Founder of MáLà Project

Amelie Kang, with over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, is a leader who combines strong business acumen with a talent for recognizing and nurturing emerging talent.

Amelie's culinary skills, unwavering dedication to the hospitality industry, and pioneering spirit have garnered recognition on prestigious lists. In 2018, she earned a place on Eater's Young Guns list, and in 2020, she was honored with spots on Forbes' 30 Under 30 and Eater New Guard of New York.

Co-Founder & President, MìLà

Jen Liao is the Co-Founder & President of MìLà, a modern Chinese food brand bringing restaurant-quality soup dumplings, noodles, sauces and more into consumers' homes. The brand celebrates third culture through its products and flavors, exemplified in its name, which means honey (mì 蜜) and spice (là 辣) in Chinese, telling a story of being both Chinese and American, not either/or. Having recently closed a $22.5 million Series A venture capital funding round in February 2023, the brand's total funding now stands at $31 million. MìLà products ship directly to doorsteps or are available at select retailers nationwide.

Global Brand President of Halara

Gabby Hirata, with over 15 years of experience in the fashion industry, currently serves as the Global Brand President at Halara, a disruptive women-led athleisure brand. Gabby made a significant impact as the CEO of the iconic fashion brand DVF, employing a combination of "magic and math" for business growth. Her career began in 2008 at Ralph Lauren, and further roles at Adeam and Jill Stuart bolstered her expertise in product development, global sourcing, and strategic planning. Fluent in English, Chinese, and Japanese, Gabby's multicultural outlook fuels her success in building robust operational processes and brand renewal.

Founder & CEO of Popshop Live

Dan Dan Li, the Founder & CEO of Popshop Live, is a disruptive entrepreneur who has profoundly impacted the e-commerce landscape. Under her leadership, Popshop Live has secured multi-million dollar funding rounds from esteemed Silicon Valley investors like Benchmark and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), catapulting it into an industry powerhouse. This innovative platform seamlessly integrates online and offline shopping experiences through live streaming. Fluent in both English and Chinese, Dan Dan Li has been recognized by Business Insider as one of the "100 People Transforming Business," highlighting her pioneering contributions to commerce.

Celebrated Chinese travel vlogger

Pipi Zhang is a trailblazing Chinese travel blogger with an impressive 1.7 million followers across multiple platforms. In 2020, she took a gap year from her graduate studies in New York to travel the globe.

In 2022, Pipi surpassed the coveted 1-million-follower mark on Xiaohongshu, an achievement held by only three other travel bloggers at the time. What sets her apart even further is her knack for ingenious commercial collaborations. Her creative ad campaigns with high-profile brands like Armani, Shu Uemura, and Bobbi Brown have not only garnered critical acclaim but have also become industry benchmarks, solidifying her reputation as a 'creative genius.'

VP of NFT at Artnet

Before her current role at Artnet, Jiayin co-founded SCREEN in 2014, the first bilingual online art platform that focused on the interaction between art and technology. Additionally, she established SCREEN Studio, an award-winning experiential agency, as one of the pioneering organizations concentrating on the greater China region and bringing multiple productions from the US to China.

Since 2021, within Artnet, Jiayin has been spearheading the company's Web 3 initiative and has been instrumental in building a growing art and tech community through content strategy and strategic partnerships. Her areas of focus encompass media-based art, immersive technologies, and NFTs. Furthermore, Jiayin has contributed by writing interviews and opinion pieces for publications such as Artnet News, Financial Times China, and others.

Founding Partner, Liang Capital Partners

Annie oversees next-gen wealth succession and impactful initiatives in education, arts, and philanthropy. She previously held pivotal roles at the U.S.-China Green Fund, the World Policy Institute, Neuberger Berman, and MetLife Investments. A graduate of Oxford's Saïd Business School, Columbia University, and George Washington University, Annie is an acclaimed speaker on climate change and impact investing. She's active in various non-profits, notably Teach for China, China Institute, and the World Monuments Fund, and is a recognized leader in US-China relations.

Deputy Manager of Pondmoon Capital

Bin Yi has 13 years of experience in Private Equity and a staggering $500M fund under her management. She has held prestigious roles such as Deputy Director at The People's Bank of China and Vice President of CITIC Group's Investment Department. In 2014, at the pinnacle of her career at age 39, she boldly left her comfort zone to pioneer new ventures in the US. With an educational foundation from Peking University and advanced degrees in Finance from Tsinghua University, she's a force in the industry.

Partner at Palm Drive Capital

Catherine has over eleven years of international work experience. Before Palm Drive, Catherine worked at Schneider Electronics, SK holdings, Deloitte and CITIC Trust. Catherine was the first employee of Palm Drive and has overseen many facets including investments, investor relations, portfolio management, fund operations and compliance. Catherine will continue her effort in e-commerce and B2B investments and lead the fund operations. Catherine holds a B.A. at Peking University and M.P.A at Columbia University. She is also a candidate for the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.