From a family business to a large corporation to a community nonprofit, Karina Wong's diverse experiences provide her with an insightful perspective on the challenges that entrepreneurs face.

Ms. Wong started her career as an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase advising Fortune 500 businesses in corporate finance. Although the job was lucrative and the work challenging, she felt that something was missing. She realized that she wanted to do something for the community.

After a brief stint in the private sector, Ms. Wong decided to leave the security of her job and focus on starting a career in the community development. Luckily after a few months, she found a perfect fit in the position as Director of Business Outreach Center for Chinatown Manpower Project. Not only could she use her business background, she would be able to draw upon her personal experiences. Born and raised in the Chicago area, Ms. Wong worked in her familys restaurant business and witnessed first hand the struggles that her immigrant parents faced. Now she had the opportunity to help immigrant families like her own make better lives for themselves.

In her role as the Director of the Business Outreach Center, she developed and managed programs to encourage the growth of businesses in the local Chinese immigrant communities. She also taught classes and seminars that helped these immigrants understand American business practices, gain access to capital and navigate the regulatory landscape. Through teaching, she realized that there were very little resources for Chinese immigrants to help them understand the American business concepts. This prompted her to begin writing a book for Chinese immigrant entrepreneurs highlighting the common obstacles that they face in the United States.

From the beginning, she approached her job at Chinatown Manpower Project with enthusiasm because she completely believed in the mission of the organization. She saw the hopes and aspirations of her family reflected in each of the clients that she worked with. Her efforts have been recognized and she was awarded an Outstanding Citizen award by the New York City Council. Her commitment to the local community continues today through her volunteer efforts.

Ms. Wong earned a B.S in Business and a B.A. in Spanish from Indiana University. She also has a MSc International Development from the London School of Economics.