WorldStrides Global Camps
Date: 2016-2019
Location: Shanghai, China
Roles: Business Unit Founder
Organization: WorldStrides Global
The Problem
In 2016, I joined Talent Academy, then a leading provider of afterschool enrichment programs in Shanghai, to lead the development of new programs and products.
Talent Academy's mission was to bring world-class enrichment experiences to children in China. The company’s main businesses had plateaued, and I was charged with finding new revenue opportunities. Through customer research, we recognized an opportunity to adapt elements of US summer camp culture to offer school-aged children in China an alternative to the typical academic tutoring and "cram-school" style boot camps. We entered into a joint-venture partnership with Ivy Camps USA, and "Ivy League Camps" was born.
(Sidenote: the rather shameless name originated from a focus group conversation with prospective parents.)
My Role
As the internal founder, I was responsible for turning the idea into a viable business. I led a rockstar team of educators, designers, childcare experts, and marketers to create the program in 6 months
This project demanded tremendous flexibility as, in addition to general management, I stepped in to plug any gaps in the business, including supporting the sales and marketing team, taking over challenging customer cases, and authoring part of the STEM activities as an in-house instructional expert.
Outcomes
. Our inaugural session was attended by 750 students, far exceeding our initial aspirations, and served as the template for the program’s ongoing success.
At the time of its acquisition by WorldStrides Global Camps, the program operated in five cities and was attended by over 5,000 children each summer, 20,000 cumulatively, and operated across 5 sites in 4 cities.