My entrepreneurship in Beijing

Editor’s note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, and huge changes have been made in Beijing, capital of China, over the past 40 years. We have invited 40 foreign experts to participate in a series of interviews named “New Era, New Insight” jointly hosted by GMW.cn（The official website of Guangming Daily） and the Information Office of Beijing Municipality and share their “Beijing Stories”. The following is a part of the interview with a serial entrepreneur turned investor Richard Robinson from the United States.

Hello, my name is Richard Robinson. I’m originally from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States.

I have been here 18 years in Beijing. I’m a serial entrepreneur turned investor.

I teach entrepreneurship in China at the Peking University.

I first came to Beijing in 1993. I came overland from Switzerland to Hong Kong by train through Trans-Siberian（Railway）.

And I came through Beijing and the second that the train crossed the border, the dragon swept down and dug her talent to me.

I just felt that the energy here, the possibility, the history and culture.

I finished my MBA in 1996 and I moved here to China. And I was there during the Dot-Com Boom.

I was lucky enough to be part of this group called Renren.com.

Qualitatively and quantitatively, Beijing is unquestionably not only the Silicon Valley of China, but I will consider it the Silicon Valley of Asia.

Such extreme competition and innovation happening here cross business models, cross consumer tech and enterprise tech is quite world-class and fascinating.