BrandWikiReturn

Jane Chen

Jane Marie Chen is an American businesswoman. She is the co-founder of Embrace, a social enterprise that invented and distributes a low-cost infant warmer,[1] that gives premature and low-birth-weight infants a better chance at survival.[2][3][4][5][6] Chen served as the first CEO of Embrace, the non-profit arm of the organization, before becoming the chief executive officer (CEO) of Embrace Innovations, the for-profit social enterprise that was spun off in 2012.[7]

Early life and education

Chen was born to a Taiwanese American family. She earned a B.A in psychology and economics from Pomona College, a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Harvard University, and a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from Stanford University.[8]

Career

Prior to Embrace, Chen worked with nonprofit organizations on healthcare issues in developing countries. She spent several years as the program director of a startup HIV/AIDS nonprofit in China, and worked for the Clinton Foundation's HIV/AIDS Initiative in Tanzania.[9] She also worked at Monitor Group as a management consultant.

In 2013, Chen and the other co-founders of Embrace, Linus Liang, Nag Murty, and Rahul Panicker were awarded the Economist Innovation Award, under the category of Social and Economic Innovation.[10] In the same year, Chen and her co-founder Rahul Panicker were also recognized as Schwab Social Entrepreneurs of the Year by the World Economic Forum.[11] In 2014, Chen was invited to the White House's first ever Maker Faire, where she presented Embrace's work to President Obama.[12] In the same year, Beyoncé made a $125,000 contribution through Chime for Change which allowed Embrace to distribute its infant warmers to nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.[13]

Embrace

While doing her MBA at Stanford, Chen and a few other fellow graduate students were assigned a class project to create a low-cost infant incubator that could be used in rural areas.[1][8][14] In 2008, they co-founded Embrace, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to bring their project to life.[15][16] In January 2012, Embrace moved into a hybrid structure.[17] The non-profit entity, Embrace, donates infant warmers to the neediest areas through NGO partners, and provides educational programs on newborn health alongside the distribution of warmers. The for-profit social enterprise, Embrace Innovations, sells the warmers to paying entities, including governments and private clinics, all focusing on emerging markets.[18] Embrace Innovations, the for-profit social enterprise, raised its Series A round of financing in 2012 from Vinod Khosla's Impact Fund and Capricorn Investment Group. The company raised a second round of investment capital from Marc Benioff in 2014.[19]

In 2016, Embrace Innovations launched a line of consumer baby products called Little Lotus Baby (temperature regulating swaddles and sleeping bags), which have a buy-one give-one model.[20]

Awards and recognition

Chen has been a TED speaker,[21][22] and was selected as one of Forbes' Impact 30 in 2011.[23] In 2019, Chen was featured in AOL/Verizon/Yahoo's "FUTURIST" Series, profiling industry leaders across all different disciplines who are advancing their fields with technology, innovation, and fearlessness.[24] Chen has been recognized as the Inspirational Young Alumni of the Year by Pomona College,[25] and selected as a "Woman of Distinction" by the American Association of University Women.[26] Chen has spoken at numerous international conferences, including the Skoll World Forum, Bloomberg Design Conference, Forbes Women's Summit, and the World Economic Forum.[27]

In 2012, Chen was named as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum,[28] and was featured in Dove's "Real Role Models" campaign for women and girls.[29] She was also profiled in AOL's Makers campaign.[9] Chen is a TED Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and Rainer Arnhold Fellow.

Chen's memoir, Like A Wave We Break, was published by Penguin Random House in October 2025.[30][31] Like A Wave We Break has garnered praise from influential voices including Tony Robbins, Adam Grant, Bessel van der Kolk, Marc Benioff, Vicky Tsai, Vinod Khosla and many others.[32] The book debuted as a USA Today National Bestseller.[33]

