Alva He subscribes to the principle of doing well by doing good. She was born in China to parents who were medical doctors with a deep commitment to giving back. When He was 18 months old, her father moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa for four years to treat patients with the Ebola virus. So, for He, giving back through volunteerism was part of life.
“I was an only child, and while sometimes I was alone, it made me strong and independent,” He says. “When I was 15, I moved to Singapore to attend boarding school. It was an international school, and I saw it as a bridge to the U.S. We spoke Mandarin and English in school, but English was the official language.”
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DOWNLOAD NOWAfter high school, she moved to the U.S. and enrolled in a community college in Seattle, Washington.
“I chose Seattle because I’m from Singapore, so I like rain and coffee,” He says. “Making that move showed that I’m resilient and adaptable.”
Growing up in a culture of volunteerism led her to the University of Washington to study gender, women, and human sexuality studies. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she enrolled in a one-year human resources certificate program, also at the University of Washington, to develop a widely applicable skill. She felt she couldn’t advance in her career without it.
Her first job was at a nonprofit in Seattle, working with low-income migrants as a family support specialist.
“I loved the work and giving back to the community, but it was a slow pace, and I moved quickly,” she says. “While I was on the bus from Chinatown Station every day, I admired the towering buildings of large tech companies and realized I’d be a better fit for corporate talent acquisition. Thankfully, I had acquired transferrable skills.”
He set her sights on recruiting for global retail giant Amazon. She quickly landed a contract role as a recruitment operations coordinator, mostly scheduling interviews. Within a year, He’s position was eliminated. Luckily, an Adobe talent scout reached out to see if she’d be interested in a similar contract job there.
“There was a great culture at Adobe,” He says. “I had a great manager and was a top performer. I was given a chance to convert to full-time after a few months, but I wanted to return to Amazon. It was an industry superpower that encouraged creative thinking and moved at a faster pace.”
She received another contract role, this time as a tech recruiter, hoping it would convert into a full-time position. In 2021, she got her break and became a full-time corporate recruiter for Amazon Web Services (AWS).
“I was waiting in line for three hours at an AWS recruiting event and asked around for advice about how to get in the door at AWS for corporate recruiting,” He says. “I made great connections, and my dream came true. I got the job. I was finally able to give back to job seekers.”
Unfortunately, her position was eliminated in the spring of 2023 during a significant round of layoffs. But she didn’t sit idle. Within weeks, He was networking with CEOs and investors, joined a job search startup as a strategic partner, worked with an artificial intelligence (AI) travel site, and began building her own business, TalentSphere—an AI recruiting firm that helps people create online profiles.
“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and suddenly, I had the opportunity,” she says. “Instead of getting depressed, I threw myself into building my own company. I wanted to lead a team. I had zero startup experience, so I went to HBS Online for help.”
He enrolled in two courses—Organizational Leadership and Entrepreneurship Essentials—that she thought would help her start and lead a business.
“I want to give back and share my values by building bridges in Seattle,” she says. “I’ve been meeting with founders and startup investors for guidance on how to scale my company. Some job platforms are interested in partnering with me to help laid-off people because I understand what it feels like. Layoffs can make you question your value, so I can help candidates rebuild their confidence and find a new job.”
She had never taken an online course before, so didn’t know what to expect.
“I can’t recommend HBS Online enough,” He says. “I learned how to be an impactful leader, start a business, and navigate challenges. The courses also taught me how to raise money, attract employees, and pitch a client. Learning through real cases made the lessons memorable. I particularly liked the Rent the Runway case in Entrepreneurship Essentials.”
He also found the HBS Online Community beneficial in learning and networking. She knew she could turn to her peers for help and feedback—and maybe even find a business partner. He is excited to see her classmates and return to the HBS campus for HBS Online’s annual hybrid Connext conference in May. The event gathers thousands of current and past participants for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration.
He is currently volunteering for the entrepreneurial divisions at HBS and the Human Rights division of the United Nations. She wants to become a CEO someday for a business she’s passionate about. She just turned 30 and is pleased with what she’s already accomplished in her career.
“My goal is to make a more positive impact and lift up others and become an effective, empathetic leader,” He says. “If I ever work for another company, I need a CEO with a big heart.”
If you’re inspired by He’s story and would like to start your own business, explore HBS Online’s entrepreneurship and innovation and leadership and management certificate programs.
