THE YOUTH OF TODAY

The Youth Of Today: Hope Liu

by Marc Almagro
Photography by Chino Sardea
20 Jun 2019

Hope Liu, 33, is the CEO & Co-Founder of Eximchain

Armed with blockchain technology, Eximchain provides the supply chain of the future with an inclusive, transparent and safe platform for businesses of all sizes. At the center of this powerful innovation is Ms. Hope Liu, who co-founded the company and now serves as its head.

“I see success in what we do daily. What we do is valuable: We’re looking to use technology to free businesses from time-consuming tasks, which means thousands of man-hours in savings. On a personal level, it’s also an opportunity for me to show that we can follow our dreams and make it work.”

Before starting Eximchain, Ms. Liu spent six years at UBS, starting out as a graduate trainee and ending up as authorized officer in charge of facilitating cross-border transactions. In that role, she oversaw offshore teams and managed settlement across 14 countries.

In 2015, while at the MIT Sloan School of Management, she began working on the Eximchain idea at the MIT Media Lab with her partner. The project won multiple accolades, from the Legatum Seed Grant, the Plug and Play Fintech Accelerator and MIT, among others. After graduating in 2017, she and co-founder Juan Huertas began working on Eximchain full time.

“Being young means that there is always room to improve. We can never compare years of experience, but we can see it as an opportunity to tap on the experience and knowledge of others who have been in the field longer than we have.

“I define success as feeling happy when you wake up every morning, and feeling that you are able to do something that you want to do. Most importantly, it is about being able to contribute to society.”

Ms. Liu now travels frequently between the U.S. and Asia, promoting Eximchain and looking for opportunities to transform supply chains with blockchain technology.