John Chen Hillsborough

John Chen Hillsborough has built a career across real estate, finance, technology, hospitality, and private investing by focusing on consistency and long-term responsibility. Raised in the Bay Area, he is a Hillsborough native whose personal and professional life remains closely connected to Northern California. John Chen owns Value Growth Properties in Hillsborough, where he develops and provides consulting services for real estate projects and capital financing throughout the Bay Area. His work reflects more than two decades of experience building operating platforms and working through changing market conditions. He grew up closely tied to the local community and developed an early respect for accountability and steady execution. These values shaped an approach centered on careful planning, discipline, and practical decision-making. John attended Menlo School in Atherton and graduated in 1990, then earned a degree in Economics from UC Berkeley in 1994. His academic experience strengthened his understanding of capital, incentives, and risk. He chose not to pursue a traditional corporate role after college. Instead, he gravitated toward environments where leadership was visible and performance was measured daily. John Chen of Hillsborough entered the real estate brokerage industry in 1999, as the internet began transforming consumer finance. He founded Infoloan, also known as the Mortgage Superstore, along with Infohome, a mortgage and real estate services firm focused on integrating technology with disciplined sales execution. He concentrated on building systems that could scale responsibly while maintaining quality. Over time, he hired and trained more than 300 licensed agents and facilitated over $7 billion in closed transactions from 1999 through the present, with offices in Silicon Valley and Taiwan. John expanded beyond finance in 2003 by co founding ImportNow.com, an international online marketplace connecting buyers and suppliers across national borders. He served as co-founder and CEO during a period of rapid growth and increasing visibility. He guided the company through national media exposure, including features on CNNfn and coverage by FORTUNE, USA Today, and Yahoo Internet Life Magazine. These experiences reinforced the importance of trust and operational credibility in digital businesses. John later shifted much of his professional focus from 2005 through 2013 to Asia, where he opened, managed, and developed food and beverage concepts across Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. These roles required direct involvement in daily operations and team leadership. John Chen of Hillsborough continues to lead Value Growth Properties while investing actively in startups in the US and Asia. He advises founders on go-to-market strategy, capital discipline, and organizational structure; remains involved with organizations including Mercury Soul, Menlo School, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and CuriOdyssey; serves on the Menlo School Alumni Board; and placed third at the Masters Powerlifting Nationals in Reno in May of 2025.