Growing up in the slums of Hong Kong, BYU Marriott alum Cecilia Yiu and her sister, Alice, were the first in their family to attend college—thanks in large part to their parents, who emphasized the importance of education and provided their daughters with the best education they could afford. Yiu now hopes to encourage children to pursue learning through her startup business, Discover Wonders.
Discover Wonders was inspired by Yiu’s own daughters, ages five and two, who constantly ask questions as they explore the world around them. Through Discover Wonders, Yiu wants to fuel that natural curiosity and empower her daughters and other children to learn at their own pace. Yiu has created a series of books about everyday objects, such as water, toothbrushes, and balloons. Through the books, children learn about the history and science behind different topics.
“In my career as a management consultant, I was working with some of the top minds,” Yiu says. “I love seeing how people innovate, and I wanted to provide children with a way to connect the dots across subjects.”
The book series comes with the Discover Talking Pen, an audio device to assist children through their learning process. Children can point the pen at the page and hear text, sound effects, and dialogue. Each book comes with more than three hundred audio hotspots, so children can learn the material without being limited by reading ability or parental availability. Parents can also record their own voices for an added personal touch.
Yiu began working on Discover Wonders a year ago and launched a Kickstarter campaign in February 2018 that earned more than $32,000. The company is scheduled to begin distribution of the books later this year.
“We can’t wait to see people’s faces when they open the books for the first time,” Yiu says. “So far, every parent and child who has seen the prototype has been completely impressed.”
The world of entrepreneurship is a new adventure for Yiu, who worked as a market researcher for companies in Hong Kong and as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dallas.
“Working on a startup means I have no branding behind me—it is just me and my product,” Yiu says. “It takes a lot of soul-searching to figure out how to help others understand what I’m trying to do. I’m challenged every single day.”
Each of Yiu’s professional positions can be traced back to her own educational experiences. She graduated with a BS in psychology from BYU–Hawaii in 2006 and an MBA from BYU Marriott in 2012. While at BYU, Yiu took every opportunity to be involved. She served as vice president of the MBA Strategy and Consulting Club and participated in various business competitions, including the Wake Forest University Marketing Summit case competition and BYU Marriott’s Miller Business Model Competition. For her achievements, Yiu was selected as both a Hawes and an Eccles scholar.
After graduating with her MBA, Yiu consulted with top companies at PwC and supported her husband, Nelson Chan, through chiropractic school. She now stays at home with her children, homeschools her eldest daughter, and works on Discover Wonders.
“If Isaac Newton had watched the apple fall from the tree and had just eaten it, we might not have discovered gravity,” Yiu says. “I want to help my children maximize their potential and make sure that when an opportunity falls into their laps, they recognize it and know to grab it.”
