CHEMBA Grad Reflects on How Her MBA Helped Her Launch a New Business

After decades in the fashion industry, Tao (Daisy) Wang, ’17 MBA, took a leap and started her own business. Based on global business practices she learned in the Carlson School’s China Executive MBA (CHEMBA) program, Wang launched JDC Fashion Group in 2017. Originally a brick and mortar store, the business is now growing to include online sales.

“With the internet developing at such high speed, the world is more like a village. No one country can develop by itself, neither can one company,” Wang says. “We have to think of running business from a global perspective. This is the only way to keep your minds open and know what's going on outside. In China, we have a saying of ‘know others and know ourselves, we can beat anything.’ So running a business globally is kind of a strong proof point to this saying.”

Wang started in the fashion industry first working as a product developer for one of the biggest shoe manufacturers in the world, which made shoes for Nike, Adidas, and other famous shoe brands. After that, Wang went on to work for overseas brands such as Nine West, Calvin Klein, Ugg, Tory Burch, and Aldo in her 19-year career in the industry. As someone who always loved fashion and shoes, it was a dream of hers to have her own women’s line.

It was that dream that led Wang to pursue her MBA. The CHEMBA program, offered through a partnership between the Carlson School and Lingnan (University) College of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, examines senior management practices in the context of a global economy.

Wang says the program taught her a variety of business techniques that she uses every day in her work at JDC Fashion Group. From simply knowing how to construct an organization chart to leveraging more complex finance management and marketing strategy skills, Wang has the tools needed to allow her company to succeed.

One experience that really stood out to Wang was the residency in the Twin Cities before CHEMBA’s graduation. On the residency, she and the other students were able to visit a variety of different companies headquartered in the area. Based on her experience and everything she learned, Wang believes it’s an easy decision for anyone considering the CHEMBA program.

“People should definitely do it because it's a great opportunity to study again in school after working many years and this program gives people different insights from the global perspective,” she says. “I would tell people to just do it if you feel it's the right time to enhance your ability.”