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Devin: What is your superpower?
Jane: Love and tenacity.
Too often, changemakers believe that to do good, they must sacrifice themselves. For years, Jane Chen, co-founder of Embrace Global, embodied that belief. Her social enterprise, born out of Stanford, created a life-saving, low-cost baby incubator for premature and underweight infants in regions without reliable electricity. Today, Embrace has reached over one million babies worldwide—a staggering achievement. But behind that success, Jane faced a personal reckoning.
As she recounts in her new memoir, Like a Wave We Break, her drive to serve others came at a cost. “I was beyond burned out,” she shared. “After ten years, I just did not see a path forward.” The collapse of a long-awaited acquisition left her organization in crisis, and Jane herself in emotional ruin. Seeking healing, she packed a suitcase and a surfboard and embarked on a global journey to rediscover her strength.
What she found reshaped her understanding of resilience. “For so long, I thought resilience meant pushing through, pushing harder,” she said. “What I really learned is that resilience means slowing down and having compassion for ourselves.” It was a revelation that transformed how she leads and lives.
Her story resonates deeply with those working in impact, where passion often eclipses personal well-being. Jane’s journey reminds us that the sustainability of missions depends on the sustainability of those who lead them. “If we don’t care for ourselves first,” she said, “we’re not really investing in the longevity of our organizations or the impact we want to make.”
Jane’s experience highlights an essential truth for social entrepreneurs and changemakers alike: healing isn’t the opposite of impact—it’s part of it. Through self-compassion, changemakers build the endurance to keep doing good for years to come.
Her book offers both an intimate personal story and a roadmap for those struggling with burnout. Jane’s lessons are not just about surviving adversity but transforming it into wisdom that sustains both purpose and peace. In today’s world of relentless striving, her message could not be more timely.
tl;dr:
Jane Chen shared how Embrace Global’s portable incubators saved over one million premature babies.
She revealed how unresolved childhood trauma fueled her mission but led to extreme burnout.
Jane explained how vulnerability transformed her leadership style and strengthened her team’s connection.
Her healing journey taught her that resilience means slowing down and practicing self-compassion.
Jane’s superpower, love and tenacity, inspires sustainable leadership and impactful social change.
How to Develop Love and Tenacity As a Superpower
Jane’s superpower combines love and tenacity to drive her mission and personal growth. As she explained in today’s episode, love has guided her best decisions—whether building Embrace Global with a passion for saving lives or extending compassion inward during her healing journey. Coupled with relentless tenacity, Jane has overcome obstacles, from manufacturing challenges to personal burnout, to create lasting impact. “When you put those things together, love and tenacity, you can get great results,” she shared.
One story perfectly exemplifies Jane’s superpower. Early in her leadership at Embrace, a premature baby in China weighing just two pounds was found abandoned on the street. The baby was placed in an Embrace incubator, where he thrived. Years later, Jane reunited with the boy—now healthy and adopted by a family in Chicago—when he visited her in Hawaii. This powerful moment, she said, embodied the love and determination that sustained her 16-year journey with Embrace.
To cultivate love and tenacity, Jane suggests:
Pause and Listen to Your Heart: Step away from the noise and reflect on what truly drives you.
Practice Self-Compassion: Care for yourself as you would for others to sustain your work long-term.
Embrace Vulnerability: Lead authentically by sharing your emotions and creating space for others to do the same.
Pursue Relentlessly: Stay determined, even when challenges arise, and seek out the resources you need.
By following Jane’s example and advice, you can make love and tenacity a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Jane Chen (she/her):
Author, Leadership Coach, Speaker & Co-Founder, Embrace
About Embrace Global: Embrace Global developed a groundbreaking infant incubator that has now helped to save over 1 million babies around the world.
Website: janemariechen.com
Other URL: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736801/like-a-wave-we-break-by-jane-marie-chen
Biographical Information: Jane Chen is the author of Like a Wave We Break (Penguin Random House, October 2025). She is a globally recognized entrepreneur, speaker, and leadership coach. Jane is the co-founder of Embrace Global, which developed a groundbreaking infant incubator that has helped to save over a million babies. She has been a TED Fellow, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, and was the recipient of the Economist Innovation Award. Jane received her MBAfrom Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Master’s in PublicAdministration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/janemariechen
Instagram Handle: @janemarie.chen
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