Rod Hsiao (pronounced SH-ou as in "shout") has the breadth of education and experience to prepare him for public service. He is currently consulting to the CEO of Live365, a digital media start-up that streams diverse music and discussions over the Internet. He has been a resident in San Mateo County for 12 years and resides with his wife in Foster City.
Born in Hartford, CT to parents who had emigrated from China, the value of education was instilled in Rod at a young age. He attended public schools in Cambridge, MA and started early to save for college by delivering morning newspapers, working in restaurants, house cleaning, and running a small plant watering business. Much of his life has been spent learning how he can improve the quality of life for others.
Commited to Public Service
Rod’s commitment to public service stems from his extracurricular and professional experiences. During college, he took a year off after his sophomore year to teach English in China and backpacked throughout Tibet, Nepal and India. Seeing the lack of access to basic necessities like water, sewage, local schools, transportation, and medical services, he returned to college to work in economic development to help address these issues domestically and internationally.
After graduating from Oberlin College, he accepted a position as a Research Associate at Yale University studying strategies for economic development. During this time, he acquired many valuable statistical and analytical tools, which shape his thinking today. His desire to participate directly in policy level decision-making brought him to Washington DC in 1988, where he began five years of legislative work in the U.S. Congress. He worked for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and was entrusted with labor and transportation projects.
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