After several years of working in finance in the tech industry, Dao Jensen founded a technology company and became a successful businesswoman entrepreneur in cloud computing.
Within seven years of being established, Kaizen Technology Partners company (Kaizen TP) was voted by many organizations as one of the ten fastest-growing IT services companies in the United States. In 2019 she was awarded Top 50 Women to Watch by the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) as an excellent business leader. Having immigrated to the United States at four and of Vietnamese origin, Dao has become a rare success in cloud computing, essentially dominated by men in Silicon Valley, California.
From finance to cloud computing
After graduating from university with a major in finance, Dao spent many years working as an analyst and the head of sales departments at some of the largest United States technology companies, such as Oracle and Symantec. She shifted her career in 2009 by working for a smaller software company, Commvault, where she was the sales director.
With her acquired experiences in leading technology companies, Dao saw great potential in cloud computing despite not specializing in technology. “The financial and sales background helps me better understand the growth process and turnover of the business. I found investors and partners and built a team on founding Kaizen TP in 2013”. In a field primarily dominated by men, Kaizen TP’s is 100% owned and led by women. Kaizen TP’s cloud computing service helps businesses cut costs, improve workflow, and gain efficiencies of scale by leveraging the cloud.
Talking about the initial challenges of a startup journey, Dao emphasized the importance of establishing a network of relationships and persuading investors and partners to be invested in the company’s success. Under her leadership, Kaizen TP now has a customer network of large to small businesses throughout the United States and worldwide.
“I think a person must spend at least 3-4 years to assert themselves, create their own value before becoming the owner of a company. To start your own business, at any stage in your career, it is critical to identify your goals, be confident in your abilities, always look for partners to support your vision, and build a strong team”.
Passionate about education
In addition to being a successful businesswoman, Dao enjoys learning and helping educate others. Most recently she was honored with a scholarship to participate in Harvard’s President Owner Management leadership exchange program. “The 3-week program is the time for me and other leaders to temporarily leave the business, re-evaluate ourselves, the company, and find new directions for growth.” Her company is now collaborating with Harvard University to launch a more global scholarship program for young female entrepreneurs.
As a social activist for the community and a mother of four children, Dao founded a non-profit ASPIRE organization in March 2012. ASPIRE offers a full scholarship package to help single mothers complete university programs, including tuition, living expenses, and support for the cost of schooling and daycare for their children.
Kaizen TP has also implemented a program to support young women who want to start their own businesses. “We train and enable young women to participate in cloud computing. At the end of the program, young people can work for us or freely do what they want. This is a program for the community”.