My name is Daniel, currently a sophomore at Emory University majoring in Business Administration and Quantitative Sciences with a concentration in Finance. I was born in New Jersey but moved back to Shanghai when I was just a few months old and grew up there until I came back to the US for high school where I attended a boarding school in LA.

Growing up, I was always especially curious about how the world works around us and how people make decisions, so coming into college I actually intended to major in sociology. Yet, when I got to Emory and explored some of the career options at the business school and picked up several books about finance and Wall Street, I found it interesting how our world and the many key decisions people make are heavily driven by value creation through business transactions and M&A and was inspired by how a career in investment banking could translate knowledge and effort into tangible impact, whereas I felt sociology was a little more theoretical.

My interest in the consumer retail sector is both personal and professional. Growing up, I watched my parents run a clothing manufacturing business where they dealt with the challenge of thin margins. They’ve always wanted to shift toward a retail model because it offers stronger profitability and brand-building opportunities. My mom’s been working on her clothing brand for 3-4 years now, but she’s still been facing difficulties in finding a niche and separating her brand from the many competitors in China. Seeing my parents struggle sparked my curiosity for the retail sector and now I’m fascinated with the deceivingly innovative and dynamic nature of retail businesses especially in the apparel and health and fitness retail sub-verticals and how many of these companies must create value by constantly engaging with market trends and adapting to consumer behavior.