Cecilia Chan

Managing Director
Octonovem
New York

Cecilia Chan has 30 years of experience in business development and making direct investments.
She began her investment work in 1985 and completed her first $100 million investment at 23.

Since 1993, Ms. Chan has developed and funded private equity investments in the U.S. and in China. Among her strategic investments was a public/private technology-commercialization business model, used to develop a specialty-pharmaceutical company focused on creating new oral drugs to treat infectious diseases. International organizations, including the Gates Foundation, funded over $100 million in drug development efforts with private investors.

Ms. Chan invested in companies with global security strategies, using applications that include facial recognition/ hi-speed video scanning. She is active in making investments pertaining to education and to culture. She invests in global e-commerce enterprises and is leading the growth of Attract China, which markets global brands and local businesses to Chinese tourists. She is advancing a USD $250 million mixed-use property in New England, which will include a 225,000 square-foot shopping center, residential apartments, student housing, office and parking spaces. Other investments include a social media platform that will drive global content distribution, and a film /TV production company to create content for the global market.

Ms. Chan is committed to philanthropic efforts that support constructive education and sustainable positive changes. She believes in Tikkun Olam – healing the world. She was a leading member of the Capital Campaign Committee for the Boston Latin School, a public school founded in 1635. She is a member of the Leadership Council at Facing History and Ourselves and has supported FH for over 18 years. She is on the Dean’s Council of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government (over 10 yrs). Additionally, she is on the Board of the USC Shoah Foundation, which was founded by Steven Spielberg 25 years ago. The Siezen Foundation, a charity approved by the U.S. Department of Education and founded by Ms. Chan, spearheaded and funded the Nanjing Project for the Shoah Foundation. Nanjing Massacre survivors’ testimonies were recorded and made available globally. The Siezen Foundation supports work improving human behavior and reducing violent conflicts globally. Through Siezen, Ms. Chan has launched projects to combat hateful web behavior, fight anti-Semitism, prejudice, and bigotry, as well as provide educational content to enable students to appreciate our shared humanity. Other supported entities include the Museum of Tolerance (LA), NYU, the Grassroots Business Fund, and Oxford University. Ms. Chan graduated from NYU with a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business.