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Chinese in America: From Finance, Filmmaking to Philanthropy

December 1, 2020 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST | Online

Peng Zhao and Jenny Shi discuss their personal experiences as Chinese students in America; how they came to make Finding Yingying; the importance of telling and humanizing stories like Yingying’s in the current geopolitical moment; and the many contributions that Chinese populations continue to make to this American life.

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What’s the common denominator to succeeding in finance, philanthropy, and working in Hollywood? 
Burning the midnight oil. For the 10th year, China sent the most students to the U.S. to study. This migration continues apace, even as a 2020 Pew survey shows that nearly 2/3 of Americans now view China negatively.

What are the human faces and stories behind Chinese students who have studied in America? We hear from Peng Zhao, CEO of Citadel Securities, about his life as a graduate student at UC Berkeley; his meteoric rise to become CEO of Citadel Securities at age 34; his philanthropic work in the U.S. and on U.S.-China relations; and on why it carried such personal meaning to him to ensure that the documentary Finding Yingying would get made.

We also hear from Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, Finding Yingying’s director, producer, and cinematographer. The documentary tells the story of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang, the daughter of a factory driver in China, who moved to Illinois to study. Within weeks of her arrival, Yingying disappears from campus. She is never found alive again.

Join us for a webinar on December 1st, Tuesday, from 12-1pm Eastern as Peng and Jenny discuss their personal experiences as Chinese students in America; how they came to make Finding Yingying; the importance of telling and humanizing stories like Yingying’s in the current geopolitical moment; and the many contributions that Chinese populations continue to make to this American life.

Peng Zhao

Peng Zhao

Peng Zhao is CEO of Citadel Securities, a leading global market maker active in all major asset classes. Citadel LLC comprises of Citadel Securities and its hedge fund Citadel, which had $32 billion in assets under management last year. One of the early architects of Citadel Securities, Peng joined the firm directly out of graduate school, and became CEO in 2017. Peng earned his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Peking University. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and was a Fortune Magazine “40 Under 40” honoree.

Jenny Shi

Jenny Shi

Jenny Shi is a Chicago-based documentary filmmaker. Her debut documentary Finding Yingying won the Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Voice at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. Jenny has also worked on several projects, including the Academy Award-winning documentary American Factory. Jenny is a graduate of Kartemquin’s Diverse Voices In Docs program, a fellow of the Inaugural Women at Sundance Adobe Fellowship, and a DOC NYC “40 Under 40” filmmaker.

Josephine Lau

Moderator

Josephine Lau

Josephine Lau is Executive Director of the Serica Initiative, the non-profit organization operated by SupChina. Josephine has experience working in U.S.-China global health philanthropy, and previously practiced law at Davis Polk & Wardwell and Goldman Sachs. She has also worked as a financial journalist at the Bloomberg News Beijing Bureau, reporting on China’s institutional investors and outbound investments. Born in London and raised in Asia, Josephine earned her J.D. degree from Yale Law School, and her M.A. and B.A. degrees from Stanford University. She is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese.