Christine Lu

Christine Lu has spent the last two decades active in cross border Chinese business and investment trends. She is recognized as a Digital Leader by the United Nations Foundation and named to Foreign Policy’s inaugural “Pacific Power Index” which recognizes 50 individuals shaping the future of U.S. and China ties.

From 1999-2004, Christine was based in Shanghai as head of Marketing for TV Shopping Network (TVSN), a joint venture funded by DFS Group (Duty Free Shoppers) founder Robert Miller’s private equity firm The Search Investment Group, Prudential Assets Management Asia, and IAC’s HSN (Home Shopping Network). Christine oversaw the company’s business development and incubated its e-commerce and direct marketing businesses in China. In 2002, she launched the company’s mail order catalog division. Within 2 years it accounted for 51% of gross sales from a monthly circulation of almost 1 million shoppers in the company’s database. During these years, Christine was also an active member of The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai’s Marketing Committee.

Upon returning to the U.S., Christine produced a podcast show for Entrepreneur Magazine called “The China Business Show” which spun into a platform called The China Business Network. In 2009 she sold her interests in the company and shifted focus on the tech sectors and startups. She led cross border China initiatives that included co-organizing the first GeeksOnAPlane Silicon Valley tech influencer tours with 500Startups‘ VC Dave McClure. She also brought one of the first TEDx events to China as the first curator of TEDxShanghai. She has served as an advisor to Tudou pre-IPO and GMIC Silicon Valley. She also serves on the advisory board for cross border payments company NihaoPay.

In recent years, Christine became known as a cross border connector at the intersection of travel and luxury as the co-founder and CEO of Affinity China – a luxury lifestyle network for affluent Chinese increasingly traveling and investing overseas. Her holding company 8X8 is a cross border platform focused on investments at the intersection of China going global.

She is a co-founder of America Innovates, a cross border fund and impact investment platform focused on transforming communities across America by accelerating the development of innovation districts.

Christine is an advocate of mental health awareness since the loss of her sister to suicide in 2004. She was an active advisor and frequent speaker for the Lets Erase The Stigma foundation and is a supporter of various organizations and causes for suicide prevention.

Christine has a BA in International Relations from Boston University.