Eden Cai

Co-Founder & Managing Partner at GardenStar Group

Speaker

Eden Cai is a seasoned real estate executive and entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience in finance, development, and technology, managing over $5 billion in development projects across the United States and Asia. A pioneer in the field, Ms. Cai has leveraged her expertise to identify and capitalize on untapped real estate opportunities, particularly in the southern United States.

Born and raised in a real estate family, Ms. Cai came to the U.S. at the age of 19. After working for Capital One and US Bank, she returned to Asia in 2010 and became a founding member of a JP Morgan joint venture. In 2015, Ms. Cai joined SMI Group and helped establish its New York office. She played a key role in developing U.S. real estate investment strategy with management responsibilities including acquisition, negotiation, due diligence, financing, marketing, and sales. In 2020, Ms. Cai co-founded GardenStar Group, a real estate investment and technology company aiming at revolutionizing the real estate investment process and products. Her focus is mainly on the south, building rental housing communities and introducing technology into the business of real estate.

Ms. Cai currently serves on the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. She also co-founded the Mulan Group – a high powered women’s group in NYC to help empower women. Her contributions to entrepreneurship and the community were recognized in 2024 when she received the Serica “AAPI Rising Stars – Entrepreneur” award. In 2025, she received the Beacon Award sponsored by the Ellis Island Honors Society.

Ms. Cai received her Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Management from Harvard University. She is an avid marathon runner and enjoys playing cards with her two children.