MENTORS
Our mentors
At Xiji, our mentors are experienced entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and innovators who are passionate about guiding the next generation of startups. They offer invaluable insights, from strategy and product development to scaling businesses and navigating challenges. By connecting with our diverse group of mentors, founders gain personalized advice, access to networks, and the support needed to accelerate their growth. Whether you’re refining your business model or exploring new markets, Xiji’s mentors are here to help you achieve success.
Qing Meyerson
Qing Meyerson is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of experience across key industries including Financial Services, Automotive, Biotech, Pharmaceutical, and Education in the U.S. and China. Presently, she serves as an Independent Non-Executive Director at The Planting Hope Company (TSXV: MYLK) and Migao Group Holdings (HKEX 9879). Her career has also seen impactful roles at the American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai and Hasten Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., showcasing her expertise in strategic financial management and operational excellence.
Her background is marked by significant achievements in M&As, legal entity restructurings, process optimizations, and operational expense reductions. Qing’s services span management and operations consulting, financial consulting, including mergers and acquisitions, financial planning, and risk and compliance consulting, aiming at bolstering corporate performance and profitability.
Qing holds key qualifications in strategic initiatives, risk management, and general financial management, among others. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the US, specializing in accounting and financial reporting under US GAAP, IFRS, and PRC GAAP. Qing’s blend of expertise and international experience makes her a pivotal figure in steering organizations toward sustainable growth and success.
Tim Binnion
Tim is trained in Product Design Engineering, with a focus on circular and sustainable products and services. He has facilitated circular design workshops, won innovation awards and spoken at the annual Green Cities conference, along with being an alumni of CSIRO’s deep-tech startup accelerator program in Australia. He is one of the first to combine the product design and engineering fields with sustainable and circular innovation in China with his company (better)labs. Behind all this, Tim was raised in Melbourne, Australia, and as a child was fascinated with how things worked, constantly creating and making a variety of contraptions from Lego, cardboard and string. This led to a career in creating and developing products, balancing the creativity of design with the analytical know-how of engineering, culminating in a move to China to gain greater experience in production and manufacturing. Living in one of the world’s most dynamic markets in China has led Tim to constantly look to the future instead of getting held down in old, traditional business ideas, always striving for better ways to optimise, transform, and innovate for the world’s future challenges.
Teo Rojas
Teo Rojas is the founder of Brandon Brand Consulting LTD. An architect born in Peru, trained in Las Vegas (USA) with 18 years of working experience, focusing on luxury brands and real estate developments for the last 10 years, with projects in the Americas, Middle East, and Asia. His expertise includes Branding & User Experience, Design & Construction. He has worked on various projects in collaboration with well-known design companies, retailers, and developers. Some of his projects include Salvatore Ferragamo, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren in the Americas, and Zara, Versace, Fendi, Luxottica in Asia Pacific, as well as corporate office projects and shopping center projects.
Teo has traveled widely, allowing him to gain deep insights into customer experience, design methods, and construction techniques. He has a passion for creating customer feelings reflected in spaces and components. Currently, he receives invitations to give lectures at Marangoni Fashion Institute, Raffles Design Institute, Nottingham University, Shanghai Design Week, Moscow Design Week, to mention a few.
John Cai
John Cai is an expert in emerging technologies and business strategy, with a track record of co-founding, bootstrapping, and mentoring numerous startups and initiatives in SaaS, e-commerce, IoT, Blockchain, and AI. He is a respected contributor to world-class AI conferences such as WAIC (World AI Conference) and AIMX (initiated by the Singapore government).
John’s past experience includes serving as Co-CEO of Baidu (Shanghai) Innovation Center and being a serial entrepreneur. One of his companies was acquired by a Fortune 500 company, and another new media company was acquired by one of China’s top 500 enterprises. He has also been an advisor to The Batchery (Silicon Valley Incubator), a Gold Medal Business Mentor at i-lab (Microsoft incubator), and an advisor/tutor at Shanghai Penta Innovation & Entrepreneur Institute. Additionally, John is a Business Mentor at WeWork (Shanghai).
John holds prestigious educational credentials as a UC Berkeley (Wu Fellow) and an Fudan-MIT MBA. Passionate about adding value to the industry and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs, John continues to influence the global dialogue through his mentorship and active participation in leading tech conferences.
Chaoqing hou
With an adventure spirit tempered through two decades of climbing rock, ice and mountains, Chao has deepened his experience and passion in shaping strategies for Fortune 500 clients, leading innovation programs at global level, and awakening hidden potentials in business leaders.
As a leadership coach, he focuses on fostering self-awareness, nurturing growth mindset and developing organizational cohesion, through a multi-faceted approach based on psychology, philosophy and neuro-science.
