Kuan-Yu Hou
0958667528
[email protected]
Skilled in Time Management and Resource Allocation | Detail-Oriented Organizer | Facilitating Seamless Project Execution
Experience
Head of Program • 886 Studios
May 2024 - Sep 2024 | Taipei, Taiwan
- Researched over 1,500 early-stage startups, conducted more than 100 interviews, and participated in over 10 community events for outreach to identify potential partners and startup teams.
- Conducted over 10 user research studies to understand the content of competing accelerator programs and the key needs of startups.
- Achieved the goals of standardizing and scaling the accelerator program through process design, the creation of program manuals, and core charters.
- Followed up with teams and compiled reports that included member analysis, market research, and forecasts of opportunities and risks, collaborating with the team to select over 80 startups with potential for inclusion in the program.
- Fostered community engagement by organizing various events, including serving as a lecturer for university startup courses and co-hosting innovation and entrepreneurship exchange events.
Global Community & Project Coordinator • Business Next Media Corp.
May 2022 - May 2024 | Taipei, Taiwan
- Account for Multi-million-dollar government projects, including stakeholder engagement, proposal writing, project planning, budget allocation, contract negotiation, team formation, regular reporting, and project closure with closure report.
- Connected and collaborated with 100+ startups, 50+ VCs, and 20+ international startup communities, accelerators, overseas associations, etc.
- Coordinated 200+ physical/online events, including exhibitions, summits, demo pitches, happy hours, workshops, forums, business meetings, overseas business trips, etc., experienced with different aspect of planning, including topic setting, copywriting, guest speaker inviting, manpower allocation, venue/catering negotiation, pre-event testing, etc.
- Facilitated startup accelerating program/platform for startups achieving the goals for landing business overseas.
- Made 100+ connections for 20+ startups with 15+ strategic partners, 5+ companies achieved overseas landing milestone.
- Scouted and filtered 300+ international startups from 20+ countries to participate in Meet Taipei Startup Festival/Meet Greater South Startup Festival
- Produced various content, including series podcasts, "Silicon Valley Insight" and "Startup Island TAIWAN.", and publication of "Meet Startup Island Taiwan: The Handbook for Taiwan's Startup Ecosystem."
Integrated Marketing & Sales Specialist • DIGITIMES Inc.
Oct 2020 - May 2022 | Taipei, Taiwan
- Established and analyzed existing customer and potential customer data of over 2,000+ companies, and conducted 1,000+ cold outreach and appointment scheduling via email and phone, 200+ client visits/presentations.
- Customized and executed 50+ B2B integrated marketing plans, including online display ads, online/newspaper advertorials, embedded marketing for podcast, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and lead-generation plans via online/offline event, etc.
- Achieved sales target of 2 million TWD with 70% of deals closed from cold calling/emailing, and developed long-term connections with 40% renewing annual planning or campaigns.
Executed 100+ events with 40+ online seminars, 10+ on-site forum, 5+ customized summit/symposium, and the first AI Expo in Taiwan.
Education
International Trade Institute, TAITRA
Two-year International Business Administration Program • Jan 2018 - May 2020
Chang Gung University
Bachelor's degree, Chemical Engineering • Jul 2013 - Jan 2017
Skills
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Google Drive
- Excel
- Event Planning
- TOEIC 960
- SEO Optimization
- Google Analytics
- Google Ads
- Google Tag Manager
Language
- Chinese - Native
- English - Professional
About Me
I believe that smart work is more important than hard work. I’m always eager to try new things and improve my performance through continuous refinement.
Professional Experience Overview
#First Job: Integrated Marketing Account Executive
My first job after graduation was at DIGITIMES, where I worked as an Integrated Marketing Account Executive. I was responsible for the development and execution of integrated marketing projects, which included online and offline campaigns such as print ads, newspaper ads, paid news, podcasts, event planning, and exhibitions.
During my time in integrated marketing, I gained hands-on experience in project execution and planning, as well as significant exposure to client outreach and proposal development, both domestically and internationally.
Key Achievement: Developed over 70% of new clients, both domestic and international in the first year. Led the first-ever AI EXPO at the company and achieved the top performance in the startup category.
#Career Shift: International Community & Project Coordinator at Business Next Media
Transitioning from project execution to planning allowed me to allocate more energy to the various aspects of a project. Besides handling larger-scale projects, I also had to balance user needs, company strategy, and practical execution. My responsibilities included extensive data collection, case analysis, team building, and drafting project documentation. This process ignited my passion for project management, and I found great satisfaction in breaking down goals and achieving them step by step.
Key Achievement: Being in the team that executed a two-year, million-dollars government project, serving as the primary point of contact. The project exceeded its target by 130% and maintained a 40% profit margin.
#Independent Role: Product Planner/Project Manager (PM)
During my time at Business Next Media, I came into contact with 886 Studios, a Taiwan-based investment unit founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The company operated in a startup mode, which deepened my understanding of project management, communication, and execution.
When I learned about an opportunity as an acceleration program planner, I pursued this new challenge to meet my higher financial goals. In addition to planning and researching to define product specifications, I also needed to effectively communicate with stakeholders to ensure smooth project execution. I eventually left the position due to a company restructuring as it shifted its focus.
Key Achievement: Over a six-month period, I conducted research on more than 1,500 startups globally, covering over 90% of Taiwanese startups, and conducted over 100 interviews and 10+ user research sessions.
Future Plans
Reflecting on my six years of experience, I have consistently sought new tools to enhance my planning and management skills. Working in startups has introduced me to various AI tools, which has kept me enthusiastic about integrating new technologies and workflows for better results. I am eager to continue accumulating experience, with the hope of working on a variety of projects and products. My goal is to leverage my expertise to help companies solve problems and deliver products that user/client wants.
