Full Article in Chinese

• Master of Business Administration
• Chief Operations Officer, Mind HK

Someone with an MBA background entering the operations of a charitable organization can bring unique values and methodologies while also undergoing profound shifts in perspective. Min Huang, a graduate of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), joined Mind HK three years ago as Chief Operations Officer. She took on the critical task of enhancing governance standards while collaborating with various sectors of society to develop training programs aimed at eliminating the stigma around mental health and assisting urban dwellers and young people with mild to moderate depression or anxiety in accessing the support they need. To Min Huang, while business operations and charitable missions may seem different, they are deeply interconnected. " Helping people, it’s not just about having heart—you must also have solid financial, human resources, legal, and administrative operational mechanisms. In these aspects, commercial companies and charitable organizations are actually the same."

Min Huang, who grew up in a small county in Guangdong, recalls her childhood love for Hong Kong dramas and her aspirations to develop her career in a big city. With her parents’ support, she fulfilled her dream of attending university, majoring in English, and later joined a company involved in large-scale foreign investment projects, where her colleagues came from over 20 countries and regions. "Later, I moved to a logistics company in Shenzhen, gaining project management experience. However, by my seventh year at the company, I felt my career had hit a bottleneck, which led me to consider further studies." After reviewing master's programs at different institutions and in various business disciplines, she noticed that CityUHK had collaborations with globally renowned universities like UC Berkeley, and its MBA program included modules on entrepreneurship and business plan development, which particularly appealed to her.

Min Huang says the most memorable experience was the final course before graduation, where students were grouped to participate in a start-up competition. From conceptualizing a viable business plan to presenting its key points to simulate pitching for start-up funding, the process was immersive. CityUHK even invited professional investors and start-up employers to evaluate the proposals. Ultimately, the pet Airbnb business plan she helped develop won the competition. This experience influenced her approach to running a charitable organization, steering her away from the traditional reliance on donations. At Mind HK, she introduced a social enterprise model. "We promote mental health training programs for businesses, schools, and individuals to improve workplace wellness and youth mental health. At the same time, the revenue from these courses helps sustain the organization’s operations, allowing us to provide more services."

As for the catalyst that led her to transition into the charity sector, Min Huang attributes it to a series of coincidences. "After completing my MBA, I actually joined a large state-owned enterprise in Hong Kong. Later, a friend happened to mention a homeless support organization looking for management staff. At first, I was worried about adapting to a completely different work environment and mode. However, on the day of the interview, I witnessed the organization serving hot meals to the homeless. Seeing the interactions between the homeless individuals and the staff, and hearing their words of gratitude, I genuinely felt the meaning of this profession and decided to take on the challenge." Min Huang was tasked with helping this fledgling charity improve its governance and found that her MBA learnings and corporate experience were highly applicable. "During my year and a half there, I expanded the team by over three times, enabling more comprehensive support for the homeless in terms of food, shelter, and job-seeking assistance."

Later, when Mind HK was searching for a new Chief Operations Officer (COO), she once again stepped into a leadership role at a charitable organization. "The focus of my work is scaling our impact and driving innovative service models, such as introducing practices from the UK and Australia to train non-specialists as mental health officers, catering to the needs of those with mild to moderate mental health challenges. At the same time, we actively design tailored training programs for businesses, encouraging employers to prioritize their employees’ mental well-being."

Reflecting on her journey, Min Huang emphasizes the importance of an open mindset. MBA graduates bring a unique position and value to charitable organizations. While charity professionals are often deeply focused on their missions, the specialized training of an MBA can help fill gaps in management. Additionally, it enables effective communication with governments, donor organizations, boards, businesses, and schools, fostering cross-sector collaborations that enhance the organization’s support for beneficiaries and amplify its social impact. "Truthfully, every day in the charity sector quietly reshapes me. In the past, I used to keep my thoughts to myself, afraid to show vulnerability. But here, every sincere conversation and every supportive relationship has taught me to open up, to share my own stories and needs. I’ve realized that while trying to be a supporter for others, I’ve also been deeply healed—this two-way gift is something I never expected. Of course, the path isn’t always easy; challenges still exist. But now, I can honestly say: ‘I’m doing work that brings peace to my soul.’ Because here, I don’t have to pretend to be strong—I just need to live authentically and walk alongside others. And that feels truly comfortable."

（Published at 10 April 2025）