Mei Hung, IM student and Founder and CEO of INNOmuebles, the first furniture eCommerce site in Costa Rica
Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 6:25 am
Our student Mei Hung is the co-founder of the first furniture e-commerce site in Costa Rica. The idea came to her during a study trip to China, and from there, she and her husband have seen their business grow over the past seven years. Her restless nature makes her ambitious about the future, and she's already considering an international expansion. Learn about her story in the following interview.
You trained in business administration. What interests did your degree inspire in you, and where does your entrepreneurial streak come from?
A business administration degree is a program that can be applied in many fields, including everyday life. It's important to know how to manage any type of business or personal project to be successful. That's why I decided to pursue this program.
As for my entrepreneurial streak, I've always been very restless and curious since I was little, and above all, very independent. I think that's colombia mobile database why it's difficult for me to work for someone who might eventually put limits on my decisions, so I became my own boss. My whole family is also very entrepreneurial, even my 96-year-old maternal grandmother owns a summer vegetable business.
You won a scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study in China. Tell us how you got it and how this trip changed your path.
This scholarship was very important in making me who I am today. I'd always wanted to study abroad. I had previously studied in France and then returned to Costa Rica and graduated from high school. But there's always that nagging thought of "what's next?" So I felt China was the next step. I applied for the scholarship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, after several evaluations, I was selected to study there for a year.
On a business level, it was very interesting to learn how they work. How they conduct negotiations and how they operate as global suppliers. Furthermore, after attending several trade shows, I made many contacts, and this experience helped me a lot later on.
What surprised you most about China? What are the main differences you see when working in digital environments?
I was surprised by how advanced they are digitally. It's one of the most impressive things I've seen. When I was in China, I lived in a city about four hours from Shanghai, a bit remote, so there were certain products I couldn't get because they were more Western : eye drops, certain brands of cereal... but everything could be found online. That really opened my eyes because I realized the boom in e-commerce. In fact, that was one of the reasons we wanted to start an online store in Costa Rica. We didn't know what it would be yet, but we knew it would be a good opportunity.
You trained in business administration. What interests did your degree inspire in you, and where does your entrepreneurial streak come from?
A business administration degree is a program that can be applied in many fields, including everyday life. It's important to know how to manage any type of business or personal project to be successful. That's why I decided to pursue this program.
As for my entrepreneurial streak, I've always been very restless and curious since I was little, and above all, very independent. I think that's colombia mobile database why it's difficult for me to work for someone who might eventually put limits on my decisions, so I became my own boss. My whole family is also very entrepreneurial, even my 96-year-old maternal grandmother owns a summer vegetable business.
You won a scholarship from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study in China. Tell us how you got it and how this trip changed your path.
This scholarship was very important in making me who I am today. I'd always wanted to study abroad. I had previously studied in France and then returned to Costa Rica and graduated from high school. But there's always that nagging thought of "what's next?" So I felt China was the next step. I applied for the scholarship with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, after several evaluations, I was selected to study there for a year.
On a business level, it was very interesting to learn how they work. How they conduct negotiations and how they operate as global suppliers. Furthermore, after attending several trade shows, I made many contacts, and this experience helped me a lot later on.
What surprised you most about China? What are the main differences you see when working in digital environments?
I was surprised by how advanced they are digitally. It's one of the most impressive things I've seen. When I was in China, I lived in a city about four hours from Shanghai, a bit remote, so there were certain products I couldn't get because they were more Western : eye drops, certain brands of cereal... but everything could be found online. That really opened my eyes because I realized the boom in e-commerce. In fact, that was one of the reasons we wanted to start an online store in Costa Rica. We didn't know what it would be yet, but we knew it would be a good opportunity.