ThreeEQ

Jason is Founder and CEO of ThreeEQ Inc., a family-owned, Silicon Valley-based, global (tech) business and education advisory firm recognized for preeminence in success coaching, high-level rainmaking, and speaking. At ThreeEQ, Jason is a CEO/strategic advisor and consulting rainmaker to a range of tech companies and family offices and enterprises, and is a foremost mentor to high achievers in select high-end families and companies for next-level success with well-being in Ivy League/elite college admissions, next-gen leadership, high-end internships and careers, and personal/family life.

Jason is recognized as the Chief Mentor of Next-Gen Leaders by Family Office Association, Silicon Valley Insider, Agreus (recruitment for family offices), Impact Wealth Magazine, Black Tie Magazine, and Clientele Luxury Magazine. Jason is the acclaimed author of Young Leaders 3.0 and a former Forbes contributor with 1.5M+ views. He’s been featured in various top media outlets. As a sought-after speaker, Jason has spoken at some of the most elite places worldwide. 

Jason brings to ThreeEQ clients 36 years of seasoned experience as a founder CEO, senior business executive, investor, mentor, and engineer in technology, education, finance, and high-end real estate industries, and perspective from nearly 3 million miles of business world travel across mainly North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe/Israel. Jason began his career after earning an engineering degree at UC Berkeley College of Engineering in 1984. 

Earlier in his career, Jason co-built leading tech companies (subsequent IPO or M&A) and teams, as well as led the international/Asia Pacific sales and marketing of mobile/wireless infrastructure and systems, IT/network security products and systems, and Internet services to various Blue Chip/major mobile operators, telcos, enterprises, government agencies, and ISPs (a long list). He then co-founded, invested in, and astutely exited a few U.S., Chinese, and Indian tech companies, and co-founded, merged, and co-built edtech and education services companies in the U.S and China. He has also advised family offices and firms in private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, wealth management, investment banking, management consulting, and high-end real estate.

Jason was a delegate to the Forbes Global CEO Conference (attended by mainly billionaires and UHNWIs) for 8 years before Forbes Media was acquired. Through the G20 and B20 Presidencies of Australia, Turkey, China, Germany, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia, Jason has served as Silicon Valley’s leading member of the B20, the G20’s official dialogue with the global business community across all G20 economies, sitting on the Future of Work and Education Taskforce. He looks forward to B20/G20 Italy.

The Ma family (playfully called the “MAfia”) values unconditional love, humor, and high standards in what matters, and is blessed with two happy, compassionate Gen Z young adults—a Google software engineer and a Wharton junior, both with tech industry leadership aspirations.

Jason’s past operating roles include: 

• Co-Founder, Interim CEO, and Senior College Counselor at IvyMax Inc., a leading college prep and education services company that helped thousands of families with driven middle school, high school, and college students per year. Jason led forming IvyMax by strategizing and executing the international merger of a U.S. chain of elite college prep learning centers and an Asian edtech SaaS startup, where he was Co-Founder and CEO. One of the investors he brought in was Eric Yuan, today’s multibillionaire Founder and CEO of Zoom. (2006 – 2011)
• Founder and CEO of Congruent Partners LLC, which provided independent board director/advisor and acting CEO, CMO, and VP of sales/marketing services for tech private companies in the U.S. and Asia. 
• Co-Founder, Interim EVP of Corporate Development, and Chief Strategy Officer at YeePay, a leading e-payment and mobile payment service provider in China with a Cayman Islands holding company backed by DFJ/Tim Draper and other investors. Jason wrote the business plan, developed a detailed business financial model, and mentored its CEO. He exited by selling his founder common shares and Series A shares to the Series D VC lead investor.
• Managing Director of Asia Pacific and Japan, iPass Inc. (NASDAQ: IPAS), a leading global Internet roaming, corporate remote access, and cross-network clearinghouse services provider (along with Netscape as Internet pioneers). Jason led building the Asia Pacific Sales Team, bringing in over 50% of global company revenue from Blue Chip/major Internet service providers and carriers (a long list), channel partners, and enterprises during the company’s early stages, and achieving a dominant or leading market leadership position in nearly all target country-markets across APAC. iPass technology partners included Cisco and various network systems vendors.
• Director of International Sales and Marketing; Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Celcore Inc., a leading low-density mobile communication network infrastructure systems vendor subsequently acquired by DSC Communications and in turn acquired by Alcatel.
• Managing Director of Asia Pacific, Peninsula Wireless Communications, a leading mobile and fixed wireless network repeater and microcell systems provider to major telcos, mobile operators, and OEMs in markets worldwide; subsequently went IPO
• Earlier: International Sales, Marketing, Systems Engineering, Project Management, Software Design Engineering, and Network Systems/Operations Analyst roles — Cylink Corp., Digital Microwave Corp., Fujitsu America Inc., DCA, and Tymnet.

