As a father and tech CEO thirteen years ago, Jason noticed that most young peopleâthe next generationâhad yet to unleash their full potential and actualize their best selves. âWasted potential, leaving lots of future money on the table,â Jason would say. He then decided to dedicate his second career to transforming young achievers, preparing them to gain admission to great universities, mentoring them to develop powerful mindsets and soft skills, and helping them to thrive in impactful careers. In 2007, he co-founded IvyMax, a private college counseling, test prep, and academic and activity enrichment services company by executing the international merger of a chain of learning centers, which was run by a family, and an education technology and SaaS startup, where he was co-founder and CEO. Because families were most available to meet in center during Saturdays and Sundays, he compassionately worked full time every weekend for a few years. Learn more about Jasonâs IvyMax story under the Past Work Experience section below.
In late 2011, Jason departed IvyMax via a mutual agreement, reclaimed his weekends, and freed himself up to pursue his next-level mission. Thatâs when he founded ThreeEQ, with initial focus on guiding more deeply and powerfully 1-on-1 the motivated students in selected, high-end client families worldwide. Not burdened with the time/energy/costs of a facilities-based business, he operated a more flexible, cost-effective âglobal mobile virtual officeâ by mainly using Zoom wherever quiet with reliable Internet access. (At his previous company, Jason brought in Eric Yuan, who is now on the Forbes 400, as an investor; Jason saw Eric giving birth to Zoom!)
As the Chief Mentor of Next-Gen Leaders known in high-level circles today, Jason Ma and Team ThreeEQ serve as foremost (Ivy League and highly competitive) college admissions, high-end career, leadership, and life success mentors and coaches to Gen Z and Millennial achievers in private client families. ThreeEQ masterfully inspires and guides 1-on-1 these young achievers to accomplish great results and also hone pragmatic emotional, social, and leadership intelligence (â3EQâ)âfor a more sustainable competitive advantage and a higher, more impactful and rewarding, long-term success trajectory.
Over the past 13 years, Jasonâs own 1-on-1 success mentoring and coaching method, which became exceptionally effective, has transformed hundreds of driven high school and college students, working adults, and even C-suite leaders (Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X achievers), and has helped them achieve strong outcomes. On college admissions, many of the students were accepted into the eight Ivy League universities and other top private and public schools, and over 100 admitted to UC Berkeley and UCLA. Given ThreeEQâs guidance, families gain peace of mind, enrich relationships, and mitigate risk of opportunity lossâall with sound family values. Jason also helps ease succession planning for UHNW families.
A wealth of factors make ThreeEQ different, including a 100% success rate (defined by outcomes that clients are happy about) with coachable, committed, high-achieving students in selected HNW client families. ThreeEQ fully understands EXACTLY how Ivy League and highly competitive college admissions decisions are made. But Jasonâs work is MORE PROFOUND than just helping kids get into college because college ISNâT their destination but is PART of their JOURNEY and a steppingstone to their greater career and personal success. His studentsâ growth, contributions, identity, relationships, happiness, and security for many years to come are just as vital.
Jason also helped guide brilliant, young entrepreneurs in technology and sciences as a Thiel Fellowship mentor and a Kairos Society mentor.
As a global CEO/board strategic advisor, enterprise business rainmaker, and C-suite coach today, ThreeEQ CEO/Chief Mentor Jason Ma helps selected (tech) companies, C-suites, and family offices worldwide progress strategically to next levels. Depending on the business client, he addresses global/U.S./Asia/China business and geopolitics, private equity, M&A, venture and strategic investment, HR/capital, succession planning, and/or intergenerational leadership 3.0. In doing so, he applies his business acumen and engages his Forbes Global CEO, Fortune 500 C-suite, family office, and other high-level connections worldwide. Jason brings to his business clients not only a powerful global network but also over 35+ years of CEO/senior executive, founder, mentoring, M&A, corporate development, sales and marketing, and engineering experience in technology, education, and other industries, as well as perspectives from nearly 3 million miles of world travel.
Additionally, Jason is privately a C-suite coach to selected CEOs/senior executives, helping them take their own business and personal/family successes to next levels.
As an appointed, leading member of the B20 in the G20, Jason Ma serves on the Future of Work and Education Taskforce, while observing Digital Transformation and Trade & Investment. The B20 is the official voice of the private sector to the G20 heads of state and governments, representing the global business community across all G20 member states and all economic sectors. The B20 develops policy recommendations for and leads engagement with the G20, which represents over 80% of the global nominal GDP of nearly US$90 trillion and 2/3 of the worldwide population of 7.8 billion people. The G20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. Since 2014, through the G20 and B20 presidencies in Australia, Turkey, China, Germany, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia in 2020, Jason is one of only a few hundred business leaders worldwide handpicked to be B20 members.
As an international keynote/fireside/panel speaker, moderator, and masterclass leader, Jason Ma inspires and enlightens audiences worldwide, including billionaires and tycoons; CEOs and executives; business owners; government leaders; family office executives; investors; parents; educators; Millennial professionals and entrepreneurs; and Gen Zers at work and in graduate school, college/university, and high school. Jasonâs repertoire of speaking topics is too long to list here: please see this list under the SPEAKING TOPICS tab below. He has spoken at global CEO/business conferences, Global China and India Business Meetings, tech industry events, B20 forums for the G20, enterprises, family office conferences, high-net-worth parent private events, education summits, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, INSEAD, Los Angeles Unified School District, and special events co-sponsored by alumni clubs from Harvard Business School, Harvard, Stanford GSB, UC Berkeley Haas, and Wharton. In addition his own professional speaking platform, Jason is represented by leading speakers bureaus worldwide, including All American Entertainment, A-Speakers, Champions Speakers, Executive Speakers Bureau, Harry Walker Agency, London Speaker Bureau, and MFL Global.
As an influential author and media contributor, Jason Ma is the author of the critically acclaimed book Young Leaders 3.0: Stories, Insights, and Tips for Next-Generation Achievers. He is the former Forbes contributor on âMentoring Young Leadersâ for elite college prep and admissions, higher education, next-generation leadership, and entrepreneurship successâwith over 1.4 million views and counting. He also authored Gen Z: Understanding Tomorrowâs Digital Workers in an eBook. In his career, Jason was featured in CNBC Asia (Managing Asia and Squawk Box), Business Rockstars, Fast Company, Asian Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, Nikkei, Channel NewsAsia, WealthBriefingAsia, JustLuxe, India West, Teen Kids News, various radio shows, and other media. Jason was featured as one of eight âIndustry Men of 2020â for his âLeadership 3.0 Intelligenceâ in Clientele Luxury Global Magazine and was named âPreeminent Mentor for Next-Gen Leadersâ by Black Tie International Magazine.
As a philanthropist and B20 member, Jason believes in giving. ThreeEQ Foundation, a small donor-advised fund, works with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation in giving to causes that assist the disadvantaged, and ThreeEQ donates pro bono services to select charities.
As a father today, Jason values unconditional love, humor, and high standards on what matters. In his own family (playfully called the âMAfiaâ), he and his wife are blessed with two happy, compassionate Gen Z daughtersâa Google software engineer and emerging leader, and a Wharton rising juniorâboth with tech industry leadership aspirations.