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Cassindy Chao

Testudine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:43:49 GMT

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Cassindy Chao

Testudine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:42:24 GMT

Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:22em; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%;" |+ Cassindy Chao |- ! Other names | Cindy Chao |- ! Born | Queens, New York, U.S. |- ! Al..."

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{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:22em; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%;"
|+ Cassindy Chao
|-
! Other names
| Cindy Chao
|-
! Born
| Queens, New York, U.S.
|-
! Alma mater
| Wellesley College (BA, 1990)
|-
! Occupations
| Professional matchmaker, writer, speaker, angel investor
|-
! Known for
| ''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love'' (book and matchmaking agency)
|-
! Spouse
| Fred
|-
! Children
| 3
|}

'''Cassindy Chao''' (also referred to as '''Cindy Chao'''; Chinese name: 趙珊珊, pinyin: Zhào Shānshān) is a United States-based professional matchmaker, author, angel investor, and public speaker. Previously holding investment banking roles at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, Chao established the boutique matchmaking firm '''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love''' (frequently abbreviated to '''AWM Love''' or '''AWML'''). She also penned the 2024 publication ''Ancient Wisdom Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating Success''.<ref name="home" /><ref name="voyagela" /> Chao identifies herself as continuing a family legacy as a third-generation matchmaker.<ref name="amazon" />

== Childhood and education ==
Born in Washington, D.C. to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Chao relocated to the Los Angeles region at the age of five. She spent her formative years in Redondo Beach and, subsequently, Palos Verdes, California.<ref name="voyagela" /> Her father, a former member of the Taiwanese Navy, relocated to the U.S. after receiving a fellowship from the National Science Foundation.<ref name="about" />

For her higher education, Chao enrolled at Wellesley College, where she completed a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Chinese studies in 1990.<ref name="wellesley" /> During her undergraduate years, she coordinated a massive campus social mixer, an event she later pinpointed as the catalyst for her passion for matchmaking.<ref name="voyagela" /><ref name="about" />

== Professional background in finance ==
Following her graduation, Chao built a career in the financial sector, taking on roles in equity research and investment banking at major firms like J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs.<ref name="voyagela" /><ref name="about" /> Throughout her tenure in banking, she was invited to speak at various investment summits, was profiled in ''The Wall Street Journal'', and made appearances on CNN.<ref name="about" /> She later disclosed that a primary motivation for stepping away from the finance industry was to provide care for her aging parents.<ref name="bi-mother" />

== Matchmaking business and authorship ==
Chao is the founder of '''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love''' (also known by the acronyms ''AWML'' and ''AWM Love''). The firm provides dating coaching and exclusive matchmaking services tailored to high-net-worth individuals and career-driven singles, emphasizing introductions for Asian and Asian-American professionals.<ref name="home" /><ref name="voyagela" /> Noting that both her grandmother and mother facilitated matches, Chao describes herself as a practitioner of the trade in her family's third generation.<ref name="about" /><ref name="amazon" />

As an author, she published ''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating Success'' (sometimes bearing the subtitle ''A Practical Guide to Modern Dating''). The dating self-help guide utilizes traditional four-character Chinese idioms, known as ''chengyu'', to dispense relationship advice. A revised second edition incorporates family recipes and personal anecdotes.<ref name="home" /><ref name="amazon" /><ref name="book" />

== Speaking engagements ==
In addition to matchmaking, Chao is an active public speaker whose presentations explore leadership, professional networking, and relationship building, frequently highlighting the similarities between corporate dynamics and dating.<ref name="about" /><ref name="speaking" /> Her speaking portfolio includes appearances at prominent organizations and venues such as Robert Half, Oracle, the National Association of Asian American Professionals, Ascend, the Museum of Chinese in America, the Penn Club, and the Harvard Club of New York.<ref name="about" />

