Tony Xiao.

ABOUT ME

From Shenzhen to Santa Barbara.

Two countries.
A growing curiosity
about business.

I grew up in Shenzhen and moved to the United States when I was 14, settling in Palos Verdes, California. Learning to feel at home in a new country shaped the way I connect with people and approach unfamiliar situations.

Growing up in a family that runs a business sparked my interest in finance and data: how a business works, what the numbers tell us, and how they can inform better decisions. That curiosity brought me to UC Santa Barbara, where I study Economics & Accounting and Statistics & Data Science.

Outside work and school, I enjoy spending time with friends, exploring new places, and getting outdoors. These are a few moments from that side of my life.

A MOMENT THAT STAYED WITH ME

One more
conversation.

MAGIC trade show
Las Vegas Convention Center · South Hall

Sometimes, persistence
speaks for itself.

On the last day of MAGIC, my company asked me to sell our remaining sample. I walked through the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, approaching people one by one to ask whether they would be interested in buying it.

For about two hours, I kept walking and asking. Eventually, an older gentleman decided to buy it.

He told me he didn’t need the product. He had noticed me continuing to sell it throughout the hall, and my persistence reminded him of his younger self.

That conversation stayed with me. I had set out to sell a sample, but what I remember most is that someone noticed the effort. It’s a small moment that captures how I try to approach a challenge: stay engaged, keep going, and give the next conversation a chance.