Jason L. Ma is Founder, CEO, and Chief Mentor at ThreeEQ, a family-owned, premier education and global (tech) business advisory firm recognized in high-level circles for preeminence in mentoring, rainmaking, and speaking. ThreeEQ is also deeply engaged in applied research. Jason earned his way to being a delegate to the Forbes Global CEO Conference (attended by mainly billionaires and UHNWIs) for 8 years before Forbes Media was acquired. Jason is Silicon Valley’s leading member of the B20, the official G20 dialogue with the global business community across all G20 economies, sitting on the Employment (Future of Work) and Education Taskforce since 2014. The following is Jason’s profile by role or category.

As a global (tech) business and education leader, founder CEO, investor, advisor, and/or engineer, Jason Ma has 36 years of seasoned experience in the technology, education, finance, and high-end real estate industries, and nearly 3 million miles of world travel across Asia Pacific, Europe/Middle East, and Americas. Earlier in his career, as a senior executive, he co-built leading tech companies (subsequent IPO or M&A) and teams, as well as led the international sales and marketing of mobile/wireless infrastructure equipment and systems, IT/network security products and systems, and Internet services to major mobile operators, telcos, enterprises, government agencies, and ISPs primarily across Greater China, Southeast Asia, Australia/NZ, India/South Asia, Japan, and South Korea.

As an entrepreneurial C-suite leader and strategist, he co-founded, invested in, and astutely exited a few U.S., Chinese, and Indian tech companies in mobile payment, e-payment, new media, education technology (edtech) platform/SaaS, and education services. He has also advised family offices and firms in private equity, venture capital, hedge funds, wealth management, private banking, investment banking, management consulting, and real estate.

As a loving father, observant globetrotter, and edtech CEO, 13 years ago, Jason Ma saw that most young people (including his own two daughters) felt a bit angsty or lost, that high achievers were overstressed or overanxious, and that almost all students had yet to unleash their full potential and actualize their best selves. Wasted or untapped potential, leaving future money on the table, he thought. What if I help them really shine, win, grow, and be happier—with greater impact and long-term gains?

Jason also noticed a dearth of truly high-quality, next-generation leaders around the world. He decided to dedicate his second career to transforming next-gen achievers, preparing them for admission to great universities, mentoring them to develop powerful mindsets and soft skills, and guiding them to enter and thrive in high-end careers as rising, impactful leaders.

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 (run by a family) and an education technology and SaaS startup, of which he was co-founder and CEO and for which he brought in Eric Yuan and renowned faculty from Stanford and UC Berkeley as investors and advisors. (Jason saw Eric giving birth to Zoom as its founder and CEO; Eric is now on the Forbes 400). Because Saturday and Sunday meetings were more convenient for most families, Jason worked full time every weekend for a few years. 

