Sean Liu balances business, fatherhood, and being an MPH student
Sean Liu is an entrepreneur and a student in the MPH Generalist program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, but his neighbors in Valparaiso, Indiana might know him as the dad who gets his exercise by doing lunges with his infant daughter strapped to his chest.
“I try to do what’s good for my family and what’s good for health,” Liu says.
Liu is the founder and CEO of PingCares, a wearables company that focuses on safety and health for seniors. The company is named after Liu’s grandmother, Ping, a Chinese word for peace and safety.
As an entrepreneur in the health sector, Liu knew he needed to be able to communicate with health care professionals, understand their goals, and set meaningful metrics for success. He joined the online MPH Generalist program so that he could continue to grow his business and care for his family while earning his degree from Harvard Chan School.
Although the program is entirely remote, Liu says the Harvard Chan community has been incredibly supportive.
“I was really surprised by how approachable the faculty, the staff, and the students are,” Liu says. “I think there’s a reason why Harvard has the strongest academic recognition in the world, you really have to be part of the community to experience it.”
There are other students in Liu’s cohort who also have business backgrounds, but many in the program are physicians or have careers in government and policymaking. Liu says that connecting with peers whose experience differs from his own is incredibly valuable.
“This is exactly what I wanted, which is to deeply embed myself with people who are gravitating towards healthcare but already know more than I do,” Liu says.
Recently, Liu attended an optional on-campus orientation program on Harvard Chan School’s Boston campus. Between sessions, he found the time to FaceTime with his wife and infant daughter.
“She probably doesn’t understand much,” Liu admits. “But I think that’s such a great starting point for us to challenge her to think outside of the familiar environment.”
