Michael is a Senior Fellow at the Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the international aspects of AI governance and regulation, and the trade, economic and geopolitical dynamics of AI. Michael previously worked as a public policy analyst with The Economist Intelligence Unit based in Hong Kong. At the Economist, he focused on technology and public policy, including themes such as the economic impact of emergent technologies (AI, 5G, IoT), international influence in tech-sector policymaking (tax, privacy, competition), and the US-China trade war and technological decoupling.

George Chen is a practitioner/scholar with over two decades of expertise across media, technology, and public policy. A Senior Fellow at the Centre of Civil Society and Governance of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), George co-leads the “Tech for Good Initiative” and teaches “Opportunities and Challenges in Digital Governance” for Master students. Concurrently, George is a Managing Director for Washington DC-headquartered policy consultancy The Asia Group (TAG), advising many Fortune 500 company clients on geopolitics, digital transformation, and regulatory issues. Prior to his roles at the HKU and TAG, he was Meta’s (Facebook) first-ever and most senior policy leader for Greater China, Mongolia, and Central Asia for more than seven years (2016-2023). Earlier in his career, he was in both editorial and management roles at leading media organizations including the South China Morning Post and Reuters.

In 2014, George was appointed a Yale World Fellow at Yale University in New Haven. In 2022, George was awarded Mongolian President’s “Medal of Friendship” — the highest honour given to foreigners — for his contributions to Mongolia’s IT industry development. George earned his Master of International and Public Affairs (Distinction) with a concentration on the strategic triangle of US-China-Taiwan relations from the HKU and now remains a Doctoral candidate for public administration at the HKU. George has been on the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong since 2019.

Erik Walenza is the CEO of IoT ONE Inc., the Chair of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) Smart Factory Task Group (SFTG), and the Shanghai Director of Startup Grind. IoT ONE is a leading source of information and insight regarding Industrial Internet of Things vendors and solutions. Companies work with IoT ONE to develop their customer bases, partner ecosystems, and innovation strategies. As Chair of the IIC SFTG, Erik works with IIC members to reduce the risk for early adopters of Industrial IoT technologies in manufacturing. Through Startup Grind Erik supports the development of Shanghai's innovation ecosystem.