Kristen Carusos is from Atlanta, GA and has been living in Beijing for three and a half years. She studied abroad at Beijing Language and Culture University and moved back to Beijing after graduating with a degree in International Affairs with a minor in French. She is currently the International Business Development Manager at EventBank, an integrated platform that combines event and membership management, CRM, email marketing, and project management, into one strategic platform. Through her current position, she works with many different charities and non-profits to host successful and efficient events. She is one of four co-organizers of the Beijing Women’s Network and runs the Professional Development Series with Samantha Kwok from Jing Jobs. She is interested in different women’s issues, technology, painting, and sports.

Carol Li Rafferty is managing director of Yale Center Beijing, a convening space and intellectual hub for Yale University’s activities in China. As the inaugural head of the Center, Carol is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with key business, government and thought leaders from all disciplines and developing programs that facilitate meaningful dialogue between China and the world.

Prior to this role, Carol was senior vice president at the China Investment Corporation (CIC), China's sovereign wealth fund, where she worked on strategic and private equity investments. Carol has a passion for championing women’s empowerment in China and co-founded the Lean In Beijing organization in 2013, which has grown into a network of over 80,000 women across China and helps professional women from diverse fields to advance into leadership positions. Carol is a member of the founding family of the Bank of East Asia (HKSE: 23), and her grandfather founded the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE).

Carol received her J.D. degree from Stanford Law School, where she was articles editor of the Stanford Law Review. She graduated cum laude from Yale University, with dual B.A. degrees in Economics and International Studies. Carol is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute and has been selected as a 2016 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

After graduating from a BA in International Studies from RMIT in 2011, Tash moved to Beijing to complete a Masters in International Relations at Tsinghua University. Whilst completing her thesis on refugee policy and geopolitics, Tash received a scholarship from the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network and UNHRC to undertake studies in Thailand on refugees and statelessness, and interned at the UNDP in Beijing.

She is an enthusiastic advocate of women’s leadership and empowerment through education, and has been on the organising committee of the Beijing Mentor Walks since 2014.

In her spare time, Tash performs with her band The Groove Collective as part of Beijing’s thriving music scene.

Samantha is the founder of JingJobs.com, a curated job platform and HR Consulting firm that connects young bilingual graduates and millennials with China focused start up opportunities. She launched JingJobs in April 2014, after experiencing a personal struggle finding visible job opportunities for younger inexperienced graduates in Beijing upon completion of her Mandarin studies. JingJobs currently has a total of 35,000 followers across social media channels and the platform. Samantha studied International Relations and Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia and graduated in March 2013. Originally from Hong Kong and Sydney, Samantha has resided in Beijing for 2 and a half years

Kiran Patel has been living in China since 2004 and is currently the Marketing & Communications Director of LehmanBrown International Accountants, a China focused accounting, taxation and business advisory firm, combining years of international expertise with practical China experience and knowledge. He has gained vast experience across both MNC and SME businesses. Kiran has taken various external positions of responsibility and is proactive in the British Chamber of Commerce in China, sitting on the Exco and co-chairing the Marcoms Forum. He is an active member in the business community. He is also known for being an active organiser of the annual British Charity Ball, one of Beijing’s largest foreign business community fundraising events.