Helena Ma ’19
Currently: International DJ and Startup Founder
Major: Business and Marketing
Hometown: Massachusetts, USA
Helena Ma ‘19 has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Helena has worked in multiple industries, from starting a meal kit service in Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic to working as a self-taught videographer and photographer. Now an internationally touring DJ and start-up founder, Helena shares with us valuable lessons she’s learned along the way.
Why did you choose NYU Shanghai?
My dad's side of the family is Shanghainese, and I grew up living in America, but almost every summer, I went back to Shanghai to visit family. My college essay was actually about Shanghai itself– the prompt was to write about a place that is special to you, and I ended up writing about Shanghai. I talked about internationalism and how I got to be an international person as a high schooler. And that really resonated with the entire ethos of NYU Shanghai.
Why did you choose to stay in Shanghai after graduation?
For the Class of 2019, I was one of only maybe five internationals that stayed in Shanghai after graduation. I started working as a creative strategist at a local boutique PR and marketing agency with clients in the luxury, premium, fashion, and beauty industries. Then COVID hit, and they cut salaries significantly, so my boyfriend at the time and I launched a start-up.
It was exactly what was needed at the time. The concept was high-end semi-prepared meals from high-end restaurants. A lot of these chefs and restaurants had exclusive delivery rights with us, so you could order and prepare this fancy dish at home.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of being involved at a startup right after college?
I learned that a little initiative can go a long way. I think that’s the takeaway I have from all of my roles, and it's kind of what you need to be able to have a good experience at NYU Shanghai, too. So much of the experience of Shanghai itself as a city is learning to have self-initiative. For example, as a startup founder, everything is completely “figure it out yourself.” There's no one there to tell you what to do. And then, also, as an artist, it's the same. Even having a bit of an idea to start something, that is enough to start the momentum to turn an idea into something greater. Even if you're really scared, or if you think, “that’s not for me, or it's too late to start,” it's not true. The second you have an idea and put a little bit of work towards it, then it'll snowball and the momentum will grow.
How did your work as a creative director lead you to DJing?
I have always been a DJ [as a sideline]. My first job in New York was an art director for a company selling non-alcoholic spirits and alternatives. They were also a startup and they lost some funding and had some layoffs. I found another role as the associate creative director a a Japanese snack subscription company. Their whole concept is a monthly subscription box with imported, high-end artisanal makers in Japan.
It was super fun and exciting. When the company shifted all their operations to Japan, they ended up laying off their New York team. That was the moment that I took the opportunity to pursue DJing more.
Tell us about your startup Edge Piece Play.
The whole concept is jigsaw puzzles as fine art home decor. There haven't been puzzles and designs that are a bit more avant-garde or cutting edge and so that's kind of the gap in the market that I'm trying to fill. I'm trying to gear people towards jigsaw puzzles, because it's something that’s helped me a lot mentally. Instead of going on the Internet and doom scrolling through all your socials, it’s doing something tactile with your hands, and solving these physical, tangible puzzles is so much healthier. I want to position this brand, and puzzles, into the minds of people as a sort of Sunday scaries, or calm-down activity. It felt very aligned with my own identity.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I wake up and take care of my dog, then I do a lot of admin. I think a lot of people don’t really know how much prep and work goes into DJ-ing. Whether that’s reaching out to or replying to people or sending contracts for performance agreements for all my future gigs– there’s a lot of work to be done on the computer.
After that, I will go into preparing for my performances, which is part of being a DJ– finding new music, preparing it into a set that flows and tells a story. I spend a lot of my day preparing that, and also creating content for the branding of myself as a DJ, because growing your following is also really important for this industry. The music I play is called hypnotic techno, or groovy techno, or tooly techno.
The second half of the day is for creating my new startup. I've been sitting on [this idea] for almost a year, and if you sit on it and you still want to do it, to me that means that you should do it.
Do you have any advice for NYU Shanghai students?
Being an American, it’s really common to fall into the mindset of “I’ll go to college for four years and then I’ll go back to the thing (I’ve always) known.” But my advice is to not do that. Lean into the change and try to see where that brings you. Maybe it will take you to a different country. Maybe you’ll do something else with your life that you never thought was even a consideration– but I think that’s the best part.
Helena's final project for her intro to videography class during her senior year.