Rich Robinson
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Animoca Brands
Over 25 years in Asia as an entrepreneur, exec, investor and advisor across:
- Web 1.0 - (1995-2005) Read era
- Web 2.0 - (2005 - 2020) Read/Write era
- Mobile - (2000 - present) Services
- Web3 - (2020 - present) Read/Write/Own/Earn
As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Animoca Brands, I'm about empowering users to leverage digital assets to earn/own across blockchain games and metaverses with a focus on Play-to-Earn.
Previously with 8 startups as a co-founder or senior exec, and with dozens of others as an investor, board member, advisor or mentor (HAX, Chinaccelerator & 500).
First a senior exec at 3 companies from private to public, then went on to found 5 companies: 3 exited to publicly listed companies and 2 blew up.
I eagerly/gratefully teach Entrepreneurship in China as a Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Peking University's Guanghua Int'l MBA program. Have taught 'pracademics' to senior execs at Tsinghua University's BI-Tsinghua program and the Spirit of Entrepreneurship at Alibaba University. Have frequently guest lectured globally at universities such as Harvard University, University of Southern California, Technical University of Munich and RSM at Erasmus University, etc.
Active in the geek-o-system in Asia/globally and am a sought-after keynote speaker and event MC in the tech, startup and innovation space (Web Summit Lisbon & Dublin, TechCrunch Beijing, GMIC Beijing & Silicon Valley, Rise Hong Kong and TechInAsia Singapore & Jakarta, etc)
Grew up in Greater Boston and my Boston accent and I went 'fah away' to study at USC in L.A. and Cambridge University in the UK.
After college, I was a wild-eyed backpacker working my way around the world as a bartender in the Virgin Islands, a concierge/ski bum in the Swiss Alps, an English teacher in post-revolution Prague, a house-painter in Norway, a grape picker in France and a BMW factory worker in Munich.
In '93 I traveled overland from Switzerland to Hong Kong via Beijing on the Trans-Siberian & fell in love with China.
Got an MBA at the Rotterdam School of Management in The Netherlands '94-'96 & fell in love with the interwebs.
After grad school did a solo 4,000km African bicycle trip from Nairobi to Cape Town
vimeo.com/22348199
Labors of love to exercise/exorcise my creative muse:
- Write children's books - all money goes to charity;
- Produce/MC stand-up comedy shows across Asia with top comedians like Jim Gaffigan.
Happily based in Bali, Indonesia - the Island of the Gods. Lovely entrepreneur wife. 3 children all 'Made in China'. Perpetual Mandarin and Bahasa student.
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Rich Robinson