I teach what the smartest people I know wish they'd learned sooner.
An executive coach, Wharton lecturer, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who helps people — from Fortune 100 leaders to teenagers — build the skills that actually decide who succeeds.
From the trading floor to the classroom.
I started my career as an equities trader, and I was good at it. But somewhere in those years, a quiet truth caught up with me: the work wasn't mine. I was succeeding at someone else's definition of success.
So I did the thing I now help other people do. I stopped, looked honestly at what I actually wanted, and changed direction — toward helping people grow.
That turn became two decades of work. As a Senior Advisor at Exec-Comm, I coach leaders and train teams at Fortune 100 companies and global financial firms. At Wharton, I teach leadership and managerial communication to MBA and Executive MBA students, where I've earned Honors for Exemplary Teaching. I've written two books — Selling Your Expertise, a Wall Street Journal bestseller for professionals who want to grow without feeling salesy, and Dreams to Reality, a practical guide to setting goals and actually following through. And today, I'm building Vana Lab.
The work starts by looking within.
I believe the most important thing any of us can do is figure out what we're truly called to — and then find the courage to pursue it. That calling comes from within. The only way to hear it is through honest self-reflection, and then acting on what you find, so you can uncover even more.
High performers who ignore that calling can do well at first. But once the novelty wears off, they stall. Staying power comes from doing work you're genuinely pulled toward.
This is as true for a managing director rethinking her career as it is for a fifteen-year-old deciding who he wants to become. The earlier you learn to look inward and act on what you see, the better the life you get to build.
Clarity. Skills. Trust.
The same three moves, whether I'm with an executive, a Wharton classroom, or a teenager in a Vana Lab session.
Get honest about what's really going on.
We start by building self-awareness and naming what's actually driving the situation — then the outcomes that matter most, and the skill and willingness gaps in the way.
Skills and frameworks you can use.
Most coaching stops at good questions. I ask those too — then go further, giving you concrete skills, frameworks, and practical tools you can put to work right away, and keep using long after, with me or on your own.
It stays about you.
I keep the focus on what you're trying to achieve — your goals, your terms, not my agenda or a fixed script. Success is measured by your progress, and your growing ability to do this yourself.
The head start I wish I'd had.
After years of coaching accomplished adults, I kept noticing the same thing: so much of what holds people back at forty traces to skills no one taught them at fifteen. How to look within. How to set a real goal and follow through. How to handle the hard moments without losing themselves.
That's what Vana Lab is. Instead of waiting until our thirties or forties to learn these things the hard way, teenagers get to practice them now — while the stakes are low and the habits are still forming.
It's the work I'm proudest of: the head start I wish someone had given me.
A few markers along the way.
Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business
Recognized among the country's outstanding Asian American business leaders.
Wharton Honors for Exemplary Teaching
Wharton's recognition for excellence in the classroom, across MBA and Executive MBA sections.
National Lead, Ascend Executive Network
Advancing diverse leaders into the corporate C-suite and onto boards, and honored with Ascend's President's Award for service.
Board Member, Wharton Club of New York
Serving one of the country's largest Wharton alumni communities.
Want to work together?
Coaching, speaking, corporate training, or Vana Lab — tell me a little about what you're after and I'll point us in the right direction.