== Additional ventures ==
Chao is involved in angel investing, with The Lounge Booth being among the enterprises in her investment portfolio.<ref name="about" /> Furthermore, she launched a professional networking initiative originally called the Entrepreneur Huddle, which was eventually rebranded as the "Crazy x Asians" event series.<ref name="about" />

Within the nonprofit sector, Chao has contributed as a development committee member for Asian Health Services, held the position of Co-President for the Wellesley College Asian Alumnae Alliance, and sat on the associate board of the New York Asian Film Festival.<ref name="home" /><ref name="about" /> She is also an instructor of the game mahjong.<ref name="about" />

== Press and media appearances ==
Chao's transition to matchmaking has attracted coverage from numerous media entities. She has been highlighted by ABC News, NewsNation, NBC News, ''Business Insider'', and ''Voyage LA''. Additionally, she has been a guest on digital broadcasts including the ''Ken Fong Podcast'' and ''AsianBossGirl''.<ref name="home" /><ref name="about" /> Chao is also referenced in the book ''More Than 85 Broads'', authored by Janet Hanson.<ref name="home" />

== Personal life ==
Residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chao is married to software developer Fred.<ref name="linkedin" /> The couple has shared over two and a half decades of marriage and raised three children.<ref name="about" /><ref name="amazon" /> Outside of her professional life, Chao enjoys cooking traditional Taiwanese cuisine and fostering rescue cats.<ref name="about" />

== See also ==
* [[Ancient Wisdom Modern Love]]

== Bibliography ==
* ''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating Success'' (Stone Monkey Publishing; 2nd edition, 2024)<ref name="book" />

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="home">"Matchmaking & Speaking with Cassindy Chao", cassindy.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.cassindy.com/home</ref>
<ref name="about">"About Cassindy Chao", cassindy.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.cassindy.com/about</ref>
<ref name="speaking">"Speaking – Cassindy Chao", cassindy.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.cassindy.com/speaking</ref>
<ref name="voyagela">"Meet Cassindy Chao of Ancient Wisdom Modern Love", Voyage LA Magazine, 11 March 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-cassindy-chao-of-ancient-wisdom-modern-love/</ref>
<ref name="wellesley">"Cassindy Chao ('90)", Wellesley College, East Asian Languages and Cultures. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www1.wellesley.edu/ealc/alum-corner/chinese-alumnae-corner/cassindy-chao-90-</ref>
<ref name="amazon">"Cassindy Chao – author page", Amazon. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://us.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CKQD2D3C</ref>
<ref name="book">"Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love" (book listing), Amazon. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKQ8QTJB</ref>
<ref name="bi-mother">"I quit Goldman Sachs to take care of my mother", Business Insider, 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-goldman-sachs-to-take-care-of-mother-no-regrets-2024-5</ref>
<ref name="linkedin">"Cassindy Chao", LinkedIn. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassindy/</ref>
</references>

== External links ==
* [https://www.cassindy.com/ Official website]
* [https://www.awmlove.com/ Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love (matchmaking practice)]

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American matchmakers]]
[[Category:American women writers]]
[[Category:American people of Taiwanese descent]]
[[Category:Wellesley College alumni]]
[[Category:American investment bankers]]
[[Category:Writers from Los Angeles]]

Ancient Wisdom Modern Love

Testudine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:41:56 GMT

Created page with "{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:23em; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%;" |+ Ancient Wisdom Modern Love |- ! Type | Privately held company |- ! Industry | Dating s..."

