Kirsi Zhou

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

“Curiosity-driven extrovert who gets recharged by conversations — meeting people is how I refuel.”

Hometown: Beijing, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I took being a foodie to the extreme: I went from being a restaurant regular to becoming a restaurant co-founder.

Undergraduate School and Major: New York University, B.S. in Leadership and Management Studies; Columbia University in the City of New York, M.S. in Enterprise Risk Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Amazon Web Services, Cloud Support Engineer

What has been your favorite part of Houston so far? Why? Coming from Beijing and New York, I was amazed to discover Houston is one of the most diverse cities in America. Everyone finds their community here, and as a foodie, I love exploring authentic cuisines from every culture. But what’s made the biggest impact is how this translates into genuine warmth and inclusiveness — it has been incredibly easy to make real friends here. People in Houston match the weather: genuinely warm and welcoming.

Houston’s central location is also a hidden gem for someone who loves to travel. You’re just a few hours from anywhere in the U.S. or incredible cities in Latin America. I’m excited to explore more of what Houston, and the surrounding region, have to offer!

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the one key part of the Rice Jones MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The intimate class size was a major draw for me. With only 130-150 students in each class, I knew I could quickly build meaningful relationships with everyone. Coming from a corporate environment where I often felt like a number, I wanted to be part of a tight-knit community where everyone would know my name, my story, and my ambitions. That close bond has been incredible — it creates an environment where we genuinely support each other’s success, whether that’s prepping for schoolwork, workshopping business ideas, or just being there during the intense recruiting season.

Another aspect is the entrepreneurship ecosystem. I knew I wanted a program that would nurture my entrepreneurial spirit. At Rice, every idea you have — no matter how early-stage or unconventional — can be brought to the Lilie Lab, where you’ll find resources, mentorship and a community of fellow founders and dreamers. That combination of intimate community and entrepreneurial support made Rice Business the perfect fit for someone like me who thrives on both collaboration and innovation.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Rice Jones? What strikes me most about Rice Business is that with so many clubs and activities available, everyone can truly find their place. “You Belong Here” isn’t just a marketing tagline — it’s a lived reality. Our weekly parties on the patio have been a highlight of my MBA experience. Each week has a different theme, and it has become a ritual where the entire community comes together to decompress, celebrate, and enjoy. As someone who gets energized by conversations and connecting with people, Partio has been the perfect space to build genuine friendships beyond the classroom and recruiting grind.

I’ve also loved being part of the Food Club. As a restaurant co-founder, food has always been my love language, and it’s been amazing to find a community of fellow food enthusiasts at Rice. We explore Houston’s incredible food scene together, share our culinary experiences, and bond over our appreciation for good food and the stories behind it.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment was leading the migration of more than 150TB of data with zero downtime as one of the largest smartphone makers in the world transitioned to AWS. This happened during the early days of cloud-based GenAI services when these technologies were just emerging.

The main challenge was navigating a cutting-edge territory with limited precedent and few internal resources to lean on. I took full ownership of the project, teaching myself the technical architecture, security protocols, and integration requirements, while simultaneously managing client expectations and concerns. What made this accomplishment meaningful wasn’t just the scale of the project — it was proving that with initiative and a willingness to learn quickly, I could drive results even in unfamiliar territory. This experience taught me how to bridge technical complexity with business value, a skill that continues to guide my approach to problem-solving and is central to why I’m pursuing my MBA.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far has been being selected as a board fellow for Advocates of Immigrant Survivors. The selection process was incredibly competitive. I’m honored to have been chosen to represent Rice Business in this role, especially since I have no prior NGO experience.

What made this achievement particularly meaningful was that it pushed me completely outside my comfort zone. Coming from tech and entrepreneurship, I had to quickly learn about nonprofit governance, fundraising strategies, and social impact measurement. This experience has reinforced something I’ve come to deeply appreciate about Rice Business: the culture of giving back. Being selected as a board fellow feels like an extension of that same spirit — using my skills and MBA training to contribute to an organization that serves the community. It has shown me that the Rice value of service isn’t just about what we do within our program, but how we use our education and privilege to create impact beyond the business school.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? My best memories at Rice Business aren’t from one single moment — they’re from all the late nights and celebrations with the friends I’ve made here.

I remember the 3 a.m. study sessions in Fondren Library before midterms, when we’d quiz each other on finance formulas and accounting standards, fueled by coffee and sheer determination. I remember the collective exhale when midterms finally ended and how we celebrated during fall break — finally able to let loose after weeks of intensity. And I remember every drink we’ve shared at Valhalla, our graduate student bar. Each beer has its own story, whether we’re celebrating someone’s interview success, commiserating over a tough recruiting rejection, or just decompressing after a long week.

What makes these memories special isn’t just the fun moments, but the genuine support behind them. I’ve found that Rice Business attracts people who show up authentically — not just as classmates, but as real friends. These aren’t just networking contacts or study group members; they’re people who will text you at midnight to review your case prep, who celebrate your wins like their own, and who remind you why you’re doing this. That sense of genuine camaraderie has been the unexpected gift of this MBA journey.

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