Terry Crawford

Terry Crawford is the Founder and CEO of InitialView, a company that provides virtual interview services to help students apply to universities and job-seekers apply to top multinationals by assessing their spoken English abilities and interpersonal skills.

Here are some key points about Terry Crawford:

Background and Education

• Crawford holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. He also spent time at Tsinghua University in China during the SARS epidemic.4

Career

• Before founding InitialView, Crawford was a practicing lawyer in New York. He quit his law firm in 2010 to pursue the idea of using video interviews as part of the application process.1

Founding of InitialView

• InitialView was founded in Beijing, China in 2009 by Terry Crawford and his wife, Gloria Chyou. The company offers live, unscripted interviews that are uploaded to a proprietary interview platform, allowing viewers to quickly assess the interviewee’s English ability and soft skills.14

Business Growth and Expansion

• InitialView has expanded its services to India and other countries, and it has been used in over 200,000 applications reviewed by more than 300 boarding schools, undergraduate, and graduate programs worldwide. The company has also assisted with executive searches for international organizations.14

Funding and Operations

• Crawford and his wife primarily funded InitialView using their own savings, which allowed them to maintain control of the company. This approach also made their business model more nimble and efficient.1

Experience in China

• As an American expat living in China, Crawford has navigated the challenges of setting up a business in the country. His legal background and ability to speak Chinese have been significant advantages in this process.1

Current Role

• Crawford continues to serve as the CEO of InitialView, focusing on providing a platform that highlights the authentic voice and skills of applicants, making the admissions and hiring processes more efficient and effective.34

The LinkedIn profile mentioned, however, appears to be incorrect or outdated, as it lists a different Terry Crawford associated with MMR Research Associates, Inc., which is not related to the founder of InitialView.2