In his consulting work, he enables purpose-led organizations in their transformational journey from aspirations to actions, through crystalizing challenges, envisioning opportunities, and cultivating disciplines for creative solutions.
CHEN WEI
Chen Wei is a seasoned Founder CEO who transformed a startup into the leader of the high-tech equipment industry over 13 years.
Charley excels in creating unique advantages and managing complex venture projects. His skill set spans product development, business development, IP management, P&L responsibility, and ecosystem governance.
Holding three MSc degrees from the prestigious Universite de Montreal, Carleton University, and Universite du Havre, Charley’s proficiency in French, English, and Mandarin attests to his international profile. Always keen to add value to the industry and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, Charley has contributed to the global dialogue with his TEDx Talk in 2023 and as the author of the book “Innovations and Entrepreneurship.”
Janine Jakob
Janine is a global citizen and international founder who excels as a Peak Performance Coach, Soft Skills Trainer, Motivational Speaker, and Networking Host. She helps individuals and teams unlock their full potential, leading to significant improvements in performance and happiness. Within just eight weeks, some of her clients have seen sales increase by over 20%, improved team communication, and enhanced workplace well-being.
Janine thrives on challenges, experiencing the most significant growth when faced with new and difficult situations. At 24, she was appointed as an Account Executive at Hewlett-Packard (HP), a Fortune 500 IT company, one of only three graduates selected from a pool of 500.
In Shanghai, China, Janine founded her own training and coaching company, serving multinational corporations like VW, Alibaba, and Givenchy, as well as local startups and medium-sized enterprises.
Hareesh Pillai
Dr. Usharani ‘Hareesh’ Govindarajan (何玄) is an Assistant Professor of Information Management and Systems at the Business School, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. He holds a Doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering from Tsing Hua University (Hsinchu) and two Master’s degrees in Engineering in Computer Science and Informatics from the University of Delhi, India.
Hareesh’s professional background includes positions as Research and Development Engineer at Nokia Siemens Networks and Verizon Wireless. His research interests focus on technology management for international business, emphasizing low-code tools and open data frameworks for decision support. He has advised numerous master’s students from China, France, and India, helping them secure funded research projects in the European Union and consulting positions with Fortune 500 companies.
Hareesh has been an Associate Editor for the Institution of Engineering and Technology – CIM vertical since 2020 and a core committee member for the IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems flagship conference CSWD. His research has been published in leading journals, including IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and Advanced Engineering Informatics.
Enoch Tang
Enoch is the co-founder of ZC Digitals, a technology company renowned for guiding businesses through digital transformation. With over a decade of expertise in digitalization, Enoch excels in integrating cutting-edge AI technology into business processes, enhancing productivity and competitiveness. His innovative approach has positioned ZC Digitals at the forefront of the industry, helping clients not only adapt to the digital era but excel in it.
Embarking on his entrepreneurial journey at 19, Enoch has launched a variety of small businesses across different industries. This diverse experience has honed his skills in operating and integrating technologies, fueling his passion for transforming innovative ideas into successful ventures. Today, Enoch leverages his rich skill set to guide other businesses in adopting new technologies, sharing his proven methodologies with clients and universities, and assisting companies in swiftly implementing smart systems.
Cyrille Berliat
Cyrille Berliat is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience in building, scaling, and managing software and teams, including 12 years at Google. He has a proven track record of leading and influencing global teams and delivering complex projects across Asia, Europe, and the USA. His adaptability and fast-learning abilities have been honed through his extensive international experience in nine countries.
As a B2B Product Consultant and Product Mentor, Cyrille has been instrumental in helping startup founders with product strategy and scaling. Currently, he serves as a mentor at Orbit Startups, aiding breakthrough startups across emerging markets in Southeast and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Additionally, he holds the position of Board Treasurer at La French Tech Shanghai, where he supports the growth and integration of the French and Francophone tech ecosystem in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta.
At Google, Cyrille held various leadership roles, including Technical Product Manager for Android and Product Technology Manager Lead for Google Display & Video 360. His expertise spans product strategy, cross-functional team leadership, and data analytics. Academically, Cyrille holds a Master’s Degree in Strategy and Management of International Business from ESSEC Business School and a Master’s Degree in IT & Computer Science from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, further solidifying his foundation in technology and business strategy.
Jhonattan Ramírez
Jhonattan Ramírez is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in technical inspections, industrial monitoring, and precision agriculture using Aerial Robotics. He began his career in the Colombian Air Force, where he developed strong expertise in unmanned aviation technologies.
As co-founder and former Chief Operations Officer at Drones de Colombia S.A.S., Jhonattan played a key role in driving innovative solutions. Now, as the founder and CEO of ROHU Innovations S.L., he focuses on advancing technologies in data science and Aerial Robotics, aiming to create solutions that not only address current challenges but also anticipate future market demands.