Gina Chen
Gina is the founder of One Ally, a dedicated champion for women and minorities, and an active community participant in sustainable climate change action and cross-cultural exchanges. Through her experiences as a first-generation immigrant and being raised by her single mother in Chicago, Gina is deeply committed to elevating women and minority-owned businesses, and building a community of mission-driven leaders devoted to creating lasting impact.
Gina’s passion for creating a new model for the corporate law firm is driven by her dedication to fill the void in traditional law firms by actively practicing compassion-driven and people-centered lawyering. After years in the high-stakes game of Wall Street deal-making and reflecting on her previous community advocacy experience in helping farmers transition to sustainable farming or delivering eye care services to thousands of rural students, Gina knew she had the skills to do more than just manage deals. Gina created One Ally to support women, minorities, and mission-driven entrepreneurs who are out there trying to build businesses that make the world better. When we lift each other up, we all rise. One Ally is the culmination of her expertise and multi-dimensional skills in client service and advocacy.
Experience
CAREER
Gina started her career in community building and climate advocacy, first through a Fulbright research grant where she studied community rebuilding efforts in the aftermaths of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquakes, and later working alongside grassroots organizations in Asia on water and soil protection, leading her to help start one of Southwest China’s first organic farms and farmers’ collectives. As an attorney, she has worked at some of the country’s most prestigious law firms, including Davis Polk & Wardwell, Paul Weiss, and Mayer Brown. With over $10 billion of transaction experience over the past decade, Gina has advised companies across a range of industries on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic matters. Her clients have ranged from Fortune 10 companies to trailblazing startups, and have included women and minority-founded private equity and venture capital funds and family-owned businesses.
EDUCATION
Gina received her B.A. cum laude in political science from Yale University and her J.D. cum laude from Northwestern University, where she served as the Executive Articles Editor for the Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business.
