Meet Us
Emma Shi is the founder of Helmstone Advisory, a strategy consultancy focused on commercialization, branding, and cross-market business strategy.
She holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management and an MFA in film and animation, a combination that informs her approach to strategy: analytically rigorous, yet grounded in how people perceive, trust, and respond to ideas in real market environments.
Her experience spans early-stage ventures and established organizations, leading initiatives in go-to-market strategy, commercialization planning, operations, and cross-functional execution. She has worked on market entry, positioning, and growth strategy where cultural context and customer interpretation materially shape business outcomes.
Experience
Education
MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
2023 - 2025, graduated with honor
MFA in Film and Animation, Rochester Institute of Technology
2009 - 2014
Emma Shi, MBA, MFA
Shaped commercialization strategy and supported marketing repositioning for U.S. technology companies
9 years in educational publishing, leading cross-functional and global teams, bilingual programs and managing $1M+ budgets
Advised EdTech startups on business model, consumer insight research, and product strategy
Led 0-to-1 product and go-to-market strategy for a discussion-based game startup
Supported CPG and early-stage startups on brand positioning and market entry decisions
Managed $7M+ Northwestern University Endowment Fund
Founder,
Principal Consultant
CFA Level II passed
CFA Certificate in ESG Investing
FSPCA Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Certification
Credentials & Certifications
Selected Creative Recognition
Animated short film recognized with international awards and screened at 14+ international film festivals
Certificate of Artistic Achievement, Luxembourg Art Prize
Nick Zhou, CFA
Consultant
Nick Zhou is an MBA candidate at the Kellogg School of Management and a CFA charterholder.
Before Kellogg, he spent six years in finance in Hong Kong, most recently at CCB International, where he covered TMT and technology companies across both investment management and investment banking. His work spanned scenario modeling, M&A and IPO due diligence, and translating complex data into recommendations for leadership.
At Kellogg, Nick serves as a Product Manager at a tech startup through the Kellogg AI Lab, where he leverages AI tools to build data visualizations that support organizational
decision-making.
Credentials & Certifications
CFA Charterholder
Education
MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
2025-current
MS, Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
2018 - 2019
Experience
4 years managing institutional investment portfolios at CCB International Holdings, a leading Chinese investment bank, in Hong Kong
Led asset management initiatives at FOSUN, one of China's largest global investment conglomerates
Drove investment analysis and deal evaluation as an Investment Associate at China Huarong International Holdings
Advised clients on strategy and operations as a Consultant at EY, spanning engagements across Beijing
