Xinyi Tong
Born in China and raised in the Netherlands, I'm currently pursuing a joint MBA/MPA at Stanford GSB and Harvard Kennedy School. I previously worked at BCG, where I contributed to projects across Saudi Arabia as the first non-Arab female expat.
About
Education
Joint MBA/MPA candidate at Stanford GSB and Harvard Kennedy School (Class of 2027).
BCG Consultant
Fast-track promoted at Boston Consulting Group. First non-Arab expat woman at BCG Saudi Arabia. Led $20B+ tech strategy and $300M acquisitions for a mega-city project.
Fulbright Scholar
Awarded the highest scholarship by Fulbright Netherlands. Selected as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper (Riyadh Hub).
HKS Student Body President
Elected Student Body President at Harvard Kennedy School. One of only two MPAs elected since 2009.
Videos
The Care Crisis No One Is Ready For
We plan weddings and careers, but not for care. When a loved one needs help, most families are caught unprepared—emotionally, financially, and logistically.
A Day in the Life at BCG Saudi Arabia
What it's really like working at BCG in Riyadh—from client meetings to team dinners, and navigating life as the first expat woman consultant.
Harvard & Stanford Insights
What Sam Altman Told My Harvard Class
HBS Students Worship This Professor
Lessons from a White House Advisor
The ABC Technique for Tough Questions
How to Be More Persuasive
Aging, Technology & Caregiving
Why We Should Care About Caregiving
Trying Exoskeletons at Stanford
The Most Ignored Consumer Group
Nobel Prize Debunks "Blue Zones"
How VR Is Transforming Eldercare
Conversations Shared on LinkedIn
People I've had the privilege to meet, and the lessons they left me with.
Samantha Power
Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Pulitzer Prize winner & USAID Administrator
I was more starstruck than when I saw Taylor Swift. I got to interview her for a fireside chat with the incoming Harvard MPA class.
LinkedIn • Sep 2026
Tony Xu
CEO & co-founder of DoorDash
No company has a moat. Customers only care whether you do the job better than anyone else. Every day is a brand new slate.
LinkedIn • May 2026
Bob Sternfels
Global Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company
He uses humor to flatten hierarchy, so junior people feel free to say what they really think. And yes, I taught him the K-pop heart.
LinkedIn • Apr 2026
Adarsh Hiremath
World's youngest self-made billionaire at 22, co-founder of Mercor
I asked what it felt like to beat Zuckerberg's record. "I don't think about it too much. It just shows the opportunities there are in this space."
LinkedIn • Jan 2026
Arden Cho
Netflix lead actress & voice of KPop Demon Hunters
She wishes she had been louder and dreamt bigger. I want to be loud about my dreams, too.
LinkedIn • May 2026
Al Gore
45th U.S. Vice President & Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Full circle: at 19 I traveled solo to Manila to hear him speak. Now 93% of new electricity capacity comes from renewables. There's reason for optimism.
LinkedIn • Oct 2025
Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder of Emerson Collective & Stanford GSB alum
Steve Jobs was "completely captivated" by Touchy Feely. Life rarely follows the plan, and navigating human complexity matters as much as any hard skill.
LinkedIn • Jun 2026
David Rogier
Founder & CEO of MasterClass
Things are far less risky than they seem. No one cares, and no one remembers. "I get rejected all the time."
LinkedIn • Jan 2026
Oren Zeev
Billionaire solo VC running a $2.5B fund with zero staff
"It is much more of an individual sport than a team sport." No partners, no office. Just him and a coffee shop in Palo Alto.
LinkedIn • Apr 2026
Timur Turlov
Founder of Freedom Holding Corp. & one of Central Asia's youngest billionaires
He started with 100 cold calls a day. 100 calls got 5 meetings, and 2 people showed up. Rejection tolerance is a muscle.
LinkedIn • Jun 2026
Graham Weaver
Stanford GSB professor & founder of Alpine Investors ($17.7B AUM)
"Your soul already told you. Everything else is just a negotiation with your fear."
LinkedIn • Oct 2026
Gerald Chertavian
HBS professor & founder of Year Up United, which raised $2B
"Find what you're willing to bleed for, and you'll never work a day in your life." His lecture moved me to tears.
LinkedIn • Jan 2026
Saudi Wonder Women
The first English video series shining light on extraordinary women transforming Saudi Arabia. From the first Arab woman to climb K2 to entrepreneurs helping female founders raise $30 million—these are the stories that deserve to be told.
Produced with an Oscar-nominated director and sponsored by the World Economic Forum Global Shapers Riyadh Hub.
In the Press
The Telegraph
"Super-Graduate" — Life in Management Consulting
"If you had told me while I was at university that I'd one day be presenting to a world leader, I'd never have believed you. I remember being so nervous that my hands were shaking, but it was an incredibly surreal experience."
Featured in The Telegraph's profile on high-achieving graduates navigating demanding consulting roles. The article explores what it takes to succeed in one of the most competitive industries.
The Telegraph • June 2024
Arab Wonder Women: Bravery in Extreme Situations
Panelist & Curator at Dubai Opera. Curated a panel featuring the first commercial female pilot in the UAE, first Arab woman to climb K2, and first female race car driver in the UAE.
WE Convention • March 2023Stanford GSB
Stanford Impact Design Immersion Fellow 2025
Selected for Stanford's competitive fellowship supporting social innovators. Building AI-powered solutions for aging families.
Stanford GSB • 2025Ask AI Xinyi
I get approached on LinkedIn every day with similar questions. Here are my thoughts on consulting, business school, and life at BCG.
AI Xinyi
Ask me anything about consulting & MBA
Popular questions:
Hey! I'm AI Xinyi. I noticed that most of you ask the same questions, so I've put together my thoughts on consulting recruiting, case prep, MBA applications, and life at BCG. What can I help you with?
As a final note, I want to tell you to not be discouraged if you don't get accepted by your "dream company". Whatever it is that you want to achieve in life, you can do it without getting into a prestigious consulting firm. It's an amazing platform to learn, but not absolutely necessary to help you achieve what you want. You can (and will!!) end up exactly where you are supposed to be in your own way, on your own terms. MBB is generally very competitive with an acceptance rate of nearly 1%, and some of it honestly is based on luck (e.g., the timing of your application, whether your interviewers click with you or not, etc). One decision doesn't define who you are, and I'm sure you're smart, kind and amazing all round! So it's totally okay to "fail". Life will put you on a path that leads you to better things eventually.