12/09/2104
China Institute
125 E 65th St, New York, NY 10065

Have you ever wanted to leave your corporate day job to pursue your passion of starting your own business? On December 9th, come hear how our panelists have taken the risks and challenges to pursue their dreams. They will share their stories and inspire you!

Event timeline:
6:30-7:00PM – Pre-event reception + networking
7:00-8:00PM – Panel discussion + Q&A
8:00-8:30PM – Post-event networking

Moderator:
Ko Im – Web host and features writer, Asian American Journalists Association

Panelists:
Lucia Lu – Lululosophy
Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur – MM Lafleur
Sang H. Lee – DarcMatter
Jason Muriel Wang – Xi’an Famous Foods
Vivienne So and Jason Choi – ZOETIK

*******Bios******

Ko Im is a web host, features writer in New York City, and e-author of Broke, not Broken: A memoir. The Columbia Journalism president and University of Pennsylvania graduate has worked as an on air correspondent and producer for CBS news stations. Ko is an active board member and speaker with the Asian American Journalists Association. The 1.5-generation immigrant is a certified yoga teacher and grew up on Guam.

Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur (CEO and Founder): Before founding M.M. LaFleur, Sarah managed the luxury goods portfolio of a private equity firm in New York and Paris. Prior to that, she was a management consultant at Bain & Co. and TechnoServe where she advised consumer packaged goods and financial services companies as well as agribusinesses.Sarah grew up in Tokyo and Paris, and has worked internationally in South Africa, Zambia, and Mexico. A graduate of Harvard College, she is passionate about responsible sourcing and production of beautiful products.

Jason Choi graduated from Northwestern University in 2009 with a degree in Biology. After working in healthcare communications for a few years, he made the switch over to small business and began learning supply chain logistics within the retail industry. His experience was a natural match to Vivienne’s and thus ZOETIK was born. Besides working on ZOETIK, you can find him zipping by on his road bike or fulfilling his other role of Funcle (Fun + Uncle) to his nieces Madelyn and Anneliese.

Vivienne So – After stints in fashion show production at New York Fashion Week and digital branding for fashion apparel, Vivienne jumped at the chance to start and build ZOETIK with Jason. Vivienne can be found out on the town with her friends, and, when not eating and shopping, at yoga, spin, boxing, or bootcamp class.

Jason Wang, a Xi’an native, grew up in New York City and attended college with plans to pursue a corporate career. When his father, a veteran of Chinese kitchens, opened the first Xi’an Famous Foods in 2005 to sell dishes based on family recipes, Jason decided to fully invest himself in Xi’an Famous Foods, learning every aspect of the business from the ground up. In the past five years, he has expanded the hole-in-the-wall chain to six locations in the New York City area and opened a sister restaurant, Biang!. Through these restaurants, Jason brings a dining experience that appeals to both Chinese families who come to eat expecting authenticity, to everyday Americans looking to explore flavors. Accolades: Forbes 2014 30 Under 30 in the Food & Wine category; Crain’s 2014 40 Under 40 in New York; Zagat’s 2013 30 Under 30 in New York; Eater.com Young Guns National Class of 2013

Lucia Liu (aka Lulu) is a contractor of the Gen Y epidemic. Someone somewhere sneezed and she caught the “quit your nice paying corporate job at American Express to fulfill the dream of starting her own company” bug. So far she’s been mildly feverish – excited to bring her ideas to life- and somewhat delirious – chocolates for everyone! While she’s not in the kitchen, she enjoys practicing vinyasa yoga, karaoke-ing to Bruno Mars, going on self guided food tours in NYC, and Skyping with my parent’s puppy, Happy, in Shanghai.

Sang H. Lee is the CEO and founder of DarcMatter, an online investment platform providing retail investors access to institutional-level private investment opportunities. DarcMatter allows issuers and investors greater access through its transparent and seamless platform to raise capital and invest more efficiently. Sang is a former investment banker and has significant expertise in financial regulations and structuring. He has been featured on Forbes, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fast Company and recognized as a ‘GOOD100 ChangeMaker’ and ‘Under30CEO Entrepreneur to Watch in NYC’. Sang has been invited to speak at the UN, International CES, National Science Foundation, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He also serves as the President of Korean Startups & Entrepreneurs, a non-profit organization.

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