How This Sci-Entrepreneur Became A Company CEO At The Age Of 18 - AHN Media Group
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November 25, 2022

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Capitalizing on her 14-year-old self’s science enthusiasm 12 years ago, Cathy Tie, transformed herself into a successful bioinformatician and entrepreneur.

At 18, the young Canadian became the co-founder of the $1 million dollar worth Ranomics company, a health risk prediction provider. While she co-founded Locke Bio, an e-commerce platform for pharmaceutical and other FDA-approved product suppliers when she was 23.

Today, the 26-year-old sci-entrepreneur shares that having a broader view is her key to being integrative and cross-disciplined in the many fields she is engaged in, as art and creativity are easier said than done.

During an interview with CNBC, Tie mentions her ability to connect ideas and see them far differently from how others perceive, including how science can grow and expand for beginners which she thinks is more artistic and creative than technical. 

This skill, however, is uncommon among teenagers. Yet, Tie’s innate dexterity manifested in her secondary years as she reserved a special place for science and relevant practical activities in her heart ever since a kid. 

Discontented with the standard curriculum, she wrote unsolicited letters to her professors seeking to tour the school labs, perform studies, and assist in their scientific projects, which taught her a lot until she had her first paper published in a peer-reviewed journal at age 16. 

However, she realized that getting entrepreneurial financing is better than relying on academic allowances since she could do more research. She applied to entrepreneur programs to assist her in the startup world.

Upon getting acquainted with Leo Wan who was then a Ph.D. student at the school where she was a neophyte, they worked together and were admitted into IndieBio, a startup platform that finances and mentors science entrepreneurs.

With Tie having prime knowledge on how to figure out issues on genetic trial precision, she subsequently co-founded Randomics with Wan after quitting college and leaving for San Francisco where she became the CEO for the three early years.

Thereafter, she was asked to apply and was accepted to The Thiel Fellowship, which aids a $100,000 subsidy to out-of-college inexperienced entrepreneurs.

A year following her collaboration with Cervin Ventures, she founded Locke Bio, which currently has three U.S. and Canadian business resources.

Tie’s business is nonexempt to challenges that a company experiences, yet, hard work and reflection make it possible for her to always “see the bigger picture. In this light, she and her team have a lot ahead for the company.

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How China’s Anta Became Puma’s Largest Shareholder and the World’s No. 3 Sportswear Giant Behind Nike and Adidas

China’s Anta Sports is making a bold global move, stepping beyond its home market with a major investment in Puma.

The company acquired a 29 percent stake in the German sportswear brand in a $1.8 billion deal, becoming Puma’s largest shareholder.

This signals Anta’s growing ambition to compete head-to-head with the biggest names in the global sportswear industry.

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From Small Workshop to Global Brand

Anta’s journey began in 1986 when founder Ding Shizong, a high school dropout from Fujian, borrowed 10,000 yuan from his father to start reselling shoes. After quickly turning a profit, he reinvested his earnings and built a small manufacturing workshop. This early hustle laid the foundation for what would become one of China’s biggest sportswear companies.

By 1991, Anta had officially launched its own brand and began expanding across China. Over time, the company focused on scaling production, improving product quality, and building strong local distribution. These efforts helped Anta grow from a small business into a global brand with a strong foothold in the sportswear market.

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Competing With the World’s Biggest Brands

Today, Anta controls around 23 percent of China’s sportswear market, surpassing both Nike and Adidas within the country. Its dominance at home has helped fuel its rise on the global stage, where it now ranks as the third-largest sportswear company. This growth reflects both strong local demand and strategic expansion beyond China.

Founder Ding Shizong has made it clear that Anta’s vision goes beyond being a regional leader. Rather than becoming the “Nike of China,” he aims to build what he calls the “Anta of the world.” With its recent investment in Puma, the company is taking a major step toward that goal and solidifying its place among the industry’s global giants.

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Why Bhutan is the Smartest Place for Founders and Entrepreneurs to Reset in 2026

Most founders today are running on packed schedules but feeling mentally drained, and burnout is quietly becoming part of the routine.

When everything feels urgent, there is barely any space left to think — and decisions made from pressure rarely lead anywhere worth going.

That is exactly where Bhutan comes in. Its slower pace and untouched stillness create the kind of environment that gives ambitious minds the room to pause, reflect, and return with sharper focus.

The Philosophy That Reframes Success

Bhutan approaches progress differently, placing equal importance on well-being and growth. Through its Gross National Happiness framework, the country measures success beyond economic output, and recent data shows that over 93% of the population falls within the happiness gradient. This perspective is not theoretical, it is reflected in how people live and make decisions every day.

You start to notice it in small but meaningful ways, like how conversations are not rushed and how people are fully present. There is a steady rhythm to daily life that feels intentional rather than pressured. That alone creates a different kind of mental space.

For founders and entrepreneurs, being in that environment naturally raises questions about what really drives their decisions. It becomes easier to see how much of leadership is shaped by urgency rather than purpose. That shift in awareness is often where real clarity begins.

The Travel Model That Guards Your Headspace

Bhutan keeps tourism at a manageable level, which helps protect both the experience and the environment. In 2025, the country welcomed nearly 210,000 visitors, a number that is intentionally kept low compared to other destinations. As a result, places feel calm and never overcrowded.

