An intentional journey through China's AI, robotics, and innovation ecosystem
Join a moving salon of AI founders, robotics entrepreneurs, tech executives, and creative leaders as we explore hidden maker spaces, AI research labs, century-old hutongs, and cutting-edge robotics facilities. Each stop reveals a different facet of China's innovation culture.
When you journey with us, you're not just meeting new people — you're joining a living network of inquiry and expertise. We offer a lightly held structure that creates space for emergence.
We ride the edge between intention and surrender. There are known waypoints — trusted locals, critical salons, creative practices — but the encounters we didn't plan become the true curriculum.
Travel alongside designers, founders, scholars, and industry leaders. Together, we create reflective conversations — not academic seminars, but living dialogues grounded in presence and place.
Expert guides bridging scholarship, industry, and cross-cultural fluency
China Historian & Technology Strategist
Joshua Sooter, PhD is a historian of modern China and global intellectual history, educator, and technology strategist with over fifteen years of experience in research and cross-cultural analysis. He earned his PhD from New York University, where his work focused on nineteenth-century China and the formation of modern political and religious ideas.
In addition to his academic expertise, Joshua has led global projects in education technology, translating complex policy, historical, and technical issues into clear, engaging insights. As a China expert who bridges scholarship and industry, he brings deep historical knowledge, on-the-ground cultural fluency, and tech-sector experience to his leadership of tours—offering participants both access and meaningful context.
Web3 & AI Innovation Leader
Chelsea Rustrum is a Web3 marketing and business development leader, author, and TEDx speaker with over 25 years in digital innovation and more than a decade in blockchain. She has led marketing at The Graph, co-founded multiple web3 and AI ventures, and advises protocols, infrastructure teams, and AI-native products on go-to-market strategy, ecosystem growth, and partnerships. Her work translates complex technological narratives into measurable adoption and real-world community impact.
Having lived and worked in Silicon Valley and across Europe, Chelsea is a global facilitator and thought leader at the intersection of web3, AI, and collaborative economies. As co-leader of this delegation, she brings deep expertise in decentralized technology, platform ecosystems, and the future of digital ownership within a rapidly evolving global tech landscape.
Explore 15+ distinctive locations in Beijing — from the tech corridors of Zhongguancun and AI research labs to historic hutongs and contemporary art spaces. Each venue reveals different layers of China's innovation culture: century-old neighborhoods where families still gather, cutting-edge campuses where the future is being built, and hidden gems where old and new Beijing intersect.
Experience 10+ unique locations across Shenzhen — from the legendary Huaqiangbei electronics markets and robotics factories to innovative maker spaces and design studios. Witness the ecosystem where ideas become products overnight: meet component suppliers in bustling market stalls, tour state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and connect with the hardware entrepreneurs building tomorrow's robots and devices.
Experience carefully selected hotels and authentic spaces across Beijing and Shenzhen — each chosen for its connection to the local innovation ecosystem and cultural significance.
Your accommodations are more than just places to rest. From boutique hotels in Beijing's tech districts to design-forward spaces in Shenzhen's maker neighborhoods, each stay offers a window into the rhythm of Chinese innovation culture.
We've curated unique properties that balance comfort with authenticity — hotels where founders meet for breakfast, where design thinking lives in the architecture, and where you're steps away from the pulse of China's tech ecosystem.
This is not a packaged tour. It's a living experience through place, people, conversation, and presence.
Travel with founders, designers, investors, executives, and creative professionals. Build relationships that extend far beyond the journey — not transactional connections, but genuine peer-to-peer exchange.
Visit places rarely traveled and even more rarely understood. Factory floors, startup offices, maker communities, and local gatherings — contexts not commodified for the tourist gaze.
Daily conversations grounded in short readings, shared experiences, and open prompts. Not lectures — living dialogues that help you process, integrate, and see differently.
Authentic dining experiences chosen for cultural significance, not convenience. From Michelin-hidden gems to local favorites, each meal becomes a lens into place and relationship.
Name a theme or question you'd like to explore — supply chain optimization, design inspiration, AI strategy, cultural insight. We'll facilitate opportunities to engage with your inquiry.
Carefully selected hotels across Beijing and Shenzhen that balance comfort, location, and character. Each property is chosen for its connection to the local innovation ecosystem — places that feel like part of the journey, not just where you sleep.
Entrepreneurs and researchers exploring China's AI ecosystem, accessing compute resources, and connecting with leading research labs in Beijing's Zhongguancun district
Founders building robotics companies seeking manufacturing partners, component sourcing, and connections to China's advanced robotics supply chain and automation expertise
Founders seeking manufacturing partners, supply chain optimization, and direct factory relationships for scaling physical products
CTOs and product leaders evaluating China's AI infrastructure, robotics capabilities, innovation culture, and emerging tech landscape
Sellers and brand owners looking to source directly, understand quality control, and build supplier networks
VCs, angels, and consultants seeking firsthand insight into China's AI, robotics, and deep tech startup landscape
This is an executive education immersion — a small cohort journey (8-12 maximum) with high intellectual density, curated meetings, and daily synthesis sessions. We seek participants who bring curiosity, openness, and a willingness to engage deeply with place, people, and ideas.