Wonolo
On a simple day in China in 1988, Beatrice’s life was forever changed by one fateful commercial. The sell? “You too can help change the life of a child in a poor village by sponsoring someone today!”. It was an easy choice for her parents who quickly agreed. As her pen pal friendship flourished, so did her passion for giving back.
By the time she headed to college she infused her love for philanthropy into her lifestyle by volunteering for the Junior League teaching children in elementary schools. As an Economics major, she started her career in investment banking and later moved to Seattle to work on mergers and acquisitions at Microsoft. It was here that she learned the value of a solid team, great managers, and caring mentors. Inspired by the philanthropic culture at Microsoft, Beatrice continued to use her intellect for good, volunteering in a fundraising capacity for a local charity that builds schools in poor villages in China, China Tomorrow Education Foundation.
Beatrice was also inspired by the entrepreneurs she regularly met at Microsoft through her mergers and acquisitions work, and therefore decided to move back to Silicon Valley – the hotbed of innovations and startups. After attending Stanford Graduate School of Business, Beatrice formed her first company ModeWalk, a luxury fashion e-commerce company, which she later sold to Moda Operandi in 2014. It was while growing her second business, True&Co., that she was exposed to the work taking place in warehouse fulfilment centers. While working with the company’s outsourced fulfillment center in Indiana, she sought to create a caring culture and true partnership that not only improved the financial results, but one that also catered to the needs of the workers, particularly in regards to working mothers.
Beatrice sharing a meal with the warehouse women that worked on the True&Co. brand.
While listening to the stories of the workers on the floor, Beatrice felt strongly that their voices mattered and sought their advice on ideas to improve, not only warehouse operations but also other aspects of the business. She personally wrote birthday cards to every warehouse worker, regularly took them out to lunches, provided prizes to reward top performers, and endeavored to make them feel part of the True&Co. family; even though they were employed by a third party vendor. This cultivated a unique environment where warehouse workers truly felt ownership and pride. This led to high worker retention and more than doubled operational productivity.
A fun group shot with the warehouse workers!
After selling True&Co. in 2017, Beatrice deeply thought about what her next move would be — this self-reflection led her to Wonolo where she is now VP of Strategy and Finance. She was inspired by Wonolo’s vision of giving everyone an opportunity to prove themselves on the job. Her most impactful Wonolo experience thus far has been meeting Wonoloers who brought their children to Wonolo’s community events and hearing their happy stories. She looks forward to meeting more Wonoloers!
Hidden talent: In her free time Beatrice cultivates a passion for the arts by drawing, painting, and supporting SFMOMA. She also volunteers for StartX, a non-profit startup accelerator and founder community associated with Stanford University. Check her out!
Beatrice enjoying an SF Halloween with her son and husband.
