Entrepreneur Adds Analytics Skills

Peiyan “Pearl” Yu’s startup, NanBoOne New Media Studio, was nearly an overnight success. She and some classmates at Nanjing University in China had an idea to broadcast university events online, such as graduations. They purchased equipment and started streaming. Within a year, an investor bought their company and retained them, and the company quickly grew.

By the time Yu left for the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, the company spanned more than 10 universities in Nanjing and Shanghai.

Though her startup was a success, Yu wondered how long she would actually stay. “I wasn’t in the right position to lead all these people with more work experience,” she says. Yu also wanted to gain more analytical know-how.

She chose Smith for its Master of Science in Business Analytics program to learn technical skills and to start “from zero.” Once immersed in the coursework, she soon realized concepts that seemed intimidating before — developing algorithms, learning different programming languages, working with big data — became straightforward.

“Once you learn the structure and logic, you can start your own journey,” she says.

Being at Smith has been a real eye-opener. As president of the Smith Master Student Association (SMSA), she coordinates multiple affiliated clubs and aims to foster a community — things she had never done before.

In addition, the cultural differences between China and the United States have forced her to expand her global mindset. But she’s made many friends, including other international students. “The environment is very inclusive and everybody I met has helped me adjust to this culture,” she says.

As for her career, Yu hopes to work for a web or information technology company after graduation. “Before, I didn’t know what to apply for,” she says. “But now I have a very clear idea about what I should learn next and what skillsets I should gain.”