Sharon Chang

Architect, Connector, Designer, Explorer, Foodie, Idea generator, Investor, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Many describe Sharon as a visionary thinker and charismatic leader. At different points of her career, she has been called media executive, brand strategist, innovation consultant, social entrepreneur, impact investor, and philanthropist. But if you ask her, she'll tell you that she simply sees herself as a curious human being who loves to meet impossible challenges. Trained as a designer and architect, Sharon applies an urban planning philosophy to everything she does. She is the Founder of Yoxi, a creative sandbox for social innovation. Combining different resource streams such as capital investment, creative talent orchestration, and future-oriented storytelling, Yoxi works with Social Innovation Rockstars to tackle 21st century global challenges. Sharon is also a Partner at THNK School of Creative Leadership, an organization with the mission to develop the next generation of creative leaders that will have a societal impact on the world. She is in Amsterdam regularly to mentor extraordinary teams and individuals in developing breakthrough ideas. On the investment front, Sharon focuses on disruptive early stage startups with sharp design sensibilities, clearly articulated social missions and financial scalability. Her portfolio companies span sectors including education, health, technology, media and fashion, and reflect emerging global trends such as the quantified self, the maker movement, and the sharing economy. She is passionate about blending the best of venture capital, impact investment, and creative philanthropy to drive towards capitalism 2.0 - a more generous, enlightened, and collaborative socioeconomic paradigm. The early chapter of Sharon's career focused more on media and design. She was the Chief Creative Officer of 19 Entertainment, the company behind popular TV shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance . Her time working with high profile entertainment properties and incubating cutting-edge media projects such as If I Can Dream - a TV/Internet hybrid that brought to real life the kind of 24/7 voyeur fiction portrayed in films like the Truman Show - positioned her at the forefront of entertainment and technology. Prior to her tenure at 19 Entertainment, Sharon worked as a brand strategist and creative director in a number of prestigious global agencies. She continues to be one of the most sought-after creative leaders in the design and digital marketing industry, with an impressive track record leading innovative initiatives for clients such as Ford, Pepsi, Sony, Motorola, Cadillac, Estee Lauder, P&G, TED, Starwood Hotels, Universal Music, CNN and Hulu. Sharon's work is recognized internationally; she has been published in a number of design books and journals and is the recipient of numerous design awards including Cannes Cyber Lion, D&AD, and the One Show Interactive. Sharon is also the Managing Trustee of TTSL Charitable Foundation; serves on the Board of Trustees of New York University; and is co-founder and board member of a number of media/technology startups, non-profit organizations, and social ventures. She holds a BA in Studio Art from New York University and a Master's in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her alma maters also include The Royal College of Art in London and Columbia University's School of Architecture. Work aside, Sharon is a total foodie and amateur mixologist. She loves to make pickles, foams, and cocktails of exotic flavors that will send people's heads spinning. Her other passion is travel and photography. Having visited close to 100 countries around the world, she is now determined to travel to Space as soon as commercial flights become available. Some of her recent journeys are captured here: http://www.sharonchang.net/photo/bhutan/ http://www.sharonchang.net/photo/ethiopia/ http://www.sharonchang.net/photo/serengeti/ http://www.sharonchang.net/photo/costarica/

Travel

Recognizing altruism as a selfish act reframes philanthropy

Gift wrapping