Ya-Lan Chien, Florida Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Recipient: Embodying "Family First" Ethos and Elevating Real Estate Services

Ya-Lan Chien, honored as a 2023 Global Young Entrepreneur Stars award recipient by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), currently serves as the General Manager of Cino International Inc, a real estate investment company in Florida, USA. Born in Kaohsiung and raised in Taipei, Chien was inspired by her family, all with prestigious academic backgrounds in the United States. This motivation led her to earn a Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of Business Administration at National Taiwan University. In 2015, Chien ventured to Orlando, known for hosting world-renowned theme parks like Disney World, Universal Studios, and the Kennedy Space Center. There, she began her career in real estate, specializing in the management, rental, and sales of commercial and residential properties.

In the 30 years since its establishment, Cino International Inc. has weathered the impact of the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis, which significantly affected the U.S. lending industry. However, seizing the moment, global investors flooded into Orlando for property investment. Cino International Inc., distinguished for offering an all-in-one service from property purchase to lease management, stood out, experiencing rapid growth. Eventually, it became the largest property buying, selling, and rental management company in Orlando operated by Taiwanese individuals, overseeing nearly 400 commercial and residential properties.

Joining the company in 2015, Ya-Lan Chien observed that the company was still relying on outdated paper documents, manually writing checks, and using traditional document processing software. Recognizing the inefficiency and error-prone nature of these processes, she suggested implementing a modern property management system. She then went to California to learn the system and self-study regulatory management. In the process of implementing the new system at the company, Ya-Lan Chien encountered skepticism and resistance from existing employees. Despite this, she patiently addressed their concerns and resistance by providing practical examples and highlighting the advantages. Within just one month, the company successfully transitioned to digital data management and launched an online management platform. The new system brought about comprehensive digitization and optimization of various processes related to leasing properties, including streamlining processes such as marketing, tenant applications, credit background screening for tenants, rent collection, and maintenance management. By consolidating resources, the company significantly improved its efficiency and overall effectiveness. The new system received positive feedback from both employees and clients, laying a strong foundation for the company's continued expansion.

Moreover, managing property leases involves a range of professional services, including legal, accounting, maintenance, cleaning, property inspection, appraisal, pest control, lawn maintenance, and HVAC services. Ya-Lan Chien, realizing this, started collaborating with key suppliers to offer investors and clients comprehensive and cost-effective service management. The goal is to enhance overall service quality and boost the return on investment. By introducing an online management platform and digitizing data, when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in 2020, Ya-Lan Chien's company swiftly responded by implementing a cloud-based operation system. This allowed employees to work remotely and serve clients through cloud services. Not only did the company navigate the pandemic smoothly, but it also experienced significant growth.

"We treat every property as if it's our own home, ensuring top-notch service," says Ya-Lan Chien, who prioritizes family values." Treating clients' homes as if they were her own, she is committed to provide the best service. She plans to integrate artificial intelligence into the company's management system. When tenants submit maintenance requests, an AI customer service system offers easy self-help solutions based on the issue. If the problem persists, the system promptly alerts a professional team for addressing. This approach ensures a swift resolution of tenant issues, saving time and costs, and ultimately benefiting landlords.

Building on customer trust, the business expanded its scope in 2017. The business expanded its business beyond tangible real estate, venturing into intangible financial and wealth management services, encompassing personal, family, and company insurance, annuities, financial planning, and retirement planning. Ya-Lan Chien uses her expertise to provide clients with financial planning and asset allocation services. The reach of these services goes beyond Florida, covering the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

"Taiwan is my home, my roots. I hope that, through our efforts, we can make a positive impact on both Taiwan and the communities I call home."

As the company continues to grow, Ya-Lan Chien and her team never lose sight of corporate social responsibility. She actively engages with her family and colleagues in the Florida Emergency Assistance Association, assisting overseas Taiwanese, international students, tourists, and new immigrants in resolving unexpected situations. Her assistance extends not only to Taiwanese people but also involves collaboration with local churches each year to distribute food to those in need in the local community. In the process of serving the overseas community, Ya-Lan Chien also contemplates how to mobilize more young people to join in the service. In late 2018, she gathered a group of young individuals in Orlando, united under the banner of "Taiwanese," and initiated the Adopt-a-Park program. They regularly volunteer at the park and organize occasional cultural, culinary, and charity events. This community initiative has not only earned recognition for the volunteers in 2024 but also resulted in the park proudly displaying the plaque of "Taiwan Adopted Park." initiating an Adopt-a-Park program. They regularly volunteer at the park and organize occasional cultural, culinary, and charity events.

This charitable initiative has earned recognition for the volunteers in 2024 and the park will proudly display the plaque of "Adopted Park by Taiwan," allowing the beauty and excellence of Taiwan and its people to be recognized and acknowledged by mainstream society.

Participating in the Global Young Entrepreneur Stars selection has been a valuable chance for Ya-Lan Chien to reflect on herself and her future plans. She's taking it seriously, thinking about what she can contribute to the company and society, as well as envisioning her future endeavors. In this evaluation, she identifies "time management" and "team building" as areas she wishes to strengthen. Using the OCAC's online consultation services, she's getting guidance from mentors who understand her traits well. Known for her systematic approach and proficiency in summarizing, she's good at working within established frameworks to reach goals step by step. The mentors emphasize effective time management and advise her on using the unique strengths of each team member, adeptly leading them in diverse ways to ensure the team operates at its maximum potential.

Looking forward, Ya-Lan Chien aims to use the training and network provided by the Global Young Entrepreneur Stars platform to apply her strengths in serving the company's clients and expanding its business. Additionally, she intends to invest more effort in social services, extending help to a broader audience.

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