Rising Stars of the Profession 2021: Jennifer Luo Law

Jennifer is a Principal with New Markets Advisors. A thought leader for the industry, a trusted advisor to her clients, and a mentor and guide to dozens of other consultants, she joined the profession in 2014, and her specialty is uncovering new markets and developing new products and services for the world's leading companies.

Jennifer's portfolio of work spans 7 countries and numerous industries. She navigated a large Asian automaker into the electric vehicle space, resulting in the launch of India's first electric three-wheeler; developed a suite of data products that put Twitter at the forefront of academic research; and created new services to keep elderly Americans connected to their communities, among many other initiatives.

Jennifer is also a prolific writer and thought leader, and her articles have been published by outlets around the world. Her award-winning first book, Costovation: Innovation That Gives Your Customers Exactly What They Want—And Nothing More, published by HarperCollins in 2018, was named one of the top 10 business books of the year by Canada's leading newspaper The Globe and Mail and has been translated into four languages. Her second book, on innovative leadership, is due in 2022. She was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship from the U.S. State Department.

At her core, Jennifer is a teacher, mentor, and champion for others. Her passion for developing others has inspired a new generation of consultants and has been instrumental in tripling our firm's size. She has spoken passionately about the consulting profession at career exploration panels, live-streamed interviews (most recently: Presentation Skills for Consultants, hosted by BostonSpeaks), and other industry events.

"My curiosity and desire for fresh challenges have also helped me lead and grow our consulting firm. At a fast-growing boutique like New Markets Advisors, all hands are on deck. For instance, when our website needed refreshing, I learned web design and basic HTML, then led the development of the new one. I am continually taking classes, seeking advice from others, and teaching myself new skills. I love learning new things and am grateful to work for a place that values and encourages that."

As to the best advice Jennifer has received to date, she notes, "If you are not doing something that scares you every now and then, then you are not doing enough to push yourself. Pressure makes you grow."

What is your proudest achievement to date?

"One of the cases I am most proud of is identifying the market opportunity that led to India's first electric three-wheeler. The project was for India's largest vehicle manufacturer, which needed to defend its position against an increasing number of electric vehicles being imported from abroad. How should they approach electrification and which segments of the market should they begin with?"

"Working on this case involved sourcing information from around the world, connecting the dots, and deeply understanding the Indian auto market. We determined that electrifying rickshaws was the optimal place for this company to start, and the company soon launched the country's first electric rickshaw. The model was affordable, designed to navigate tight urban streets, and advanced India towards its vision of 100% electric vehicles."

"Today, electric rickshaws is a rapidly growing category in India that the client still leads with its first-mover advantage. More importantly, this foothold became a launching point for the company to expand into electric sedans, compact cars, and vans, defying this potential disruption to become a global electric vehicle powerhouse."