Mike Shangkuan

UNCHARTERED PATHS. Mike Shangkuan’s career has been shaped by a lifelong love of cultural experiences and a challenging journey toward self-acceptance. Growing up in Newark and later Princeton, Mike was the son of Taiwanese immigrants. His parents, like many from their background, hoped he would excel in math and science, the traditional markers of success in their eyes. But Mike’s passion lay elsewhere—in languages. “I wasn’t the typical good Chinese son,” Mike reflects. “But I loved French class, and that passion for languages took me around the world.”

This early love for languages set Mike apart. In high school, he took on an ambitious course load that included French, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, and Japanese. His linguistic talents earned him scholarships to study abroad in France and Japan, experiences that deepened his appreciation for cultural exchange. But as he moved through his academic career, Mike felt the pressure to conform to traditional expectations. “I was still trying to be a good Chinese son,” he admits. “I wasn’t going to be an engineer, scientist, or doctor, so I chose business.”

After studying Economics at Yale, Mike landed a job in investment banking with Goldman Sachs. On the surface, it was a prestigious role that promised success. But underneath, Mike was struggling. “Culturally, I was never really a fit,” he recalls. “Investment banking was full of a certain type of person, and I was hiding who I was. It was painful, but I just kept telling myself to make it work.”

Mike’s time in banking was tough, but it also propelled him to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School. Yet business school only intensified his struggles with identity. After graduating, Mike spent a year in Mexico working for a nonprofit, blending his finance skills with his love of languages. Mike then joined Procter & Gamble, where he honed his marketing and leadership skills. “I went to P&G because if you can learn to sell soap for $20, you can sell anything. I still use those skills everyday on the job,” Mike says. After leaving consumer products, he took a leap of faith and traveled the world, exploring Latin America, China, and Europe. It was during this time, while in Germany, that Mike had his first relationship with a man and finally began to embrace his sexuality. “It was a liberating experience, and it set me on a new path.”

This new path led Mike to Terra Education, a company focused on creating immersive education and travel programs for teens. As a “startup to scale-up CEO,” Mike wasn’t the founder, but he was instrumental in taking the company from early-stage struggles to significant success. Mike then decided to make a permanent move to Berlin and took on a similar role at Lingoda, one of Europe’s leading online language learning platforms, becoming the first Asian-American CEO of a German company.

EMBRACING TRUE IDENTITY. In both roles, Mike continued to live a dual life, separating his personal and professional identities. “I was the CEO, talking about cultural awareness and inclusivity, but I wasn’t fully open about who I was,” Mike admits. Joining YPO, a peer organization for CEOs, and working with an executive coach helped Mike embrace vulnerability and authenticity.

This gradual process of self-acceptance culminated in Mike coming out to his colleagues and family. “Berlin changed me,” he says. “It was a slow process, but I finally became comfortable with who I am.” Reflecting on his experiences, Mike has come to prioritize happiness over external validation. “If I had to choose between being special and being happy, I’d choose happiness,” he states. “I spent too much of my life seeking external validation, and now I’m focused on what truly matters.”

Today, Mike is exploring new ventures, from writing a book to advising startup founders and considering his own entrepreneurial endeavors. He’s also continuing to learn new languages, staying true to the passion that has driven him since his youth. For LGBTQIA+ founders, Mike offers this advice: “Don’t strive for perfection. Good enough is enough. Keep iterating and focus on what’s most important—being true to yourself.”