I grew up in Hamburg but spent much of my childhood in China. So, from a young age, I developed an understanding of both cultures – the similarities and the differences. As a result, I became fascinated by companies that had achieved success in both Germany and China, especially how they adapted their marketing and branding in each country.
That fascination stayed with me, and after earning my marketing degree from Lancaster University, I moved to Shanghai to help European brands launch in China. In the years that followed, I propelled L'Oréal's most famous brands to success in China as their youngest ever Country Head of Social, and as Vice-President of Genuine German, led Essence and Catrice to achieve +216% growth. Of course, my upbringing wasn't the only factor in my success, but it certainly helped.
Everything changed in 2019. Seeing the devastation of COVID-19 made me realize I could direct my background and experience towards a more meaningful purpose. Hate crimes against Asian people are rising in the U.S., while tensions increase between East and West; all while we should be facing global challenges like climate change and resource scarcity. We need unifying stories. International brands with socially responsible practices and philosophies can help accomplish this. And people like myself, with cross-cultural upbringings, are perhaps best able to craft brands that resonate across cultures. That is why I launched Gēnlab, a selective brand incubator supporting purpose-led entrepreneurs to build sustainable global brands.
My cross-cultural heritage led me to success, and now I'm using it to benefit the planet with Gēnlab. I hope my story can inspire other cross-cultural children to accomplish their dreams and make the world a better place.
We are currently seeking sustainably-minded partners that fall into our three categories of expertise: cosmetics and beauty; e-commerce; and food & beverage. Let me know what you think of this. I just wanted to paint a picture of why its so important we come together now. The stakes are high.
Get in touch.