Kurt Chen This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. Daily Record - Parsippany - In China, 'Apprentice' has a serious purpose

   www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs. - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/31/2006   Last Visited: 8/1/2006

   Kurt Chen of Parsippany said participating in 'Win in China' in Beijing was 'one of the more memorable moments of my life.'
   ...
   For May Li and Kurt Chen, Beijing has changed dramatically since they lived there. English road signs are being dug into the ground in the bustling Chinese capital.
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   In mid-June, Li, of Cranford, and Chen, of Parsippany, flew to Beijing as two of the six American contestants for a game show called "Win in China."For two weeks, they participated in simulated business games, withstood tests of physical endurance and proved their business acumen to judges.
   
   "It's one of the more memorable moments in my life," said Chen, 37, a senior software engineer at Intel.
   
   >Broadcast nationwide by Chinese Central Television, one of the country's largest TV networks, "Win In China" is aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and sparking the country's economy.
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   Born in Beijing and familiar with the economy of China, Chen agreed with Li. The Chinese Central Television, he said, "has a tremendous influence over Chinese audiences. This is a huge public event for the Chinese business. This is going to encourage more people to become entrepreneurs."
   
   The show had an initial applicant pool of 120,000 people in China and the United States. In New York City earlier this year, Li and Chen spent hours of waiting in lines, sitting for interviews and presenting company ideas. They didn't know each other back then, but both were selected to be among the show's 108 contestants -- the number of warriors in an ancient Chinese epic -- who flew to Beijing for further intense competitions.
   
   While Li had proposed a software program for an improved medical record system in the United States, Chen's project focused on a computer network to connect American and Chinese businessmen.
   
   Fresh from the plane, with only two hours of sleep, Li and Chen joined the other contestants in a 16-hour simulated business game. They all were divided into groups of six. and each team imitated a company that must survive in a competitive market.
   
   'Fierce competition'
   
   "We got really fierce competition," Chen said.
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   After hiking in the summer heat, the number of contestants dwindled to 36 -- and Chen and Li continued to survive.
   
   In the remaining days, the 36 contestants stood in front of cameras and three judges -- who included some of the top business leaders in China -- to promote their business proposals.
   
   "It's not easy," Chen said. "You are under tremendous pressure because you have three judges asking you very tough questions. You have to work very hard to defend your business plans."
   
   Since the round ended in early July, Chen and Li have returned to their jobs in the United States.
   ...
   Regardless of the outcome, however, Chen and Li have gained a valuable experience.
   
   In addition to the free seminars, "we learned a lot from those success business people that were with us most of the time," Li said, referring to the judges, who included top professors and successful CEOs.
   
   "They make evaluations of your projects, which are from their own experience and their knowledge."
   
   Even if they don't win the contest, Li and Chen still will try to help the Chinese market by networking with the ambitious people they have met.
   
   "I learned a lot about the current economy status in China," Li said, "and I think I built up a lot of business connections."
   
   She added, "I would like to help build bridges between the small companies in the United States and the Chinese companies."
   
   Chen, on the other hand, cherishes the friends that he gained in China as he continues to chat with them almost every day.
   
   "The most impressive thing," Chen said, "is that I made a lot of friends with fellow contestants."