Jing Chen, M&T ’07
Hometown:
San Francisco, CA
Engineering Major:
Digital Media Design with strong emphasis on Computer Science
Wharton Concentration:
Finance
WHAT ARE YOU DOING CURRENTLY?
I co-founded a company, K-Factor Media, straight after UPenn. We make a wide range of web and mobile applications from a birthday reminder service to casual games.
HOW DID M&T PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CURRENT ROLE OR LIFE AFTER GRADUATION?
M&T has been invaluable for my development as an entrepreneur. On the engineering side, I didn’t know how to program going into Penn, but I came out well equipped to add value to my startup from day one by being able to contribute code. Between my two co-founders and I, we had the necessary skills to build a product and thus this enabled us to bootstrap our company without the need for any VC funding. On the business side, Wharton provided me with a strong foundation of business fundamentals, which become especially powerful when merged alongside engineering skills. After all, it is not only important to know how to build and ship a product but also be able to know what the right product to build is.
HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH THE M&T COMMUNITY?
I attend as many M&T events as possible and try to help other aspiring M&T entrepreneurs as they graduate.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE M&T PROGRAM?
Being able to take a wide range of classes and interacting with a group of highly talented, inspiring individuals.
WHAT ACTIVITIES DID YOU TAKE PART IN WHILE AT PENN?
Phi Gamma Nu business fraternity, Women in Computer Science, and ITA work/study.