Jashin Lin

While at Boston University, I loved the sense of belonging and shared purpose when I engaged in extracurriculars. Whether it was collaborating with bandmates to make beautiful music or resolving my residents’ emergencies after college parties, these experiences taught me that meaningful learning reaches deeper than textbooks. However, I noticed that many other Chinese international students tended to sit on the sidelines in their own bubbles with a “just here to study” mindset. I am always puzzled at the phenomenon that we have a lot of international students, but few international leaders. I had an urge to break this pattern because representation matters. 

To encourage my peers to not be visitors, but owners of this formative experience. I founded Project X (now Growbie) to inspire more Chinese students at BU and beyond. Seeing other Chinese students embrace new experiences in America, rise into campus leadership roles, and land their dream job offers after my mentorship brought me tremendous satisfaction. The ripple effect of the inspiration, helping others break down barriers and pursue their best selves, is what keeps Growbie growing and thriving today.

For me, giving is so much more gratifying because I believe in the power of “paying it forward” to nurture and uplift underrepresented communities. Besides Growbie, I am an adjunct lecturer at Boston University Questrom School of Business, Visible Hands Founder Fellow, and MassChallenge Early Stage Social Impact founder. I am also a proud Harvard Business School Class of 2023 Section C Social Chair, and an early employee at TikTok which brings joy and creativity to billions of users.

Connect with me on LinkedIn or write to me jashin@growbie.com.