2023 Entrepreneur in Residence

Joy Chen

Dr. Joy Chen is a Chinese American entrepreneur and investor with a passion for education technology. Born and raised in China, Joy has studied and worked in both China and the US, accumulating over 26 years of experience in education.

Throughout her career, Joy has worked for top consulting and Fortune 500 companies such as Ernst & Young, Verizon, and Microsoft, where she designed and developed digital learning systems, knowledge management systems and professional development system. As one of the pioneers in online and digital learning research, Joy has closely followed the edtech trend and explored how to enhance education by leveraging technologies.

Joy’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to start an education company that provided English training to kids, which was later acquired by TAL Education Group (NYSE:TAL), one of the largest education companies in the world. After the acquisition, Joy shifted gears and began working as an investor, serving as the US chief investment officer for TAL and currently working as a senior advisor at GSV Ventures.

With her unique perspective and firsthand experience as both an entrepreneur and investor, Joy has gained valuable insights into the education industry. She is committed to supporting companies and entrepreneurs that have the potential to make a significant impact in education and is actively involved in the startup and entrepreneur community in Silicon Valley. Joy serves as an advisor to organizations such as the Founder Institute and Berkeley’s Skydeck accelerator, empowering and inspiring founders. She also serves on the board of EHL, a Swiss hospitality management school that is considered the best hospitality school globally, where she supports initiatives such as digital learning.

Joy obtained her master’s degree in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University and her doctoral degree from USC. She is also an alumnus of the Stanford Executive Program, having attended in 2015.

As an Entrepreneur in Residence at Stanford GSE, Joy is honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with the vibrant community of professors, researchers, students, technologists, and innovators. She is excited to leverage her experience and expertise to explore new ideas and opportunities in the education space, working towards making a meaningful and lasting impact on the future of education.

Interview