Superhero Series: The Invisible Woman

In this edition of the Superhero series, I get to present an interview with The Invisible Woman. Naturally, I have never seen her. Really. Despite her many heroic endeavors in many lands I have never actually seen her. I haven’t even seen a photo but I guess that is part of her job description.

But I have talked with her for a number of hours and I think she is doing a great service to humanity. First off, she is brilliant. Not many who attend a great university like U. of Illinois can boast of a perfect GPA. But she doesn’t boast. She never mentioned grades. It was simply listed on her resume. And it took a while for me to find out how she has already done a research paper on doing business in Nigeria. A high level person who I sent this to at Goldman Sachs was more than a little impressed. He found her insights to be valuable and far more helpful than some of the data he gets doing deals that run in the hundreds of millions.

And her school has awarded her for her research too. She already has that on her resume. But she is also looking forward to guided research on a related topic in the coming year. I was curious enough during our talks to ask her to see about how investment opportunities work in Nigeria. She went dark for a few days and then she contacted me again. She had conducted a series of interviews with people in China (where she is from, much to some people’s surprise) on how to start a business in Nigeria. She learned that having connections and a cultural awareness are both essential. This is true everywhere, but she learned that getting things done is not always easy and not always according to a standard set of practices that are put forward in classrooms. Her invisibility permitted her to learn some of the secrets that go on between parties on both sides. It is by searching out answers that aren’t in books that make her more than just a perfect student. She has the knowledge and willingness to probe to discover the hidden forces behind any economy.

University of Illinois

She, like some other superheroes who get more press, know that helping people also means being willing to give up some things others take for granted. It takes many hours of work and immense curiosity and drive to discover some of things she has. But it will not be too long, I think until she does a deal that will do something like creating a company to provide low cost drinkable water. And she also knows that in order for this to happen she will need a set of tools to lasso in people who need more than kind words to do the right thing. Superheroes are sometimes those who embody contradictions. She is an idealist pragmatist. She realizes that doing good for a large group is never easy when dollars and power are involved. And knowing what she knows and who she now knows she is ready to jet off in the near future to make the world better.

I am lucky to have had the chance to speak with her and exchange words. But I will never know, perhaps, if I am standing next to her. But I have learned a great deal from her wisdom. Most people who are in their second year of college are just hitting their stride. She is already extending her reach across China, The US, and Africa. How many of us in a whole lifetime will be able to say the same? I do hope her words will encourage some to try. From what I can tell, despite her accomplishments, she is a kind and thoughtful mentor whose deeds could indeed be replicated by those who have the courage to reach beyond the world of tests and gpas.

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Can you describe where you are from in China and what made you decide to pursue your education in the US?

I am from Beijing, a very big and international city in China. My pathway of getting my undergraduate education is not straightforward. I had never considered about getting a US college degree until my senior year at high school when I met my English teacher Liu. He studied in the US for half a year as a visiting scholar and it was him who encouraged me to apply for US universities.

Beijing

You are one of the top students at your university. What is the secret to your success?

 First, I think attitude matters. When I decide to do something, I’ll do my best to achieve my goal. Good friends are also very important. I am very lucky to have some real friends who directly pointed out my weaknesses or mistakes and keep pushing me forward. I need to be very open-minded because sometimes their suggestions can be very tough.

You have done research on and have experience talking to business people in Africa. Can you write a little bit about your research and can you talk a little bit about what you learned from reaching out to people about doing business in Africa?

Because of my family’s connections in Africa, I am very interested in Africa’s economic development. In my freshman year, I took a course called Africa Economic System where I learned a lot about Africa’s past and present. I initiated a research project on the comparison between Western countries’ and China’s aid to Africa, which was supervised by Professor Allen-Smith. In my research, I compared different strategies that those countries use and responded to some criticism on China’s aid to Africa.

Most of the business people in Africa I talked to are Chinese. Through them, I think I really sense the spirit of entrepreneurship; they are willing to take risk and are confident with their decisions. One of the stories that really inspired me is a Chinese man who created a drinking water business in Africa. He first did international trade business in Africa but then saw the demand for purified water. He then sold all his properties and gained some investment from his relatives, about RMB800,000 (equivalent to 120,000 US dollars). He invested all this money into the business and helped people and also became very successful economically. Now his business has spread across Africa and his wealth is over hundred million dollars.

Can you describe some of the new opportunities that your school is offering you in the coming year?

 In the coming year, I will be a junior. I will continue my involvement in Illinois Business Consulting, which is a student-run, professionally managed management consulting company. Meanwhile, I am looking forward to joining the Margolis Market Information lab, which is a US leading real-time trading lab on campus.

What advice would you give to students in China about choosing schools, about fitting in, and about getting involved?

I think it is really important to think about what you want from your education when choosing schools. For example, if you want to do business, then choose school that provides good undergraduate business program; if you are interested in cooking, then choose a world-renowned cooking school!

As for fitting in, my only suggestion is to be willing to say “hi.” Don't worry about your accent or grammar mistakes. Your fellow students, regardless of where they are from, are going to be your friends, not your English teacher!

To get involved, it's crucial that you are really doing something that you are passionate about. For example, I am very interested in Taekwondo and I co-founded a Taekwondo performance team on campus. It required lots of work but that’s what I love, so the whole process was really enjoyable.

What are you proudest of?

There are many things that I am proud of so it’s really hard for me to say which one is my proudest. But I am proud of being a Taekwondo participant. Meanwhile, I am also proud that I am doing my best to my goal of pursuing a career in management consulting.

In ten years where will you be and what will you be doing?

Hopefully in ten years I will be a highly respected management consultant. I think that I will have already helped a lot of companies grow in positive and sustainable ways.. I may also start up my own management consulting company, helping Chinese companies develop sustainability in Africa.

As for personal life, I think I will start a family and become a mother! Hahaha… 

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I want to thank Jessie for her words. For those of you who like a solution to a mystery you can see her if you look again.