Alibaba is one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world. Launched in 1999 by former English teacher Jack Ma and 17 others, the Chinese e-commerce giant has exploded into global markets, disrupting conventional businesses and creating previously unimaginable opportunities for millions of entrepreneurs and small businesses worldwide.
Join us in a conversation between Brian Wong, former Alibaba Group Vice President of Global Initiatives and special assistant to Jack Ma, and Nancy Yao, President of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), and discuss Brian’s newly published book, The Tao of Alibaba, the first insider’s account of the “secret sauce” behind the Alibaba’s transformation from a tiny startup to a digital giant. Brian will share how Alibaba’s unique culture and “tai chi” management principles are providing a business and economic development model for the rest of the world.
Copies of The Tao of Alibaba: Inside the Chinese Digital Giant That Is Changing the World will be available for purchase, and can be signed by the author.
This event is in partnership with the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA).
All visitors must bring a photo ID when entering the building and present proof of COVID vaccination. Masks are highly recommended when on site at China Institute.
Speaker
Brian A. Wong is a Chinese American entrepreneur and investor. He was the first American and only the fifty-second employee to join Alibaba Group, where he contributed to the company’s early globalization efforts and served as Jack Ma’s special assistant for international affairs. During his sixteen year tenure, Wong helped expand Alibaba’s business presence in the US, Europe, India and Asia, established the Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) division and was the founder and executive director of the Alibaba Global Leadership Academy. Wong remains an adviser to the AGI team and regularly teaches courses on China’s digital economy and the Tao of Alibaba management principles. Wong is also founder and chairman of RADII, a digital media company. Wong earned his bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, a master’s certificate from the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS)–Nanjing University Center for US and China Studies, and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2015, is a China Fellow with Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network and is a member of the Committee of 100. He is based in Shanghai, China.
Moderator
As the President of MOCA, Nancy Yao has the unique privilege of combining her experiences in managing organizations, promoting arts and culture as a bridge between peoples, and executing research focused on redefining the American narrative by examining the role of Chinese Americans in U.S. history. Prior to her time at MOCA, Nancy was the executive director of the Yale-China Association, one of the oldest non-profit organizations dedicated to building U.S.-China relations. At the Yale-China Association, Nancy led over 20 programs in the areas of arts, education, and health. These programs were lauded as best-in-class and models for bilateral engagement. Nancy has over twenty years of leadership experience at non-profit organizations and for-profit management, including staff and board positions at The Community Fund for Women & Girls, International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Tessitura Network, Goldman Sachs & Co, Council on Foreign Relations, CNN, and more.