Sara Jane Ho (Chinese: 何佩蓉) is a Chinese educator, socialite,[1] and founder of Institute Sarita, a Beijing finishing school established in 2013.[2][3] She is the etiquette expert for the 2022 Netflix series Mind Your Manners.[4] The New York Times has described her as a representation of the new "Superrich" in China.[5]
Sara Jane Ho | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 5, 1985 |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University Harvard Business School |
| Occupation(s) | Founder, Principal of Institute Sarita |
Early life and education edit
Sara Jane Ho was born in Hong Kong in December 1985. Her father made a living as a businessman who built hospitals to be donated to the government, while her mother was a music industry executive.[6] Ho's mother died in 2007 when Sara Jane was 21.[7]
Ho attended the Peak School and German Swiss International School, followed by Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire.[8] She studied English literature at Georgetown University, where she currently sits on the College Board, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.[9]
Career edit
Sara Jane Ho started her career as a Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst at the New York Investment Banks, Perella Weinberg Partners.[10]
After graduating from Institut Villa Pierrefeu, a Swiss finishing school, Ho moved to Beijing in 2013 to establish Institute Sarita. This was her first high-end etiquette school, which she founded through capital input from her father. Her courses ranged in price from about $3,200 to $16,000.[7] In May 2015, Ho opened a second school in Shanghai.[11]
In 2013, Ho was included on the Forbes 2013 list of "Future Women in the Mix in Asia: 12 to Watch"[12] and in 2015 was included as "Forbes 30 Under 30" and BBC 100 Women.[13] Ho is also a Global Shaper for the World Economic Forum.[8] Institute Sarita was recognized as one of the "World's Most Innovative 50 Companies" by Fast Company magazine in 2014.[14]
References edit
- ^ "Asia's Most Wanted: China's Most Eligible Ladies". 7 August 2017.
- ^ "A look inside China's first finishing school". BBC News. 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Why rich Chinese millennial women are turning to etiquette schools". South China Morning Post. 6 February 2020.
- ^ McFarland, Melanie (24 November 2022). "Making etiquette for everyone again – despite, or because of, its weaponization". Salon. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ Gonzalez, David (14 May 2015). "China's Superrich:The Bling Dynasty".
- ^ Qin, Amy (25 May 2020). "Coronavirus Threatens China's Devotion to Chopsticks and Sharing Food". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Borthakur, Bhaswati (15 November 2022). "Mind Your Manners' Sara Jane Ho: Everything We Know".
- ^ a b "Sara Jane Ho | World Economic Forum: Global Shapers". Global Shapers. 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
- ^ "Sara Jane Ho, HBS Alumna: A Humble Eagerness to Learn". 30 April 2016.
- ^ "My Favourite Pieces: Sara Jane Ho on feng shui and jewellery". Financial Times.
- ^ "The woman who wants to be China's Martha Stewart". Australian Financial Review. 10 January 2018.
- ^ Scott, Mary E. "Women To Watch In Asia, 2013: Sara Jane Ho". Forbes.
- ^ "Sara Jane Ho, 29, Hong Kong". BBC News.
- ^ "Institute Sarita: Most Innovative Company". Fast Company.