2324T2 Silicon Valley/Participant Information/Zachary Lian
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About Zachary
SMU email: zacharylian.2021@scis.smu.edu.sg
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharylian/
Academic Year: Year 3 (2021)
Degree: BSc Information Systems (Major in Business Analytics & Digitalisation and Cloud Solutions)
Why TSM?
What motivates you to join TSM?
Since young, I have only witnessed Silicon Valley through the lens of news and media, and the chance to experience this renowned hub of innovation in person is an opportunity I cannot afford to miss. It's the epicenter of groundbreaking startups and cutting-edge technology, and I'm enthusiastic about immersing myself in the unique ecosystem that has fostered such remarkable success stories. With TSM, I'm keen to interact with the diverse range of individuals in the start-up community at Silicon Valley, learning from their different perspectives on startup culture, and drawing comparisons with the entrepreneurial landscape in Asian societies.
As someone who is interested in the latest developments in the technology space, I believe that this experience will serve as a catalyst for my entrepreneurial journey, as it presents a chance to fuel my own entrepreneurial aspirations, inspiring me to hopefully create something that is not only personally fulfilling but also meaningful and impactful to society at large.
Where would you like to visit?
- Entrepreneurship: Y-Combinator, 500 Global, Medium, Standford University
- AI: Deeplearning.AI, Ultralytics, OpenAI, Netflix
Starting a Business
What types of businesses interest you?
I am deeply passionate about emerging businesses that operate at the intersection of data analytics and machine learning, where these businesses leverage on data to harness technology-driven insights to drive innovation and progress. I believe that these fields have the potential to revolutionize industries and create meaningful, positive impacts on society. Consequently, I'm drawn to companies that prioritize social good, aiming to address critical issues in areas such as environmental sustainability and beyond. Currently, I'm actively pursuing internships with startups like Moaah and #STACS because these firms embody the dynamic spirit of emerging businesses. By doing so, I hope to gain invaluable insights into their growth strategies, operational processes, and their unique approaches to applying data analytics and machine learning, ultimately furthering my understanding of how technology can be harnessed for societal betterment.
What plans do you have in starting a business?
Currently, I do not have any concrete business ideas yet that could potentially “shake” the tech industry, as there is always this fear in which my ideas would not provide a huge impact to social good. However, I hope that through TSM, I will be able to gain more perspectives to like-minded innovators, and hopefully apply their insights in the near future.
Past Experiences (optional)
Internships:
- Moaah: Software Engineer Intern (Sep '23 - Present)
- Accenture: App Developer Intern (May '23 - Aug '23)
- F5: Digital Marketing Intern (Feb '21 - May '21)
CCA:
- SMU Business Intelligence & Analytics: Data Associate (Dec '22 - Mar '23)
- SMU .HACK: HEAP Mentee (May '22 - Aug '22)
- Ellipsis: Marketing Executive (Dec '21 - Dec '22)
- SCIS Freshmen Orientation Camp Metamorphosis 2022: Marketing Director (Apr '22 - Aug '22)
- Handball: Member (Aug '21 - Aug '22)