In late 2011, Jason departed IvyMax via a mutual agreement. In the process, he reclaimed his weekends and freed himself up to pursue his next-level mission. That was when he founded ThreeEQ, with an initial focus on providing deep, powerful, 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance for motivated students in selected, high-end client families worldwide. Jason operated under a flexible, cost-effective “global virtual office” model, using Zoom whenever he was somewhere quiet with reliable Internet access. 

As Chief Mentor of Next-Gen Leaders known in family office and high-level circles today, Jason Ma and Team ThreeEQ are the next generation’s foremost mentor and coach for success with well-being in Ivy League and elite college admissions, coveted internships, high careers, next-gen leadership, and personal/family life. Jason has masterfully and successfully inspired and guided 1-on-1 numerous Gen Z, Millennial, and elder achievers in selected families and companies to accomplish great results, live more happily, and transform upward—with pragmatic emotional, social, and leadership intelligence (“3EQ”) for greater impact and long-term gains.

Over the past 13 years, Jason’s 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, helping them achieve strong outcomes. Many of these students gained acceptance into the eight Ivy League universities and other top private and public schools, and more than 100 were admitted to UC Berkeley and UCLA. With ThreeEQ’s guidance, families gain peace of mind, enrich relationships, and mitigate the risk of opportunity loss—all with sound family values. Jason also helps ease legacy and 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 understands EXACTLY how Ivy League and highly competitive colleges make their admissions decisions. But Jason’s work is MORE PROFOUND than just helping kids get into college—because college ISN’T their destination but, rather, is PART of their JOURNEY and a steppingstone to greater career and personal success. Just as vital are his students’ growth, contributions, identities, relationships, and happiness for years to come.

Jason also helped guide brilliant, young entrepreneurs in technology and sciences as a Thiel Fellowship mentor and a Kairos Society mentor. He is a former The New York Times’ Higher Ed Leaders Forum delegate.

As a(n acting) C-suite/senior leader in global business strategy, growth, and rainmaking, CEO/board advisor, and CEO/executive coach today, besides helping the Next Gen and families achieve great outcomes, ThreeEQ CEO/Chief Mentor Jason Ma personally helps selected (tech) companies, UHNW family enterprises, and family offices progress strategically and pragmatically to next levels and/or increase market value and ROI. Depending on the client’s business and needs, Jason addresses U.S. and international/Asia Pacific/China business/revenue growth, world affairs, corporate/business development, fundraising, venture/strategic investment, private equity/M&A, digital transformation, HR/human capital, succession planning, the future of work and education, and/or (multigenerational, cross-cultural, diverse, and inclusive) leadership 3.0.

To do so, Jason applies his consummate skill sets and business acumen, and engage his high-powered, worldwide network of tycoons/UHNWIs, Forbes Global CEOs, Fortune 500 C-suites, G20 business and education leaders, Tier 1 VC/PE firms, family offices, etc. Jason was a Forbes Global CEO Conference delegate for 8 years before Forbes Media was acquired by an Asian firm, and was a Pacific Basin Economic Council member.

Currently, Jason serves as

• Chief Business Officer, a patented, AI-based, category-leading mobile advertising technology platform and app company (a potential decacorn now at early stage)
• Advisor, a high-end condominiums and convention hotel real estate development strategically located in Europe
• Advisor, a category-leading vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft company
• Advisor, a U.S.-based personal protective equipment (PPE) vendor with U.S. and Asian suppliers
• Advisor, a company involved with Blue Chip (Picasso, Monet, and many other artists’) artworks valued at 6- to 8-figure+ USDs apiece
• CEO Advisor, TraDove (B2B blockchain payment solution and B2B social media/networking)
• CEO Advisor, an education technology and services company [K-12 STEM/computer science education technology and services, learning management system (LMS)]
• CEO Advisor, DeepBench (B2B software/SaaS platform and expert network services)
• Investor and one of the world’s top experts, Audvisor (Mobile learning platform and app)*
• Member, Employment (Future of Work) and Education Taskforce, the B20 in the G20
• Member, Global Advisory Council, World Chinese Economic Summit
• Member, Northern California Advisory Council, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Member, C-suite Committee, Astia (Investor group led by a woman CEO)
• Member, Steering Committee, DC Finance (Family office conferences)
• Member, LinkInvestors Private Club
• Member, Global Executive Panel, HolonIQ (Education/edtech industry research)

* Audvisor fellow top experts include Tom Peters, Mark Thompson, Seth Godin, Heidi Roizen, Vinod Khosla, Guy Kawasaki, and about 100 others.

