The Hidden Cost of Impact: Jane Marie Chen's Journey from Saving a Million Babies to Saving Herself

Too Much with Denise Love Hewett I Redefining Success in Business, Life, and Beyond

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Jane Chen, co-founder of Embrace Global and author of Like a Wave We Break, shares her transformative journey from celebrated social entrepreneur to burned-out founder, and ultimately to healed leader. After 10 years building Embrace, a revolutionary infant incubator that has saved nearly 1 million babies, Jane faced the collapse of an acquisition deal and had to shut down her company. What followed was a profound healing journey across Indonesia and beyond, working with trauma experts like Bessel van der Kolk, exploring psychedelic therapy, and ultimately discovering that the answers she sought externally could only come from within. What You'll Learn:

Wounded vs. Healthy Ambition: How childhood trauma can fuel achievement while leading to burnout

The Truth About Startup Success: Why external validation never fills the internal void

Healing Modalities That Work: From somatic therapy to psychedelics to parts work (IFS)

Leadership and Inner Work: Creating psychological safety starts with doing your own healing

Redefining Resilience: Why softness and self-compassion are more powerful than pushing through

Key Topics Covered:

Entrepreneurial burnout and trauma responses

The role of childhood experiences in driving achievement

Social entrepreneurship challenges and funding gaps

Healing from imposter syndrome and self-doubt

The science of trauma and nervous system regulation

Finding identity beyond work and accomplishments

Sustainable leadership practices

The power of vulnerability in leadership

Perfect for: Entrepreneurs, founders, social impact leaders, high achievers struggling with burnout, anyone on a healing journey, and those interested in conscious leadership and personal development.

Resources Mentioned:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy

Jane Chen is a globally recognized entrepreneur, inventor, and speaker. She is the co-founder of Embrace Global, which developed a groundbreaking infant incubator that has helped to save nearly a million babies. She has been a TED Fellow, an Echoing Green Fellow, and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Jane was recognized asaForbes Impact 30 andSchwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the World Economic Forum and was a recipient of the Economist Innovation Award. She received her MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

You can follow her at @janemarie.chen and buy Like A Wave We Break at any bookstore

You can follow this podcast @toomuchwithdlh and Denise @deniselovehewett

Email [email protected] for any suggestions or submit questions for advice.