Yao Huang: An Undeniable Force

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By Andre LaFontant

Yao Huang, Founder and Managing Partner of The Hatchery, effortlessly embodies the qualities of a true visionary. Yao’s unwavering confidence in her foresight and willingness to forgo the comfort of a successful career in the healthcare industry allowed her to make the leap into the newly forming technology frontiers. “I saw the internet to be something that was the future, where everything will be driven, and that has turned out to be true. I felt and saw that twenty years ago, and that’s where I wanted to be,” explains Huang. “I am, essentially, a product of the growth of the tech sector, learning each of its new innovations as it comes out, [in terms of] what it is, how to use it, and how to monetize it.”

Despite not having a clear roadmap into her technology endeavor, Yao developed an organization with undeniable force. Surrounding herself with tech experts, she learned the intricacies of the industry, while maximizing her biggest asset: a fiery disposition, hungry for new challenges. “I picked up a lot of tech along the way, and I taught myself how to code, because I believe [that] if you own a restaurant, you should at least know how to cook,” says Huang.

Early experiences pushed her to gravitate toward the changing company culture, adopting a personal willingness to continually evolve and absorb new ideas. “I enjoy building companies,” shares Huang, “and that has morphed into a business model that allows us to assist large corporations in adopting the startup mindset.”

In addition to her endless willingness to evolve, another consistent characteristic of Huang is her commitment to the simplicity of building genuine connections with everyone she does business with. The value of her authenticity and directness shines brightly in her presence in the corporate arena. Huang adamantly expresses that success must be defined on a personal level, and teaches, “Instead of trying to copy someone, or follow in someone’s footsteps, figure out what you want, what you see your future to be, and what you think is going to make you happy. Once you write that down, you can reverse engineer the things that you need, [in order] to get there.”