New page

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; width:23em; margin-left:1em; font-size:90%;"
|+ Ancient Wisdom Modern Love
|-
! Type
| Privately held company
|-
! Industry
| Dating services, professional matchmaking
|-
! Founder
| Cassindy Chao
|-
! Headquarters
| Albany, California, United States
|-
! Area served
| New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area
|-
! Key people
| Cassindy Chao (Founder); Dana Sundblad; Soronny Lee
|-
! Services
| Matchmaking, relationship coaching, date concierge
|-
! Slogan
| ''Connecting Exceptional People''
|-
! Website
| awmlove.com
|}

'''Ancient Wisdom Modern Love''' (frequently abbreviated as '''AWM Love''' or '''AWML''') is an exclusive dating and matchmaking agency based in the United States. Established by relationship expert and author [[Cassindy Chao]], the boutique firm primarily caters to highly educated, affluent singles. While serving a diverse clientele, the company specializes in curating introductions for Asian and Asian-American professionals. AWM Love focuses its operations in three major metropolitan markets: the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City.<ref name="home" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" /><ref name="voyagela" />

== Business model and concept ==
Positioned as a high-end, luxury introductions agency, AWM Love bypasses algorithms and dating applications in favor of a highly personalized, human-driven matchmaking approach.<ref name="awml-sf" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" /> The firm explicitly targets high-net-worth individuals and ambitious career professionals who are actively seeking serious, long-term commitments.<ref name="home" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" /> The agency distinguishes itself from historical matchmaking practices by emphasizing that it facilitates modern romantic partnerships rather than traditional arranged family marriages, adopting the brand ethos that it is "not your grandmother's matchmaker."<ref name="home" /><ref name="awml-la" />

The agency's name is derived from Chao's publication, ''Ancient Wisdom Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating Success''. The book utilizes traditional four-character Chinese idioms (''chengyu'') to deliver contemporary relationship guidance.<ref name="amazon-book" /> Chao, who comes from a family with a background in the practice, promotes herself as a third-generation traditional Chinese matchmaker (紅娘, ''hóngniáng'').<ref name="home" /><ref name="cassindy-about" />

== Company background ==
Founder Cassindy Chao initially explored matchmaking during her undergraduate years at Wellesley College, organizing dates for fellow students from her dorm room.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" /><ref name="piedmont" /> She subsequently spent years working in investment banking for major financial institutions including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Bear Stearns. Following a stint in Hong Kong and time spent working at a Silicon Valley tech startup, Chao transitioned back to the dating industry. A 2021 feature in the ''Piedmont Exedra'' noted that she formalized her expertise by studying under relationship coach Rachel Greenwald before launching her professional agency.<ref name="piedmont" />

Her pivot from high finance to full-time matchmaking was later highlighted in a ''Business Insider'' profile.<ref name="bi" /> To help scale the business, Chao partnered with Dana Sundblad, a former Wellesley classmate equipped with a Harvard MBA and extensive marketing experience.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" /><ref name="cassindy-home" /> According to the firm's promotional literature, the team brings over 15 years of industry experience and has successfully facilitated upward of 50 long-term partnerships or marriages.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" /><ref name="cassindy-about" />

== Offerings and methodology ==
AWM Love's portfolio of services ranges from top-tier VIP matchmaking to date coaching, traditional Chinese matching (紅娘), and bespoke date-concierge packages, as well as "dating readiness" programs.<ref name="home" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" />

To maintain a high level of personalized attention, the boutique agency caps its active roster to a maximum of eight clients simultaneously. The founder directly manages client interviews and oversees the matching process.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" /> Members generally sign on for six- or twelve-month commitments, which include the flexibility to pause the service if needed.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" />

The matchmaking pipeline begins with an intensive vetting phase, including detailed questionnaires and private, one-on-one interviews to deeply understand the client and their ideal partner.<ref name="awml-sf" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" /> AWM Love also provides supplementary services to enhance dating success, such as wardrobe styling, professional photography, curated date planning, and practice dates.<ref name="awml-ny" /><ref name="awml-matchmaking" /> Active members typically receive two to four hand-picked introductions each month. The agency utilizes post-date feedback from both parties to continuously improve future matches. While the firm promises high-caliber introductions, it explicitly notes that it cannot guarantee marriages or permanent relationships.<ref name="awml-matchmaking" />

