Ada Lien

ADA LIEN

Ada Lien builds brands that generate sustainable growth in the beauty, luxury, and lifestyle categories. During tenures at companies such as The Estée Lauder Companies and Bare Escentuals, she created breakthrough strategies that integrate brand equity, innovation, and commercial execution.

Currently, Ada is the Founder of Rising Horse, an advisory firm for early-stage startups, and a Strategic Advisor at Verity Ventures, a San Francisco-based venture capital fund.

Prior to that, she was the General Manager, Origins, where she repositioned the brand by combining powerful ingredients found in nature with plant science to deliver breakthrough innovation. Before joining Origins, Ada held the role of Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, La Mer, where she oversaw the global strategy and implemented locally relevant programs to maximize each market’s potential.

Ada joined The Estée Lauder Companies in 2003 as a CEO Presidential Associate. Earlier, she worked at JPMorgan Chase in investment banking; Women’s Wear Daily in roles across digital marketing and sales; and Bare Escentuals, where she managed the Sephora account.

Ada has shared her industry insights worldwide as a speaker at renowned events, including the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the Asia Society’s Diversity & Marketing Leadership Summit. In 2018, she was recognized with the Top Talent Award by Cosmetic Executive Women for her achievements.

Ada holds a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Smith College. She is also the Founder and Board Member of the Harvard Business School Asian American Alumni Association. She serves as an advisor for several entrepreneurial brands.