Christine Lu

Christine Lu connects good people to each other so great things can happen. She is founder of The China Business Network and is involved in a number of cross border projects bridging the gap between east and west. Christine believes knowledge should be shared in an open free thinking environment that allows new ideas to thrive.

She was born in Taiwan, raised in Los Angeles and lived and worked in Shanghai for several years as Marketing Director for a multinational retail company. In 2004, Christine moved back to the U.S. That same year on October 28th she lost her older sister to suicide. “Act II” – as she puts it – of Christine’s life began when her sister’s ended and took on new meaning a year later with the birth of her son. These events are the motivations for what she does today in regards to the kind of people she works with, the causes she supports and the open business initiatives she’s involved in.

In May 2009, Christine founded Cilantro Media, a boutique firm that puts into practice Christine’s mantra of “connecting good people to each other so great things can happen.”

Christine’s latest project is collaborating with photographer and digital strategist Kris Krug and House Films on a book and documentary which will feature a collection of portraits, images, essays and insights of a cross section of people influencing China today. Christine and Kris will be publishing this book under a Creative Commons license. It will launch next year during the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.

Follow Christine on Twitter: @christinelu

Sage Brennan

Sage Brennan is an independent media and Internet analyst based in Shanghai, China. Sage has a broad range of marketing, consumer research, market entry and financial analysis experience in China, as both an advisor and a manager of entrepreneurial companies.

Sage is a founder and organizer of the Shanghai chapter of the global MobileMonday movement, one of the most active chapters of over 50 around the world with over three thousand participants. He was also recently Research Director of Hong Kong-based hedge fund Pacific Sun Investment Management and Chief Representative of the firm’s China operations, based in Shanghai. Sage was earlier General Manager of Shanghai-based Pacific Epoch, a boutique telecom and technology research firm that was acquired by JL McGregor & Co. in 2006. He contributed the weekly ‘This Week in China’ column to Dow Jones’ MarketWatch for two years, and remains a frequent commentator on China-related media and technology issues in print media and on programs such as CNBC’s ‘Asia Squawk Box.’ Sage also spent two years at a technology research firm in Beijing, where he advised on strategic approaches to investing in China.

His early career included sales and marketing roles at Nextel Communications and at several venture capital-backed technology firms in Silicon Valley. A native of Boston, Sage holds both an MBA and an undergraduate degree in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has been speaking and studying Mandarin since he first lived in Beijing in 1987.

Follow Sage on Twitter: @sagebrennan

Richard Hsu

Shanghai born, Richard Hsu followed his family to Hong Kong, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Switzerland.

After his architectural studies, HSU worked in US, Europe, Japan and Asia, in advertising / branding / design for a number of clients… The New York Times, Bank of America, Sotheby’s, Elizabeth Arden, MoMA, Madison Square Garden, Boeing, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, The Limited, The Partnership for a Drug Free America, Warner Music, Murdoch Publications, Shiseido, Nike, Heineken, KLCC, Thailand Design Center, Wieden+Kennedy, IBM, Orange Telecom/True Thailand, eno, Conde Nast, L’Oreal, Mori Building, Isetan… He held creative and strategic position for several of the above companies, he was the Executive Vice-President in charge of opening Wieden+Kennedy’s China office in 2003.

HSU opened a brand consultancy company in Shanghai… h+ branding in 2006, focusing and servicing the sectors of youth culture, publishing, commercial real estate development, lifestyle brand development, retail, OEM manufacturers…  HSU believes in learning and pushing the limits in these areas : creative and design thinking / education / China talents / China branding / China originality / synergy and harmony between business and art / development of love brands / do good projects.  He has lectured regularly at universities in US, Berlin, Malaysia, Shanghai.

Follow Richard on Twitter: @hsu901

Sean Leow

Sean is founder and CEO of Neocha, the leading social networking site and creative youth culture consultancy in China.

Living throughout China for over 6 years, Sean started Neocha by combining his love for technology with another of his passions: youth culture in China.  Starting Neocha from scratch, Sean has built the online community into the largest for creative youth culture in China.

In addition to Neocha, Sean is contributing editor and China representative for PSFK, an international trends and innovation agency. Sean covers China and Asia Pacific trends and writes weekly to an audience of over 500,000 readers. Sean also acts as a China Internet expert for the National Committee on United States – China Relations and regularly meets with US congressional delegations and journalists in China.

Follow Sean on Twitter: @neocha