Samuel Chen— A W-shaped mind
I am an unconventional generalist. From product planning and UI/UX design, to domestic Xiaohongshu operations and managing an overseas Instagram/Facebook team, to professional English translation and frontline sales delivery, my career path looks like a W — every fold is a depth in a different direction.
I have been the sole owner of multiple large systems, end to end: requirements, architecture, front and back end, UI, deployment and ops. That habit taught me to think about why before what, and only then how.
I have built a system at every job. It started in 2022 as Product Manager and Full-stack on a cross-border study-abroad mentorship platform — a light-asset model with overseas professors, a mentor library, and a matching system for Chinese students. It continued at AIGS from March to December 2024 — WeChat and Xiaohongshu operations plus a certificate-scanning mini-program, the v1 of a much larger idea. And from December 2024 it matured at GUILD, where I currently build two full ecosystems: one to run the global social and website operation, and one to turn a single QR code into a cross-brand bridge between the Lab and the Institute.
Timeline
Each fold is a depth in a different direction.
Cross-border Study Abroad Mentorship Platform
My first job out of school. Built a light-asset cross-border mentorship service: overseas professors and senior students sign agreements to mentor Chinese students applying to universities abroad. Designed the mentor library, the matching system, the admin surface, and the open discovery page. This is where the W began: solo ownership, end to end, with cross-border coordination as the first instinct.
AIGS — Certificate Mini-Program
Ran WeChat Official Account and Xiaohongshu for the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences, and shipped a WeChat mini-program that verified any AIGS certificate in two taps. This is the v1 of the certificate verification idea — a single QR code, a single confirmation, no follow-up. The gap between this and what came next is exactly the gap the GUILD Verify ecosystem was built to close.
GUILD — Digital Operations + Certificate Intelligence
Joined GUILD and volunteered to lead overseas Instagram operations. The role expanded: I designed and built two full ecosystems — one for the global social and website operation (SMMS, LINKS, AURORA, Field Expedition, tracking), and one for the certificate-to-customer pipeline (Verify, UA Routing, Interpret, Promote, Track, Insight). Both keep running after handover.
CATTI Level 2 / IELTS 7.5
Translation project ownership and overseas liaison experience. The language foundation that made the cross-border work possible.