Michelle tan biography

Michelle Tan was born on June 29, 1989 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Michelle Tan is a highly experienced female chef who has always had a passion for cooking.
Born and bred in Singapore, I embody a well-tossed Rojak (local salad dish) persona, drawing from my Singaporean upbringing, books I read as well as time spent.

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Michelle Tan is a highly experienced female chef who has always had a passion for cooking. Growing up, Michelle has always loved experimenting with different flavors and ingredients to create delicious meals for her family and friends. Her love for cooking led her to pursue a career in the culinary arts, where she honed her skills and became a successful chef. Michelle noticed that many people, especially beginners, found cooking at home to be a daunting task. They often felt overwhelmed by the number of ingredients and complicated recipes, which made them feel like they couldn't cook at home. This realization inspired Michelle to write a cookbook that would make cooking at home easy and fuss-free for everyone. Her cookbooks are perfect for busy families, beginners, and anyone who wants to make cooking at home more accessible and enjoyable. It includes a wide variety of recipes, from breakfast to dinner, and even dessert. Michelle's goal is to share her love for cooking with the world and to show that anyone can create delicious meals at home, even with a limited ingredi

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Between Two Classes: Michelle Tan

“I believe that everyone has a lot of potential, and when you're using it in areas you truly care about, you can make more impact.”

Between Two Classes is an interview series where we explore the diverse worldviews of our HBS classmates.

This interview is with Michelle Tan (MBA ’25). Michelle grew up in China and attended Columbia University, where she studied Economics and Intellectual History. After school, Michelle worked in investment banking before transitioning to startups in Silicon Valley. Michelle held operating roles at startups like WeWork and Culdesac before founding Unearth AI, an AI-based mapping and location analytics platform that was acquired earlier this year.

What impact has your childhood had on the person you are today?

Tan: I was born in Beijing and spent the first 18 years of my life in China, at a time when the country was growing a lot and there was a lot of optimism. My parents were both really busy, so they sent me to live with my grandparents in a provincial town in southern Chi

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I am currently a Vice President at the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), leading a team that is spearheading corporate innovation and venture building in Singapore. I have had the privilege to be at the front seat of shaping Singapore’s economy across my 14-year career, having led teams to conceptualise and implement strategies and initiatives across the Aerospace, Commodities and International Non-profit sectors.
Always curious and a penchant for taking the path less travelled, I was the first female Centre Director based at EDB’s Mumbai office for 3 years, overseeing Singapore’s foreign investment strategy. As part of my professional growth, I have also been seconded to a mobility technology start-up where I helped to secure their Series A fundraising round and subsequently to Temasek, overseeing investments in alternative proteins and agri-tech.
I am a mathematics major from NUS (but sigh.. never had the opportunity to apply the formulas and equations i learnt in school) and a Sloan fellow with a Masters of Science in Management from Stanford U