Chuo Chen was born in Chingshui Township, Taichung County, in 1940. After graduating from Taipei Women's Normal College (now the Taipei Municipal University of Education), she began working as a teacher primarily of sixth graders. She also established a well regarded tutoring business. It was a busy life, but Chuo Chen has always pushed herself hard and her sideline enabled her to save up some seed capital.
1940 年日據末期出生於台中清水的卓陳明，自台北女師畢業後，開始從事教職，在國民義務教育還沒有延長為 9 年之前，幾乎都在帶小六的升學班，自宅開設的家教班也備受好評，儘管壓力很大，不過這難不倒永遠保持「衝衝衝」生活態度的她，也因此存下了一筆創業基金。