Sara Jane Ho (Chinese: 何佩蓉; pinyin: Hé Pèiróng) is a Chinese businesswoman, author, and socialite.[1] She is the founder of Institute Sarita, a Beijing finishing school established in 2013 (closed since 2024).[2][3] She is the etiquette expert and host for the 2022 Netflix series Mind Your Manners.[4] The New York Times has described her as a representation of the new "Superrich" in China.[5]
Sara Jane Ho | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 5, 1985 |
| Education | Georgetown University (BA) Harvard Business School (MBA) |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
Early life and education
editSara Jane Ho was born in Hong Kong in December 1985. Her father did oil exploration,[6] while her mother was a music industry executive.[7] Ho's mother died in 2007 when Sara Jane was 21.[8] Ho credits her mother for her interest in etiquette through early exposure to international business and cultural norms.[6]
Ho attended the Peak School and German Swiss International School in Hong Kong, followed by Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire in the United States.[9]
At 16, she interned as a reporter at the South China Morning Post. At 17, she interned at Citigroup in Hong Kong and Zhongguancun in Beijing, as well as at multinational consulting firms.[10] By the time she was 18, Ho had lived in Papua New Guinea, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and the United States.[11]
Ho is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. She attained native-level Mandarin proficiency after moving to mainland China. She also speaks German and French.[12][13] She studied English literature at Georgetown University, where she sits on the Georgetown College Board of Advisors, and received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.[14][15]
Career
editSara Jane Ho started her career as a Mergers & Acquisitions Analyst at the New York investment bank Perella Weinberg Partners.[16]
After graduating from Institut Villa Pierrefeu, a Swiss finishing school, Ho moved to Beijing in 2013 to establish Institute Sarita. This was her first high-end etiquette school, which she founded through capital input from her father. Her courses ranged in price from about $3,200 to $16,000.[8] In May 2015, Ho opened a second school in Shanghai.[17] Ho closed both schools in 2024 when she moved to Los Angeles.
In 2013, Ho was named to the Forbes 2013 list of "Future Women in the Mix in Asia: 12 to Watch",[18] and in 2015, she was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 and included in the BBC 100 Women.[19] Institute Sarita was recognized as one of the "World's Most Innovative 50 Companies" by Fast Company magazine in 2014.[20]
In 2023, Ho was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her makeover reality show Mind Your Manners on Netflix.[21][22] The show was filmed in Australia after COVID-19 restrictions prevented production in Shanghai. It follows Ho as she provides etiquette and personal development coaching to individuals seeking to improve their confidence, social skills, and self-presentation.[6]
In 2024, Ho signed with talent agency UTA and relocated to Los Angeles to expand her career.[23] That same year, she published her etiquette book Mind Your Manners.[10]
In April 2025, she launched the weekly podcast Mind Your Manners.[10][24] This was renamed Hot Water in April 2026.[25] The podcast focuses on Chinese culture and wellness including traditional Chinese medicine and feng shui.[26][10]
Also in 2024, Ho co-founded the intimate skincare brand Antevorta[27] with Annie Ho, who is not related to Sara Jane Ho. Antevorta's products are formulated using traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.[28][29] The brand won "Best Wash" in Oprah Daily Menopause O-Wards in 2025. Antevorta is sold on QVC, where Ho appears regularly to educate viewers on TCM principles and holistic care.[30]
Ho is the resident etiquette expert on The Drew Barrymore Show and has given talks on topics such as cultural fluency, cross-cultural identity, and perspectives on traditional Chinese medicine and Eastern wellness practices.[30]
References
edit- ↑ "Asia's Most Wanted: China's Most Eligible Ladies". 7 August 2017.
- ↑ "A look inside China's first finishing school". BBC News. 15 March 2016.
- ↑ "Why rich Chinese millennial women are turning to etiquette schools". South China Morning Post. 6 February 2020.
- ↑ McFarland, Melanie (24 November 2022). "Making etiquette for everyone again – despite, or because of, its weaponization". Salon. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ↑ Gonzalez, David (14 May 2015). "China's Superrich: The Bling Dynasty".
- 1 2 3 O’Connor, Maureen (2 January 2023), "The Etiquette Guru Who Broke Up With a Boyfriend Over Text", The New York Times, retrieved 2 April 2026
- ↑ Qin, Amy (25 May 2020). "Coronavirus Threatens China's Devotion to Chopsticks and Sharing Food". The New York Times.
- 1 2 Borthakur, Bhaswati (15 November 2022). "Mind Your Manners' Sara Jane Ho: Everything We Know".
- ↑ "Sara Jane Ho | World Economic Forum: Global Shapers". Global Shapers. 10 January 2015. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "Etiquette Expert Sara Jane Ho: A Legacy of East Meets West". Chubb. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Shrikant, Aditi (26 January 2023). "How to make a good first impression: 3 tips from the host of Netflix's 'Mind Your Manners'". CNBC. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
- ↑ "Life lessons with Sara Jane Ho". prestigeonline.com. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Sara Jane Ho". Women’s Forum. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Frye, Hayden (15 February 2023). "Alumna Sara Jane Ho's New Netflix Show Transforms Lives Through the Power of Etiquette". Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ↑ "Sara Jane Ho, HBS Alumna: A Humble Eagerness to Learn". 30 April 2016.
- ↑ "My Favourite Pieces: Sara Jane Ho on feng shui and jewellery". Financial Times.
- ↑ "The woman who wants to be China's Martha Stewart". Australian Financial Review. 10 January 2018.
- ↑ Scott, Mary E. "Women To Watch In Asia, 2013: Sara Jane Ho". Forbes.
- ↑ "Sara Jane Ho, 29, Hong Kong". BBC News.
- ↑ "Institute Sarita: Most Innovative Company". Fast Company.
- ↑ Tyler Coates, Hilary Lewis (16 December 2023). "Daytime Emmys: 'General Hospital,' 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' Among Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Villarreal, Ryan (16 November 2022). "'Mind Your Manners' Season 1: Meet the Host and Her Clients". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ "Sara Jane Ho: Netflix Host". UTA Speakers. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Ho, Sara Jane (2024). Mind your manners: how to be your best self in any situation. New York, NY: Hachette Go. ISBN 978-0-306-83283-3.
- ↑ "Hot Water (fka Mind Your Manners)". Apple Podcasts. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ "Hot Water (fka Mind Your Manners)". Spotify. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ "Antevorta Laboratories". 19 November 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Cording, Jess (24 June 2024). "Integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine Into Women's Health In The US". Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Tso, Gloria (2 August 2024). "Introducing Antevorta, Sara Jane Ho's feminine care brand inspired by TCM". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Sara Jane Ho". utaspeakers.com. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2026.