There is also a Sustainable Development Fee of about USD 100 per night, which supports conservation and local communities. This approach ensures that tourism grows in a way that does not take away from what makes Bhutan special. It also sets the tone for a more thoughtful way of traveling.

Because of this model, the pace of each trip feels more balanced and unhurried. Days are not tightly packed, which gives you time to take in each experience without feeling rushed. For founders and entrepreneurs, that space often becomes the most valuable part of the journey.

The Environment That Resets How You Think

Bhutan’s landscapes make it easy to slow down without trying too hard. In places like the Phobjikha Valley, the wide open views and quiet surroundings create a sense of calm that is hard to find elsewhere. Even visiting Tiger’s Nest requires a steady climb, which naturally shifts your pace and focus.

There is no constant noise pulling your attention in different directions. Instead, the stillness gives your mind room to settle and process things more clearly. It is often in these quiet moments that new ideas begin to form.

Over time, you notice a change in how you think and respond to things. Decisions feel less rushed and more intentional, which is something many founders and entrepreneurs struggle to achieve in their usual environment. By the end of the trip, the reset feels real and something you can carry with you.

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The Journey of 20-Year-Old Alex Eala to the WTA Top 50 After Taking Down the Biggest Names in Women’s Tenn

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During the tournament, Eala defeated multiple Grand Slam champions, including Iga Świątek, Madison Keys, and Jeļena Ostapenko. She later added a win over Coco Gauff, further proving she could compete against the very best in the sport.

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Climbing Into the WTA Top 50

Following her breakout performance, Eala continued to build momentum throughout the season. Strong results in several tournaments helped her steadily climb the rankings and establish herself among the sport’s rising contenders.

By the end of the year, Eala officially entered the WTA Top 50, becoming the first Filipina player to reach that milestone. The achievement marked a historic moment not only for Philippine tennis but also for Southeast Asian representation in the sport.

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The Spirit of a Fighter: How Stepping Into a Muay Thai Ring Changed the Way Alice Shikina Works as a Mediator and Negotiation Trainer

The first time Alice Shikina stepped into a Muay Thai ring, the moment felt bigger than the fight itself. The gloves were heavy, but what weighed more was everything she had been carrying in the months before.

She was in her late thirties, newly divorced, and raising two young children on her own. Her kids were just two and five years old, and the life she had carefully built no longer looked the same.

At the same time, she was trying to establish herself as a mediator and build her own business from the ground up. She didn’t know it yet, but the self-trust she was about to forge in that ring would become the foundation of how she led others through their own conflicts.

The Fight Before the Fight

Kickboxing began as a way to cope during a season that felt completely overwhelming. It gave Alice a physical outlet when her thoughts wouldn’t quiet down and her emotions felt too heavy to carry.

A few months later, Alice’s coach asked if she would consider competing. The idea unsettled her because she had never fought before and had never faced someone trained to strike back. For two months, she wrestled with the decision. What frightened her most was not losing, but the possibility of doubting herself under pressure.

When she finally committed, her routine became disciplined and demanding. She trained three hours a day, carving out time in the early mornings and late evenings while continuing to care for her children and grow her work.

The night before her first fight in Iowa, a coach told her that the real fight was already over because it happened during the grueling months of preparation. Once she realized that, her nerves calmed and a quiet steadiness took over. Even as she approached the ring to step in and fight, she felt unusually calm. She didn’t win that match, but she stayed on her feet until the final bell, and for a woman rebuilding her life, that was more than enough.

What the Ring Taught Her About Pressure

Alice went on to fight three more times. Afterwards, Alice turned her sights to competing in triathlons and even placed first in her age group at the Alcatraz Duathlon. While the medals were nice, the real reward was the quiet discipline she built through the discomfort of training.

She came to understand that fear does not simply fade with time. It softens only when you decide to move toward it.

She also learned that preparation changes how you carry yourself in difficult moments. When you put in the work, you stand differently, breathe more steadily, and think more clearly under pressure.

Today, those lessons shape how she sits with couples navigating divorce and teams facing workplace conflict. When emotions rise and conversations begin to unravel, she remains steady, drawing on the same discipline that once kept her composed in the ring.

Building Her Practice on Her Own Terms

Alice now runs Shikina Mediation and Arbitration full-time, helping divorcing couples, families, and organizations reach agreements they once thought were out of reach. Most clients come to her when communication has broken down and trust feels fragile.

Early in her career, she tried building her business by networking with attorneys, but quickly saw the bias against non-attorney mediators in a field long dominated by older white men. Instead of forcing herself into a system that did not fully welcome her, she shifted her focus to working directly with couples and workplace clients, growing her practice into a thriving full-time business over the past decade. In 2025, Alice was awarded the prestigious Raymond Shonholtz Visionary Peacemaker Award by San Francisco’s Community Boards.

Her work has expanded beyond the mediation room. She hosts the podcast, Negotiation with Alice, now over 100 episodes strong. She authored the book Negotiating with Your Kids, and continues to teach communication and conflict resolution to executives and C-Suite staff. As a second-generation Okinawan American whose parents survived the Battle of Okinawa as children, resilience runs deep in her story. 

Nothing in business, she says, will ever feel as intimidating as stepping into a ring to face an unknown opponent. In that ring, she rebuilt her confidence. At the mediation table, she now helps others rebuild their lives with clarity, courage, and peace.

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