Former academic turned entrepreneur chiselling away walls and silos to enable and impel people driving meaningful impact, currently launching a Profitable Net Zero Partnership for the United States to help companies and cities alike halve carbon emissions and achieve zero waste by 2030 profitably and cost-effectively.

With made-in-New-York entrepreneurial spirit, Yangbo Du has been taking the lead on partnerships with the #GlobalResolutions team since December 2014, shortly before the launch of action/2015 to mark the transition year from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable development Goals. From 2005 through 2011, he conducted research on topics in energy and environmental policy covering biofuels, nuclear, and infrastructure in general. He is a trained economist with a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a StartingBloc New York Social Innovation Fellow.

Since leaving academia, he has co-founded startups in international trade and development, digital media and online marketing, data analytics, the Internet of Things, financial technology, and related fields. He is currently ramping his fifth batch of early-stage ventures, spanning across functions including blockchain-based artificial intelligence, transport telematics, and social capital and currency.

Connector of connectors, convener of conveners, and facilitator of facilitators

Serving as the New York +SocialGood Connector with the Social Good Summit since 2013, Yangbo leaves no major economic sector or global city untouched when it comes to bringing people together to catalyze technology, business, and social innovation that drives societal transformation. Ever since his first foray into online publishing as community manager with IDEAS Global Challenge, MIT’s in-house social innovation accelerator, he has been making a constant effort to close reinforcing loops of global online connectivity and local offline action.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Always open to meeting new people

For those interested in collaborating in some capacity or have any asks regarding their current ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yangbodu

Interests

Reporting at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and social good rooted in New York with a global outlook: https://www.storify.com/yangbodu

• humanities
• architecture
• design
• photography
• documentaries
• environment
• human rights
• philanthropy
• wine
• aviation
• politics
• technology
• reading
• business
• economics
• engineering
• entrepreneurship
• geography
• history
• international relations
• journalism
• philosophy
• public policy
• science
• urban exploration
• urban planning
• gastronomy
• media
• advertising
• startups
• sharing economy
• sustainable development
• social business
• energy
• railways
• social entrepreneurship
• hackathons

Music, Movies, and Books

Books

Theodore Roosevelt's autobiography, Present Shock (Douglas Rushkoff), The Big Disconnect (Micah Sifry), The World is Flat (Thomas Friedman), Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder (Nassim Nicholas Taleb), Lean Out: The Struggle for Gender Equality in Tech (Elissa Shevinsky)

Movies

Citizen Four, V for Vendetta, Taxi to the Dark Side, The King's Speech, Hidden Figures, The Social Dilemma, Flaming Hot

Music

Wide range of interests (used to play classical piano)

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

10-second self assessment I live by and share constantly.

https://bit.ly/ifyouweretodienow

My travels to date:

Mumbai/Delhi/Kota/Pune, India (January 2019-March 2020)
Istanbul, Turkey (December 2018-January 2019)
Tirana, Albania (December 2018)
Milano/Bologna/Roma, Italy (December 2018)
München, Germany (December 2018)
Wien, Austria (December 2018)
Katowice, Poland (December 2018)
Berlin (December 2018)
Bruxelles/Amsterdam/Utrecht (November-December 2018)
London, England (November 2018)
Aix-les-Bains, France (October-November 2018)
Zürich, Switzerland (October 2018)
Aschaffenburg/München, Germany (October 2018)
Dublin, Ireland (October 2018)
Washington, DC/Boston (April-August 2018)
Washington, DC (October 2017)
Washington, DC (July 2015): https://bit.ly/GCSG2
Washington, DC (June 2014): https://bit.ly/GlobalConnector
Silicon Valley (July 2012)
Orlando (December 2011)
München, Germany (August-September 2011)
Shanghai/Zhengzhou/Xi'an, China (August 2011)
Cape Cod, Massachusetts (June 2011)
Sirsi, Karnataka, India (March 2011)
Oahu, Hawaii (December 2010)
Montréal, Québec (July 2010)
Abu Dhabi, UAE (March 2010)
Quintana Roo/Yucatan, Mexico (December 2010)
Arizona (March 2009)
San Juan, Puerto Rico (December 2008)
Las Vegas/Los Angeles/San Diego (December 2007)
Keystone, Colorado (August 2007)
Paris, France (January 2007)
Jamaica/Grand Turk (December 2006)
Hong Kong/Shenzhen/Xiamen/Nanchang/Nanjing, China (June 2006)
San Antonio/Houston/Corpus Christi, Texas (December 2005)
Toronto/Niagara Falls, Ontario (July 2005)
Bahamas/Florida Keys (December 2004)
Nanjing/Beijing/Nanchang/Shanghai, China (June 2002)
Orlando, Florida (December 2001)
Washington, DC (June 2001)
St. Louis, Missouri (August 2000)
Washington, DC (December 1999)
San Francisco/San Diego/Las Vegas (December 1998)
Dallas, Texas (November 1997)

Teach, Learn, Share

Social business strategy + lean venture development
In other words, keeping your new venture nimble as you scale it

https://bit.ly/SBSLVD

My modus operandi is open-by-default. Ask me anything you seek any time, and if I am not able to provide for your ask it myself, I know someone to whom I can refer you.

What I Can Share with Hosts

If you are a current entrepreneur, I am happy to provide you the connections and resources you need to achieve your business goals.

If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, I am happy to assist you in overcoming the barriers that keep you from launching your new venture.

All in exchange for a stay -- two square metres of couch or floor space will suffice, even for months.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Turkey, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

China, India, United States