Additionally, Jason is privately a C-suite coach to select CEOs/senior executives, helping them take their own business and personal/family successes to the 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. Since 2014, and spanning through the G20 and B20 presidencies in Australia, Turkey, China, Germany, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia in 2020, Jason has been one of only a few hundred business leaders worldwide handpicked to be B20 members.

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 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. 

As a globally sought-after keynote/fireside/panel speaker, moderator, group coach, and masterclass leader, Jason Ma inspires, captivates, and enlightens audiences from Gen Z to parents to CEOs to government leaders to billionaires on a variety of TOPICS (listed on his professional speaking page).

Jason has spoken at some of the most elite events and places around the world. These include global CEO/business conferences, B20 forums representing the G20 business community, tech industry and corporate events, World Chinese Economic Summit, Horasis’ Global China and India Business Meetings, Family Office Association, DC Finance, and other family office conferences and meetings, HNW family private events, education summits, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, INSEAD, and Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as special events co-sponsored by alumni clubs from Harvard Business School, Harvard, Stanford Graduate School of Business, UC Berkeley Haas, and Wharton.

In addition to 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, MFL Global, and Speaker Booking Agency.

As an influential author and media contributor, Jason Ma is the critically acclaimed author of Young Leaders 3.0: Stories, Insights, and Tips for Next-Generation Achievers. Over 1/2 of the 23 featured 17-to-24-year-old high achievers and chapter contributors were Jason’s students, who hail from the 8 Ivy League universities (Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale), as well as from Babson, Bowdoin, Colgate, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, MIT, Northwestern, Oxford, Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UChicago, and USC.

Jason is the former Forbes contributor on Mentoring Young Leaders for elite college admissions, innovative higher education, next-gen leadership, and entrepreneurship success (1.5M+ views).

He also authored Intergenerational Leadership In Family Offices (by America’s Chief Mentor for Next-Gens) and Gen Z: Understanding Tomorrow’s Digital Workers in sponsored eBooks.

As a media contributor in his career, Jason was featured or appeared in Family Office Association’s shows (3 times), Forbes, Silicon Valley Insider, Impact Wealth Magazine, Black Tie Magazine, Clientele Luxury Magazine, JustLuxe, publications by Wealth-X, Julius Baer, WealthBriefingAsia, and Agreus Group (for Family Offices), Business Rockstars, Fast Company, CNBC Asia (Managing Asia and Squawk Box), Channel NewsAsia, Asian Wall Street Journal, South China Morning Post, Nikkei, India West, Teen Kids News, and other media. 

As a philanthropist, Jason believes in giving to communities both global and local. He positively influences people and businesses as a leading volunteer member of the B20 in the G20. ThreeEQ Foundation, a small donor-advised fund, works with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to help causes that assist the disadvantaged. Also, ThreeEQ donates pro bono services to select charities.

As a student, Jason is a passionate lifelong learner and applied researcher. In 1984, he earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley College of Engineering. Jason began attending the evening MBA program at Santa Clara University Leavey Graduate School of Business in 1989 but had to leave a few years later because his international tech sales/marketing management career demanded travel that interfered with his class time.

As a father today, Jason values unconditional love, humor, and high standards in what matters. In his own family (playfully called the “MAfia”), he and his wife are blessed and grateful to have two happy, compassionate Gen Z daughters—a Google software engineer and emerging leader, and a Wharton junior. Both have tech industry leadership aspirations.