Chinese Business Forum
2010 is the Year of the Tiger; competitive, smart, natural leaders--tigers tend to land on their feet when it comes to business. Come to TechTown's Chinese Business Forum on February 9 from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. to get a leg up with your business this year by learning smart tactics for connecting with China.
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Jerome Hill of China Bridge and Mingan Tan of the Detroit Chinese Business Association will talk about their business experiences in China, current business opportunities and how to get access to business matchmaking in China. Te-Yang Soong of CTI and Associates will share his experiences as well and also would like to connect with potential local partners seeking to do business in China.
TechTown's Chinese Business Forum is sponsored by the Confucius Institute of Wayne State University and Corp! Magazine. This free quarterly forum is designed to help Michigan entrepreneurs make the most of opportunities in the East.
Date: Tuesday, February 9
Time: 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.
Location: TechTown, 440 Burroughs Street, Detroit
Cost: Free
We hope you'll join us in celebrating the Chinese New Year with a dynamic event that will spring your business forward in 2010!
Robert A. Ficano has led the Metro Detroit region as Wayne County Executive since January 2003, after serving with distinction as Wayne County Sherriff for nearly 20 years. He presides over approximately two million citizens in the most populated county in the state of Michigan and the 11th largest county in the nation. Ficano oversees an annual budget of more than $2 billion and provides innovative leadership for the region and state, pursuing investment, economic growth and job-creation opportunities. He is leading several major initiatives, including the Detroit Region Aerotropolis, Cobo Hall expansion, and international investment with China, the Middle East and other countries. Ficano has led four trade missions to China and has traveled twice to the Middle East to help businesses establish partnerships in global markets, Wayne County and Southeast Michigan. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and University of Detroit Mercy Law School.
Dr. Jerome D. Hill is part of a team including Peter Theut and Jennifer Feng Smith committed to bringing Chinese investment into Michigan to a new level through China Bridge. He is also an adjunct faculty member of the Honors College at Oakland University. As an attorney, Dr. Hill was Counsel to Butzel Long and has represented many clients in matters ranging from civil litigation and commercial business issues to labor negotiations and employment matters. He served as a member of the State of Michigan delegation to China in 1985 and many other delegations since. Dr. Hill has served as a China consultant and legal adviser to numerous clients by creating business entities in China, assisting with developing business plans, resolving employment/labor issues, solving repatriation of funds difficulties, and resolving related technical legal problems. Dr. Hill is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School (J.D., 1983). He has completed additional studies in Chinese Philosophy at the University of Michigan (Ph.D., 1981; M.A., 1974) and Oakland University (B.A., 1970). He speaks Mandarin Chinese and has been designated an "honorary citizen" in China for his work in Guizhou Province.
Dr. Mingan Tan is the current president of the Detroit Chinese Business Association (DCBA). The DCBA is a Michigan-based non-profit organization that encourages beneficial business relationships between American and Chinese business communities. Since its founding 15 years ago, the DCBA has been heavily involved in Sino-U.S. business exchange activities with U.S. and Chinese government agencies, automotive OEMs and suppliers, and companies and organizations in other business sectors. Dr. Tan received his Bachelor's degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, his Master's degree from Zhejiang University, China, and his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Tan was invited to be supervisor for students at Wayne State University, Kettering University, and Lawrence Technological University, and is an industry advisory board member of University of Michigan, Dearborn.
Dr. Te-Yang Soong is Vice President at CTI and Associates, Inc., an environment and infrastructure consulting firm in Wixom, Michigan. Dr. Soong was born and raised in Taiwan and received his Bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering there before coming to the United States. Since completing his doctoral degree in Civil Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, he has played an integral role in cutting-edge research in solid waste management. His research has been documented in more than 50 published technical papers in periodical journals and conference proceedings. He is a member of the Solid Waste Association of North America and currently chairs its Technical Committee. He is also a member of the Association of Civil Engineers and the Engineering Society of Detroit. Dr. Soong is a registered professional engineer in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and has overseen projects in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Kentucky. He has developed and managed solid waste management projects in China, India and Brazil.