Mark was raised in an immigrant family in Toronto, Canada, with strong appreciation for the power of education to improve the path of both an individual and an entire community.  He moved to Asia in 1994 after having also lived in Italy and the United States, and in pursuit of a childhood ambition has branched back from a 20-year career in finance and investment toward social service.  Mark was formerly a #1-rated equity analyst at Morgan Stanley, where he worked for 16 years and ran its global telecom research team, after which he provided strategic investment advice to News Corporation and a local venture capital firm. His prior work took him around Asia, with extensive experience in China, India and ASEAN.  He graduated on the Dean's List from the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Canada, and studied at Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan, Italy.

Cheng-Yi is long time friend of the Shuper family who believes education is the foundation of change and opportunity.  She grew up in Malaysia in a family that sacrificed much to ensure their children received a good education.  Her family believed education brought understanding and opportunity, not only for ourselves but also for humanity.  Prior to joining Sprouts she was a banker, an entrepreneur and a retailer. She also served as the Treasurer for Lifeline Shanghai, an NGO in that city. She recently returned to calling Hong Kong home, having worked and lived in Canada, the US, Japan and China and traveled widely in Asia in previous roles.  Cheng-Yi also graduated from the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Canada.