment. Having grown up in China and having worked in both China and the United States, Christina understands the local culture and business opportunities in growing urban centers.

Christina holds a Bachelor’s in Managerial Economics and Theater from Union College. She is an MBA candidate at the Sloan School of Management.