Graham Leach

Professor Graham Leach Consulting Academic (Emerging Technologies) Canada Contact info Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation Saïd Business School, University of Oxford 500+ connections Connect Message More Highlights Reach out to Professor Graham for... Probono consulting and volunteering, Joining a nonprofit board. Message About I help existing and new businesses structure for enhanced value capture using a 4-pronged development strategy of my own design that is intended to maximize and capture Financial, Intellectual, Social and Human latent economic potential. I head up the Hong Kong Emerging Technology Venture Fund, which I created a few years ago to help startups gain traction in a place that desperately needs more sources of innovation. So, if you have an interesting and promising startup idea, I am always interested in a conversation. I am a Part-Time Faculty Member at the Dubai Institute of Design & Innovation (Design School), an Adjunct Professor at Gratia Christian College (Business School), and Visiting Lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Design School). My two favorite research focus areas are Virtual Voluntary Economies and the Commercialization of Innovation, among others. I help to deliver an award-winning Graduate Startup Program at PolyU - the largest and oldest of its kind in Asia, that has produced 300+ startup companies to date. I have also led the Blockchain Applications Research Lab (BARL) for a few years now, and a couple of years ago I developed a graduate-level Blockchain Curriculum. Featured Entrepreneurship: MScMET Students Pitch Day 2015 YouTube On Monday April 27th 13 Project Teams from the MScMET Program of the School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University met with the Investment Committee of ... Presenting Graduate Projects for Consideration by Cocoon Investment Committee Hosting the MSc (Multimedia & Entertainment Technology) Graduate Projects at Cocoon Accelerator in Hong Kong, for the Investment Committee to consider. Activity 6,956 followers Professor Graham's Take: I like the DPO idea because it cuts away a lot of economic overhang introduced by agents who have essentially performed regulatory capture on the public offering mechanism. These days, it costs something like USD2M to perform even the most basic IPO in a "proper" way, whereas in less formal economies (i.e. blockchain) the cost of a similar exercise is just over 10% of that. Of course, many bells and whistles (and, presumably, safety stops) are missing in virtuality, but at those prices why not take a stab at it and see what happens? The other thing that has always bothered me about IPOs is the price spike often observed on the day of, which to me is a clear demonstration of under-pricing. Yes, it makes news when the stock hits some multiple of the offer price at close of trading, but exactly how much money was left on the table for the issuer, and how much money did the so-called "syndicate" make from that under-pricing exercise? Again, a clear signal of regulatory capture on the part of the providers, which almost never spells good news for the presumptive target of the exercise. These are just a few of the reasons why alternatives are springing up. Professor Graham shared this 3 Reactions 1 Comment a person wearing a suit and tie Well done! Let's connect! Professor Graham replied to a comment a close up of text on a white background I think you mean scoundrel... Professor Graham replied to a comment I love this kind of "insider baseball" talk, and it also helps to explain "free" services. Nothing is free. Someone is making money somewhere, and if you don't know who the sucker at the poker game is, then it's you. Professor Graham shared this 1 Reaction See all activity See all activity Experience Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation Faculty Company NameDubai Institute of Design and Innovation Contract Part-time Dates EmployedJan 2021 – Present Employment Duration5 mos LocationDubai I write and deliver courses that support the Strategic Design Concentration. Some of my work is online, so if you are interested to understand what "Strategic Design" or "Design Strategy" means, please feel free to contact me, and I would be happy to send you some links. Fire Protocol Technology Advisor Company NameFire Protocol Dates EmployedDec 2020 – Present Employment Duration6 mos FireProtocol's mission is to provide a layer of retail-oriented products on top of the native token offered by Huobi, a Top10 centralized exchange. I was honored to be the Chief Technology Officer of FireProtocol during its initial (design and launch) phases, and I am gratified to remain a member of the extended team now that the decision has been taken to convert the project into a DAO. The token offered by FireProtocol is FIRE. … see more Gratia Christian College Adjunct Professor, School of Business Company NameGratia Christian College Dates EmployedAug 2015 – Present Employment Duration5 yrs 10 mos LocationHong Kong Gratia Christian College is the newest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. I teach in the Business School. Hong Kong Emerging Technologies Venture Fund Fund Manager Company NameHong Kong Emerging Technologies Venture Fund Dates EmployedSep 2018 – Present Employment Duration2 yrs 9 mos LocationHong Kong The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) Company NameThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) Total Duration10 yrs 6 mos TitleLecturer Dates EmployedDec 2010 – Present Employment Duration10 yrs 6 mos LocationHong Kong 2019::UPDATE: I have been put in touch of the Blockchain Curriculum in the MSc-MET Programme, and authorized to open a Blockchain Applications Research Laboratory The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU or HKPU) is the biggest