GLOBAL HOSTED DINNERS

Tell us about your PiA experience.

I served as the Global Outreach Director and Fellow with Education Advancement Fund International (EAFI), an American non-profit organization dedicated to providing cross-cultural educational opportunities for students in China. I taught English and American history in four locations in China – Beijing, Liaoning, Yunan and Hunan. My responsibilities included volunteer teaching sessions with students, coordinating educational programs at elementary schools and high schools, spearheading initiatives with relevant stakeholders – private institutions, government officials, media and business leaders - in various communities, and leading efforts to grow EAFI’s presence and visibility as an American non-profit organization in China.

flappable in their determination to come together and attempt to solve problems – collaborating with non-profits like EAFI, mobilizing internal support within schools, and making the case to important stakeholders in the town. The people of Jishou provided a lesson on the importance of institutional dialogue, community engagement and local problem-solving.

What are you up to now?

I’m the Founder & CEO of 52 Capital Partners, LLC, an American boutique strategic advisory firm based in Silicon Valley. We provide general strategic and business advice to North American and European institutional clients in connection with strategic transactions bearing a nexus to the Asia-Pacific region. My family and I enjoy taking hikes, watching fun movies, listening to music, volunteering, and playing baseball in the backyard.

How did your PiA experience influence your life path?

The brainchild of PiA Trustee Austin Arensberg (Thailand ’06), “PiA Global Hosted Dinners” was created to allow PiA alumni to commune with a small group in a cozy setting. A modern take on a potluck dinner, Hosted Dinners ask alumni to open up their homes and arrange dinner delivery for a small group of fellow alumni, matched based on their city.

Austin organized a pilot run of the hosted dinners in the Bay Area in October 2017, coordinating five simultaneous dinners across the Bay. Participants truly enjoyed getting to know each other in these small group settings.

What was a memorable experience you had on PiA?

One of the most memorable experiences was my time teaching English in Jishou. At the time, Jishou was a small town in Hunan province with generally under-developed public utilities and under-served schools. Power outages were common, and classes often were cancelled due to problems with the school’s water and plumbing systems. Jishou seemed like a different world from China’s major urban centers. This experience demonstrated the resilience of many Chinese citizens with whom I interacted in Jishou. Families, students and administrators recognized the problems and disparities in Jishou. And yet, they were un-

PiA has had a profound influence on my professional development and career in business and mergers and acquisitions. PiA strengthened my interest in China and the Asia-Pacific. I’ve been fortunate to bring my regional expertise and perspectives to Board rooms and negotiating tables in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Teaching English in China and volunteering in different communities gave me opportunities to lead, collaborate and build teams from scratch – which have become integral parts of my career in business. I’m beyond grateful for the experiences I had as a PiA Fellow in China. It’s been instrumental throughout my career and it’s enabled me to cultivate wonderful and lasting relationships with other Fellows and professionals who share such a unique common bond of community and friendship.

What’s next for you?

As the Founder of 52 Capital Partners, I look forward to growing the firm in the coming years and creating jobs for talented young professionals who share a strong interest in business, sustainability and the Asia-Pacific region. We have an excellent platform that’s helping innovative American businesses grow and succeed, and I’m excited about our future as a boutique firm.

After receiving positive feedback about the event, the second iteration was opened up to the entire PiA alumni and friends community for a series in November 2018, PiA’s very first worldwide alumni event! With over 120 alumni attending 15 dinners in 8 cities in 4 countries, it was a resounding success and many in the alumni community were hungry for more.

The next edition of the dinners was bigger and better. In April 2019, 39 same-day dinners and over 250 alumni enjoyed lively conversation in cities across the world. We were thrilled to have our first-ever alumni events in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Manila, Nairobi, New Haven & London!

PiA Global Hosted Dinners will continue to run annually. If you are interested in getting involved, keep an eye on your inbox for an email in spring 2020! If you have an idea for a PiA alumni event, please get in touch: piaalum@princeton.edu.