Inside the two-story compound of Western architectural style at Juer Hutong, which was the former residence of Rong Lu, a Manchu political and military leader of the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), businesswoman Sara Jane Ho has founded Casa Fengchao, a private business club exclusive to the elite. The Casa Fengchao club is aimed at building a social platform with multiple functions to serve its members, including business, political and investment consulting, and tailored services for personal growth.
"We are dedicated to integrating international resources, cultures and other relevant elements into the club," said Ho, a Harvard Business School graduate who has close ties with well-connected and influential families in China and around the world. "We will bring organizations and people of significance to our platform, as well as help our members go global and make a difference in the world."
Ho, founder and principal of Institute Sarita, China's first high-end boutique finishing school, was listed Future Women in the Mix in Asia: 12 to Watch on Forbes in 2013, and BBC 100 Women (30 under 30) in 2015. Institute Sarita was recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative 50 Companies by Fast Company magazine in 2014. She published a bestselling etiquette book China Finishing Touch: Good Manners for the Debutante in 2016.
Ho said what pushed her to found the club is the spirit of sharing resources, making connections and inspiring each other amongst the elite. She said many of her clients and friends would reach out to her for help in aspects of their business, personal life and their children.
"Casa Fengchao is my answer to better service my friends and clients in one space, bridging people making a difference in the world to help each other - both Chinese and Western." This year Ho opened a venture fund and advisory business that helps overseas businesses enter the Chinese market.
The clubhouse, located at No. 8 Juer Hutong, is among the cultural relics protected by the government. The daughter of its former master Rong Lu was the mother of Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last emperor of China. The compound also housed Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling during the Republic and China era (1912-1949), and after 1949, it was once the home of the Afghan Embassy to China.