== Media presence and events ==
AWM Love and its founder have garnered significant press attention. In addition to a January 2026 feature in ''Business Insider'' detailing Chao's career pivot, she was interviewed on ''NBC News Daily'' in late 2025 and appeared on ''NewsNation'' in early 2026.<ref name="home" /><ref name="bi" /> Prior media spotlights include a 2024 piece in ''Voyage LA'' and a 2021 interview in the ''Piedmont Exedra''.<ref name="piedmont" /><ref name="voyagela" /> Furthermore, the company actively engages with the local community by hosting social mixers and cultural events, such as mahjong gatherings in collaboration with groups like Asian Health Services.<ref name="home" />

== See also ==
* [[Cassindy Chao]]

== References ==
<references>
<ref name="home">"Asian Matchmaker Cassindy Chao | SF, LA & NYC", AWM Love (awmlove.com). Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.awmlove.com/</ref>
<ref name="awml-matchmaking">"VIP Matchmaking – How it Works / FAQ", AWM Love. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.awmlove.com/matchmaking</ref>
<ref name="awml-sf">"#1 Matchmaking in San Francisco, CA", AWM Love. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.awmlove.com/matchmaking-in-san-francisco</ref>
<ref name="awml-la">"Los Angeles Elite Matchmaker", AWM Love. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.awmlove.com/losangeles</ref>
<ref name="awml-ny">"Matchmaking in New York, NY", AWM Love. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.awmlove.com/matchmaking-in-new-york-ny</ref>
<ref name="cassindy-home">"Matchmaking & Speaking with Cassindy Chao", cassindy.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.cassindy.com/home</ref>
<ref name="cassindy-about">"About Cassindy Chao", cassindy.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.cassindy.com/about</ref>
<ref name="amazon-book">"Ancient Wisdom Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating & Relationship Success" (book listing), Amazon. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Wisdom-Modern-Love-Relationship/dp/B0CKSG13VD</ref>
<ref name="voyagela">"Meet Cassindy Chao of Ancient Wisdom Modern Love", Voyage LA Magazine, 11 March 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://voyagela.com/interview/meet-cassindy-chao-of-ancient-wisdom-modern-love/</ref>
<ref name="piedmont">"The Dating Game: A professional matchmaker shares advice about finding your match", Piedmont Exedra, March 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://piedmontexedra.com/2021/03/the-dating-game-a-professional-matchmaker-shares-advice-about-finding-your-match</ref>
<ref name="bi">"How a Goldman Sachs banker became one of America's top Asian matchmakers", Business Insider, January 2026. Retrieved 22 June 2026. https://www.businessinsider.com/left-finance-side-hustle-matchmaking-54-ageism-2026-1</ref>
</references>

== External links ==
* [https://www.awmlove.com/ Official AWM Love website]
* [https://www.cassindy.com/ Cassindy Chao – Founder's portal]

[[Category:Companies]]

File:Cassindy Chao official portrait.png

Testudine — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:41:17 GMT

Testudine uploaded File:Cassindy Chao official portrait.png Cassindy Chao official portrait, CC-BY 4.0 license, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/204766883@N08/55350135387/

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== Summary ==
Cassindy Chao official portrait, CC-BY 4.0 license, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/204766883@N08/55350135387/

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 '''Cassindy Chao''' (also referred to as '''Cindy Chao'''; Chinese name: 趙珊珊, pinyin: Zhào Shānshān) is a United States-based professional matchmaker, author, angel investor, and public speaker. Previously holding investment banking roles at J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, Chao established the boutique matchmaking firm '''Ancient Wisdom, Modern Love''' (frequently abbreviated to '''AWM Love''' or '''AWML'''). She also penned the 2024 publication ''Ancient Wisdom Modern Love: Chinese Wisdom for Dating Success''.<ref name="home" /><ref name="voyagela" /> Chao identifies herself as continuing a family legacy as a third-generation matchmaker.<ref name="amazon" />
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 [[Category:Living people]]