HAUTE Maison

Edward holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Real Estate from the Bartlett School of University College London, followed by a Master’s degree at the University of Cambridge, where he deepened his technical expertise. Throughout his academic journey, he amassed a diverse range of experiences, honing skills across project management, retail property, and business expansion. Notably, his tenure at Hang Lung Group involved substantial contributions to property management endeavours, such as the meticulous construction of a green atrium in Shenyang and involvement in Shanghai’s regentrification projects. During his internship at Gaw Capital, Asia’s second largest real estate private equity firm, Edward excelled in the Capital Markets Department, demonstrating proficiency in complex financial modelling and rigorous due diligence processes crucial for evaluating real estate investments. Facilitating cross-operating-company and inter-departmental coordination at CITIC Limited, China’s largest conglomerate, has enshrined in Edward an understanding of the wider business environment outside start-ups. Furthermore, interning at the Hong Kong Jockey Club has given him significant project management experience ranging from school redevelopments, technical construction meetings and ultimately crafting proposals of reducing cost drivers across multiple industries. Aside from the private sector, Edward has significant experience in the public sector through his work at the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, honing his knowledge on governmental and regulatory perspectives regarding both SMEs and MNCs, and enabling him to develop a comprehensive understanding of business environments from a regulatory perspective.

Within the team, Edward specialises on customer acquisition, engagement, and retention, shaping venture fundraising strategies and optimizing front-end operations. He also leads the overall strategic direction of the venture.

William graduated from the Bartlett School of University College London with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Real Estate, a discipline where his commitment towards sustainability significantly deepened. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge. His academic journey has been enriched by various internships and extracurricular engagements, broadening his skills, knowledge, and experience, making him a versatile and insightful professional. During his internship at Barclays Bank, William acquired hands-on experience, enabling him to thoroughly understand day-to-day banking operations, including account management, financial advising, loan processing, and customer service. This role not only strengthened his financial knowledge but also enhanced his communication and problem-solving skills. While interning at the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), William conducted extensive research and analysis on the UK utilities industry. This project provided him with crucial insights into the current business landscape, particularly the impact of the cost of living crisis on consumer behaviour, and equipped him with practical business skills and knowledge. Beyond his academic pursuits, William is deeply passionate about fashion. He dedicates his free time to collecting unique fashion pieces, ranging from contemporary to vintage, and actively creates engaging fashion content on social media, where he passionately advocates for sustainable fashion practices and creates stand-out campaigns for brands, demonstrating his creative flair and commitment to sustainability.

Within the team, William specialises in marketing, branding, and inventory acquisition, tracking fashion trends and building pricing strategies for the venture.

Hugo read Law at the University of Oxford for his undergraduate degree, and is now pursuing a Masters in Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge. His interest in company and commercial law drove him to explore business and operations experiences while working at Swire Pacific, an international conglomerate covering industries such as property, aviation, and FMCG. In this capacity, Hugo was involved in creating a joint venture project pipeline across three continents generating over 200M USD per annum, in addition to SAF global supply chain management and contract negotiation. Within the legal field, trademark and intellectual property law is one of Hugo’s interests, and having represented the University of Oxford at international intellectual property competitions, he intends to make use of his knowledge to further drive his ventures forward. Outside of academics and work experience, Hugo is the current Vice-President of Cambridge University Entrepreneurs, hosting multiple large competitions, forums, venture capital summits and other events within the Cambridge and London entrepreneurship ecosystems, in collaboration with companies such as Microsoft, JP Morgan, and Keltie.

Within the team, Hugo specialises in logistics and operations, building the back-end processes for order fulfilment, inventory management, IP protection, and developing the digital infrastructure necessary to power the venture.

Sharon is a Rhodes Scholarship awardee, graduating from the University of Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. With her undergraduate thesis focusing on the sexual fetishisation of ethnic minorities, she is keenly interested in feminist theory and is pursuing a Masters in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Oxford. Her academic area of interest concerns the intersection of gender and race, particularly that for East Asian women, and the rise of online pornography, ‘incel’ forums and dating apps. Outside of academics, Sharon was Treasurer of the Oxford Union, the first Chinese woman to hold this role, the Vice-President of the Oxford Feminist Society, and a keen student journalist, having written for her own blog and for publications such as Asia Times. She is also a competitive debater who has represented Oxford internationally and served as Captain of Team Hong Kong.

Within the team, Sharon specialises in finances, tracking venture expenses, projections, and implementing financial controls.