Model: Madison Zhao
Photography: Greg Alexander
Art director: Sebastien Vienne
Hair & Makeup: Carine Larchet
Assistant: Emmeline Yalaz-Lazizi
Management: MaisonPR
Production: Multi Publications
Madison, you lead a billion dollar company at a relatively young age. How do you define the responsibility of a leader?
To me, leadership today means building with both vision and compassion. It’s no longer just about profits or power. It’s about creating systems that uplift people and challenge what’s broken. A 21st century leader needs to think long term, act with integrity, and constantly ask: Who am I helping, and how does this scale beyond me?
The role of a CEO is not to be the smartest person in the room. It’s to build a company where your team can eventually run it better than you ever could. The first thing I do is focus on hiring the right number one. I don’t start by filling lower level roles. I start at the top of the pyramid. I look for the strongest leader I can possibly find and empower them to hire the next layer. That’s how you create a culture of excellence, accountability, and autonomy from day one.
Leadership is about building a machine that keeps growing, innovating, and improving even without you in the room. That requires humility, trust, and the discipline to focus not just on growth, but on sustainability. In today’s world, your impact as a leader is measured not just by what you build, but by who you build it with and how many people you lift along the way.
What was the moment you realized you wanted to build something big rather than just work a job?
It wasn’t one glamorous moment, it was a breaking point. I was 19, living in the U.S. alone, juggling three jobs while going to school full-time. I had started a small Amazon business selling phone accessories, and it took off fast. For the first time, I thought, maybe I could actually make it. But I was young, inexperienced, and overwhelmed. I made one bad call, scaling too quickly without understanding logistics. I ended up with over $60,000 in unsold inventory, got into debt, and lost my student visa. I couldn’t afford tuition, so I had to drop out of college. Everything I built collapsed overnight. It felt like the American Dream had just kicked me out the door.
That was my rock bottom. But weirdly, I wasn’t scared, I was awake. I realized that no one was coming to save me. I could either go back, apologize to my parents for "failing,” or I could rebuild. But this time, on my terms. Not as a student, not as an employee, but as a builder. I moved back to China with nothing and started again from zero. I used what I had left:my skills, my grit, and my story to help students apply to schools abroad. That tutoring business became my first real company. It hit seven figures in revenue within a year.
That’s when I knew I’m not here to take orders. I’m here to create. Once you’ve been to rock bottom and climbed out with your own hands, there’s no going back to asking for permission.
Which habit do you consider the main driving force behind your growth both as a person and as a CEO?
I practice relentless self-reflection. Every win, every failure, every tough conversation, I don’t let any of it pass without asking myself: What did I learn? What would I do differently next time? This constant audit of myself keeps me sharp, humble, and adaptable. It helps me make better decisions as a leader because I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong or to change direction quickly. I also have a habit of zooming out. I don’t just focus on what’s urgent, I block time every week to think about the big picture: What’s next? Where are we going? Is the path I’m on still aligned with the vision?
That mental discipline is what helped me go from a few hundred dollars to building a business that scaled across countries. It’s not talent, it’s consistency, curiosity, and brutal honesty with myself. More importantly, I’ve learned to turn every setback into a superpower. The way you talk to yourself shapes your entire future. I’ve always believed that fate can be changed and it starts with perspective.
When something goes wrong, I don’t ask "Why me?” I ask, "What am I supposed to learn here?” If someone hurts me, I don’t stay bitter, I use it to get smarter about who I trust. If I miss out on an opportunity, I see it as redirection. I believe everything I face is something I was meant to face. And with that mindset, I’m never really losing, I’m just evolving.
Your work goes beyond business—you speak about doing good and creating a positive impact. What does "living with purpose” mean to you?
Living with purpose means building something that changes lives. For me, it’s never been about being perfect. It’s about aligning my values with my actions, and creating things that continue to give, long after I’m gone. I don’t want to live with regret. I feel like the world has already given me everything I ever dreamed of and now it’s my turn to give back.
The companies I run, the schools I fund, the animal shelters I build, they’re all part of something bigger than me. I’m not here just to accumulate wealth. I want to redistribute opportunity. I want to use my success to lift others up, not just once, but continuously. And to be honest, purpose is what keeps me going. Without it, I would’ve burned out a long time ago. At a certain point, money and accolades stop feeling fulfilling. But when you’re building with intention, when you know it matters, you don’t get tired in the same way. You might feel exhausted, but never empty. That’s what purpose does: it fuels you beyond ambition.
The world is rapidly evolving due to AI, biotechnology, and ethical challenges. How do you define success—both personal and professional? Has your understanding of it changed over time?
My definition of success has changed dramatically over the years. When I was younger, I thought success was about proving people wrong. About money, power, survival. I was driven by the need to escape my past and make something of myself.
But today? Success is peace. It’s freedom, the freedom to choose how I spend my time, who I surround myself with, and what I say yes to.
Professionally, success means building something that outlasts you. I don’t care about being the first, the loudest, or the most followed. I care about being the most impactful. In a world where AI, biotech, and digital disruption are rewriting the rules, we need to ask harder questions. Are we creating systems that help or harm? Are we building with foresight, or just chasing trends? Personally, success looks like waking up and feeling aligned, with the work I do, the people around me, and the values I stand for. And if what I build empowers others to do the same? That’s real legacy to me. It’s not about winning in the short term. It’s about building something that still matters in ten, twenty, fifty years.