External links

  • Jane Chen Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America

References

  1. Peerzada Abrar. Lessons from 50 startups: Stanford grads' Embrace Innovations build low-cost warmer to save young Indian lives The Economic Times, July 20, 2012, retrieved August 13, 2012^
  2. Embrace Innovations Embrace Innovations, retrieved 2019-11-13^
  3. Embrace Nest Baby Warmer, Buy Low Cost Portable Warmer, Infant Warmer Manufacturers Phoenix Medical Systems (P) Ltd, retrieved 2019-11-13^
  4. Embrace – Design for Extreme Affordability retrieved 2019-11-13^
  5. Chaitanya Tellapragada, Vandana Kalwaje Eshwara, Parvati Bhat, Shashidhar Acharya, Asha Kamath, Shashikala Bhat, Chythra Rao, Sathisha Nayak. Risk Factors for Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight Among Pregnant Indian Women: A Hospital-based Prospective Study Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, May 2016^
  6. Will Yakowicz. This Space-Age Blanket Startup Has Helped Save 200,000 Babies (and Counting) Inc.com, 2016-04-27, retrieved 2019-11-13^
  7. Embrace:Deciding on a Hybrid Structure retrieved 2014-03-26^
  8. Ellen Lee. Embrace may keep babies warm and alive San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 2010, retrieved August 13, 2012^
  9. Jane Chen: Women in Healthcare AOL, February 2, 2012, retrieved August 13, 2012^
  10. Innovation awards: And the winners are… The Economist, November 30, 2013, retrieved April 14, 2014^
  11. Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Announces Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2013 | World Economic Forum - Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Announces Social Entrepreneurs of the Year 2013 Weforum.org, February 15, 2013, retrieved April 14, 2014^
  12. Elise Lelon. The Baby Saving Revolution: Obama and Beyonce Embrace Founder, Jane Chen (You Will Too) Huffington Post, 2014-07-10, retrieved 2017-10-30^
  13. Elizabeth Weil. Caring for Premature Babies, With a Little Help From Beyoncé The New York Times, 2015-11-20, retrieved 2017-10-30^
  14. Lisa Sibley. Stanford startup's $25 'sleeping bag' could save newborns Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, April 17, 2008, retrieved August 13, 2012^
  15. Sean Dooley. Embrace Infant Warmer Could Save Thousands ABC News, December 17, 2010, retrieved July 1, 2012^
  16. Saving Babies CNN, retrieved July 1, 2012^
  17. Jane Chen. Should Your Business Be Nonprofit or For-Profit? Harvard Business Review, February 2013, retrieved February 1, 2013^
  18. Sainul K Abudheen. Infant warmers maker Embrace raises funding from Khosla Impact, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, others VCCircle, 2013-08-26, retrieved August 26, 2013^
  19. Jane Chen. How I Surfed The Wave That Nearly Drowned My Startup Forbes, retrieved 2020-02-05^
  20. A Simple, Effective Way to Reduce Infant Mortality Bloomberg.com, retrieved 2017-10-30^
  21. Jane Chen: A warm embrace that saves lives TED Conference, TED^
  22. Jane Marie Chen. What losing everything taught me about resilience^
  23. Forbes impact 30, 2012 Forbes, retrieved August 13, 2011^
  24. Futurists www.aol.com, retrieved 2020-02-05^
  25. Vanessa Hua. Jane Chen '00 Wins Inspirational Young Alumna Award for Innovative Incubator Invention retrieved April 26, 2011^
  26. Women of Distinction 2019 Spotlight: Jane Marie Chen NCCWSL, retrieved 2020-02-05^
  27. Jane Chen. Speaker at Skoll World Forum retrieved September 8, 2012^
  28. World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders WEF, Young Global Leaders, 2012, World Economic Forum, retrieved August 13, 2012^
  29. Dove Series. Dove Real Role Models Dove, retrieved September 8, 2012^
  30. Rachel Deahl. Book Deals: Week of December 19, 2022 PublishersWeekly.com, retrieved 2024-06-02^
  31. Like a Wave We Break by Jane Marie Chen: 9780593582343 PenguinRandomhouse.com, retrieved 2025-11-02^
  32. Like a Wave We Break: A Memoir of Falling Apart and Finding Myself 2025-10-14^
  33. Best-selling Booklist USA TODAY, retrieved 2025-11-02^