How Cultural Understanding Drives Grace Yee’s Life, and Career

May 5, 2026 - 04:47

Grace Yee, a 2025 Bentley University graduate, credits her global business mindset to a foundation built in her family's restaurant group. For Yee, understanding culture was never an academic exercise; it was a daily lesson in customer service, negotiation, and community. That early immersion in the hospitality industry taught her that business success hinges on empathy and cross-cultural communication.

Now at Liberty Mutual, Yee applies those same principles on a much larger scale. She says her Bentley education bridged the gap between her family's hands-on entrepreneurial experience and the structured world of corporate risk management. Courses in global finance and international marketing gave her the vocabulary to articulate what she already knew instinctively: that cultural fluency is a competitive advantage.

Yee's trajectory reflects a growing recognition in the business world that technical skills alone are not enough. In her role, she navigates diverse client expectations and regulatory environments, often relying on the soft skills she honed while helping manage a multi-ethnic workforce at the family restaurant. She emphasizes that listening, adapting, and respecting different perspectives are not just nice-to-have traits; they are essential for building trust and closing deals.

Looking ahead, Yee plans to continue blending her cultural heritage with her corporate ambitions. She advises current students to seek out internships and projects that force them outside their comfort zones. "The best lessons," she says, "come from understanding not just a balance sheet, but the people behind it." Her story is a reminder that the most valuable business education often starts at the dinner table.