LBS Resilient Founders

Former banker and venture capitalist George Sun MiF2001 says keeping tight control of costs at his startup KK Mandarin was his number one priority amid coronavirus disruption. In the latest installment of London Business School’s #LBSResilientFounders series, the founder and CEO of the Beijing-based virtual Mandarin teaching platform says all contracts can be renegotiated in a crisis. He also reveals how he slimmed down his company’s balance sheet to protect cash flow and secure jobs. Sun is interviewed by Luisa Alemany, Associate Professor of Management Practice in Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Academic Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE). The views in this video are his own and are not representative of the IIE or London Business School. For more information: Luisa Alemany - Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship - George Sun -

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting global social restrictions have forced mass consumer behaviour change. That has had an overwhelming and unsettling impact on businesses in every sector. Critical to surviving these difficult times is to respond positively – and quickly – to add value to your customers lives right now, says Dan Ziv (MBA 2014), the CEO of greeting card app TouchNote. The tech entrepreneur, who co-founded the restaurant booking app Uncover before he joined TouchNote four years ago, tells founders to take a magnifying glass to their value chain, identify the vulnerabilities and develop contingencies to mitigate against the risks they present. Ziv is interviewed by Gary Dushnitsky, Associate Professor, Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, as part of London Business School’s IIE’s #LBSResilientFounders series. The views in this video are his own and are not representative of the IIE or London Business School. For more information: Gary Dushnitsky - Inst

The #LBSResilientFounders series provides insight from experienced entrepreneurs around the world, at a time when the business world is facing formidable challenges. London Business School alumni share their first-hand experience of how they dealt with a crisis with Luisa Alemany, Associate Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and Academic Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In episode one, we hear from Dr Paul D Atherton, MBA Graduate 1989, who is a serial technology entrepreneur. *The views in this video are his own and are not representative of the IIE or London Business School. For more information on Associate Professor Alemany - For more information on the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship - For further information on Dr Paul Atherton -