Sunrise Academy, Co-founder, Director of Marketing and Technology
Junior 2024
In the Spring 2024 semester, I met Mike Chen, a Stern freshman, in one of my entrepreneurship classes. We quickly bonded over our shared enthusiasm for startups and similar multicultural backgrounds, and our friendship evolved into a partnership when we decided to launch Sunrise Academy. Sunrise Academy aims to innovate the tutoring market for international school students in China by connecting students with college tutors who align with their learning styles, using a unique matching algorithm. Shanghai became our initial target market due to its relatively untapped international education sector, where traditional tutoring methods lacked variety and customization. With Mike’s network of students from his time as a tutor in Shanghai’s international school scene and my connections with international students at NYU Shanghai, we were well-equipped to launch.
As the Director of Marketing and Technology, I took ownership of our marketing strategy from end to end—from identifying Sunrise Academy’s core values to creating timelines and producing content. Our first post on the official WeChat account was met with incredible engagement, quickly attracting over 400 student customers and more than 200 foreign student tutors. To expand our reach, I organized weekly webinars featuring guest speakers from top universities worldwide, who shared educational insights and personal college takeaways. These sessions elevated Sunrise Academy’s visibility and reputation within the education community, drawing attention from key players in the industry and positioning us as a trusted name in high-quality tutoring.
Beyond marketing, I focused on partnerships that could drive our vision forward. Through a personal connection, I met Dr. Pan, one of China’s AI pioneers, who developed a cutting-edge AI educational platform and was a veteran entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the education sector. During our meeting, Dr. Pan expressed admiration for the rapid student reach and customer acquisition we had achieved in such a short time. Inspired by his insights, I proposed a collaboration with Dr. Pan, merging our efforts to build a stronger, unified platform where Sunrise Academy could lead customer acquisition. With successful traction in Shanghai, we’re now looking to expand into other major Chinese cities and eventually into untapped Asian markets like India and Thailand. This venture has strengthened my skills as a strategic marketer, brand launcher, and community builder, and continues to fuel my passion for creating impactful, scalable solutions in education.
