From participating in an alumni knitting club to organizing worldwide Cornell Club Zoom mixers reaching hundreds of Cornellians at a time, Tony Chen ’12 has made it his mission to help the Cornell alumni network flourish.
With a goal of “Cornell #1 by 2050!!” — according to Chen’s LinkedIn headline — Chen organizes hundreds of Cornell alumni gatherings each year, with an outreach spanning over 33,000 followers. He welcomes individuals to his account with the bio: “I’m trying to meet every Cornellian, and connect everyone with each other.”
Time on the Hill
Before Chen rose to Cornell fame, he began his collegiate experience at the College of Engineering in 2008.
Chen recalls his undergraduate experience at Cornell with happiness. He said he loved living in Risley Hall throughout his junior and senior years, appreciating the arts focus cultivated by students in the residence hall.
Even though he was an engineering student, Chen enjoyed the opportunity to dabble in the arts and meet people with various passions by living in Risley.
“That is the good thing about Cornell,” Chen said. “You get to meet all kinds of people.”
Chen was also a member of the Cornell Speech and Debate Program and a part of the Cornell Running Club and conducted research with the sociology department as an undergraduate. After graduating with a degree in applied physics and a minor in law and society and starting his career in software, Chen immersed himself in the alumni sphere.
Spreading the ‘Cornell Spirit Like Johnny Appleseed’
One of the first alumni experiences Chen was involved in was with Cornell Cares — a volunteer event held twice a year in which alumni ranging all over the globe participate in community-based volunteering. Chen recalled his experience volunteering at a New Jersey food bank, a parking lot cleanup and diaper banks.
Chen quickly became a member of the Cornell Club of Washington post-graduation, attending events like the young alumni holiday party and the mid-Atlantic crab feast. He assumed leadership roles in CCW within a few short years. As the director, Chen organized monthly restaurant meetings with members, a knitting club and a run club.
Chen credits CCW for teaching him how to market events and connect with others.
“There’s all kinds of leadership roles. I always tell people ‘You’ve got to volunteer with the local club,’ because you get to build up all of these skills,” Chen said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, both groups Chen was involved in had many events planned, all to be scrapped in 2020 shutdowns. The Cornell Alumni Affairs team began to connect various Cornell Clubs, amid uncertainty on how to organize events with social distancing mandates in place.
Shortly following a mass Cornell Club Zoom call organized by Alumni Affairs, Chen was connected with Cornellians from all over the world and began organizing weekly Zoom meetings to solve The New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle, knit and converse from miles away.
These Zoom meetings were coined Cornell Global Mixers by Chen, and still occur today. Chen explained that at the height of the pandemic, “the biggest one we had was 422 Cornellians.”
Amid the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cornell Asian Alumni Association reached out to Chen in regards to boosting attendance at events and participation within the association. When pandemic shutdowns decreased, Chen not only attended the Cornell Asian Alumni Association’s Ithaca and New York City events but also traveled to Europe and Asia to support this alumni network.
“Our alumni and alumni groups have never had this kind of exposure,” wrote Matt Palumbo ’83, president emeritus of Cornell Asian Alumni Association, in an email to The Sun. “Tony Chen plants and spreads the Cornell spirit like Johnny Appleseed.”
Chen was also introduced to the Continuous Reunion Club, which encourages alumni to attend a Cornell reunion every year. He serves as membership chair and utilizes his unique talents to link Cornellians of similar interests together.
“We are a group always open to learning about Cornell and its incredible diversity, and Tony fits in perfectly,” wrote Melinda Dower ’78, CRC Reunion Chair, in an email to The Sun.
Chen highlighted opportunities for current students and alumni alike in each alumni network he is involved in.
“If you’re a current student, I highly recommend being a reunion clerk. It’s an amazing way to meet alumni,” Chen said.
Social Media Outreach
Chen’s social media presence began to grow exponentially during the pandemic. He grew his following to several thousand on LinkedIn by featuring standout alumni and Cornell-related events in his posts.
After building an audience on social media throughout 2020 and 2021, Chen attended an Entrepreneurship at Cornell event which taught him how to master short-form videos, cultivated for boosting one’s social media presence. Chen now posts short-form videos frequently on LinkedIn to capture spending time with fellow alumni or attending alumni events.
Chen’s LinkedIn empowered him to establish the Big Red Newsletter, which he writes and posts monthly. The newsletter features a “Big Red News” section, a “Big Red Events” section and a list of coffee chats by region that connect students with alumni. Chen also curates a “Big Red Bulletin” with jobs posted by Cornellians to promote employment opportunities from alumni for current students to reference.
“Cornellians helping Cornellians is one of the best ways to find a job,” Chen said.
Chen plans to utilize the foundation he has built so far in his work to connect Cornellians and spread Big Red spirit for decades to come.
“Cornellians are everywhere, and the common bond of being a Cornellian is the best foundation for making new friends,” Chen said.