Michael Shangkuan

Michael Shangkuan is the CEO of EdTech startup Lingoda, an online language school which offers English, German, French and Spanish lessons with live teachers.

Prior to Lingoda, he was CEO at Terra Education, a B-corp offering life-changing service-learning summer programs to teens in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Michael has lived in six countries across four continents; speaks six languages – English, German, Spanish, French, Chinese and Japanese; and is a former natural bodybuilder, having competed at several international competitions.

Michael Shangkuan states in his LinkedIn profile:

2x Scale-Up CEO with a +20 year track record of unlocking exponential revenue growth. Achieved highly successful exits for founders/investors.

► CEO of Lingoda. +20x top line growth, cash burn to cash neutral. Closed fundraising rounds totaling $80MM from world-class investors.

► CEO of Terra Education. +6x top line growth, with no additional funding needed to sustain growth and acquire businesses. Transformed company from bankruptcy to high profitability.

► Built early career foundation skills at best-in-class institutions and learned to apply to start-ups:
✓ Goldman Sachs Investment Banking Mergers & Acquisitions Financial Analyst
✓ Procter & Gamble Beauty Care Brand Management
✓ Harvard Business School MBA. Yale College BA (Top 10%)

Specialties: Partnering with Founders, Scaling Operations from Series A to B, Finding Product Market Fit, Fundraising, Delivering Exponential Top line Growth and Profitability, Building Mission, Values, & Company Culture, Hiring extraordinary C-level talent, Entering an International Market

Fluent in English, Chinese, & Spanish. Proficient in German, Japanese, & French.
Lived in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia.
Former Natural Olympia competitor.
Specialization in EdTech, Language, and Travel Industries