In this episode of Big Asian Energy, John Wang sits down with Jane Chen, entrepreneur and author of the forthcoming memoir "Like A Wave We Break," to explore how childhood trauma shapes entrepreneurial drive and why healing work is essential for sustainable success. Jane shares her powerful journey from Stanford graduate student to founder of Embrace, a company that saved over a million babies, and reveals how a complete breakdown led her to Indonesia for a transformative healing journey. Through exploring everything from Internal Family Systems therapy to MDMA-assisted therapy, Jane discovered that true resilience isn't about pushing harder, but about coming home to yourself.
What Jane Shares:
- How childhood trauma and adverse experiences shape our relationship with achievement and success
- Why psychological safety in leadership starts with your own inner healing work
- Healing modalities that transform trauma into authentic self-leadership
About Jane Chen
Jane Chen is the author of "Like A Wave We Break," a memoir exploring trauma, healing, and finding worthiness beyond achievement. She is the founder of Embrace, a social enterprise that created a low-cost infant warmer that has helped over one million premature babies in remote areas worldwide. Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Jane has been honored by President Obama and supported by Beyonce. After experiencing burnout and a mental breakdown ten years into building Embrace, Jane embarked on an intensive healing journey that transformed her understanding of success, resilience, and leadership. She now works as a leadership coach, bringing trauma-informed practices to help leaders create psychologically safe teams and organizations.
Connect with Jane Chen