university in Hong Kong with about 40,000 students. It is one of 8 publicly funded universities in Hong Kong and offers 220 postgraduate, undergraduate and sub-degree programmes. As University Lecturer, I design and deliver business-oriented courses within the School of Design. My courses include Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Project Management, Micro Brand Startup, Digital Disruption and Electronic Commerce. I am also responsible for the commercialization and mentoring of all of the Final Year Projects (FYP) of Graduate and Undergraduate classes, consisting of between 100 and 200 students and 30 to 45 startups every year. My students have won over 20 awards, in Local, Provincial, China and International competitions for Innovation, Technology and Design. … see more TitleSpecial Project Leader, Ignite Innovation, HK PolyU Dates EmployedMay 2013 – Dec 2014 Employment Duration1 yr 8 mos In this project I was in charge of designing the Innovation Ecosystem for the Jockey Club Innovation Tower, a 700M Zaha Hadid designed signature building on the campus of the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong. Remediare Founder Company NameRemediare Dates EmployedJan 2008 – Present Employment Duration13 yrs 5 mos LocationHong Kong Remediare is a Management Consulting firm located in Hong Kong. Our advisory model is highly integrative, participatory and multidisciplinary. It is designed to have an immediate, positive impact. It is of lasting benefit to our clients as well because it focuses the organization on constantly assessing and re-assessing the integrity and strength of its fundamental "pillars", which are: DIRECTION | MONEY | GROWTH | TALENT Because our mandates always revolve around improving the general prospects of our clients, the Lead Consultant of every Remediare mandate eventually visits every facet of our clients business. Should the Lead Consultant hit upon something that lies outside of their core experience or training, they just pull in one or more of our Senior Consultants, all of whom are experts in their own specific areas. Our Subject Matter Experts cover operations, information technology, human resources, communication and social media, sales or finance, among many others. Remediare is usually called in to ready our clients for the next stage of growth or evolution, or to help with a business exit. This often requires a restructuring of the firm and frequently a financing round of some form. Our latest tool along these lines is Blockchain-related financing structures, which we consider a real innovation. We do a lot of work in Strategy, Business Planning, ROI Analysis, Finance Packaging, Infrastructure Assessments and Talent Management. Our approach incorporates a semi-custom blend of advisory, direct intervention and the introduction of new participants, especially when external funding is required. We have advised companies in the following industries: - High Technology - Fast Moving Consumer Goods - Cosmetics - Fashion - Manufacturing - Distribution - Training & Development - Corporate Intelligence - Talent Management … see more Corsair Merchant Partners SVP, Private Equity and Project Finance, China Office Company NameCorsair Merchant Partners Dates Employed2011 – Present Employment Duration10 yrs LocationHong Kong Corsair Merchant Partners is a retained Merchant Banking and M&A Advisory Consultancy with 6 offices globally. The company is a mid-market player that works with deals of USD5M-80M in size. I lead the North Asia team (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) and am responsible for qualifying and restructuring all deals in my area, and with the Global Management Group. I work mainly in the energy, high technology and commodities sectors. To date, I have participated in 25 projects with an aggregate value of over USD1B. … see more Key-In Data Solutions CEO Company NameKey-In Data Solutions Dates EmployedJan 2004 – Nov 2007 Employment Duration3 yrs 11 mos After building up a Call Center in the Philippines over a few years in a handful of highly specialized vertical markets (Medical & Legal, covering both voice and non-voice), I found myself in a position where I could exit by selling the enterprise to a very large industry player from India. So I did. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Visiting Lecturer, Department of Computer Science Company NameThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University Dates EmployedJan 2002 – Dec 2003 Employment Duration2 yrs LocationHong Kong I was invited by the Department of Computer Science to develop and deliver a course in the Masters of Electronic Commerce Program DD Industries CIO Company NameDD Industries Dates EmployedJan 2001 – Sep 2003 Employment Duration2 yrs 9 mos In charge of IT infrastructure, ERP, Web Portal and Logistics/Distribution systems of a global, ISO 9000 certified supplier of houseware and drinkware to Fortune 500 retailers such as WAL-M*RT, Disney, Nintendo, Dollar General and many other OEM customers around the world. I left this position to pursue full-time Chinese studies at the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). … see more OneAsia Technologies CTO Company NameOneAsia Technologies Dates EmployedJul 1999 – Dec 2000 Employment Duration1 yr 6 mos Responsible for design, certification, daily operation and upgrade of a highly available and scalable Asian-focused entertainment portal featuring music and video titles from India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and many other Pacific and Indo-Chinese languages, dialects and cultures. Bayer Technical Architect Company NameBayer Dates EmployedMay 1997 – Jun 1999 Employment Duration2 yrs 2 mos LocationMontreal, Canada Area Responsible for administration of all server hardware, networking and telecommunications infrastructure for Canada JWI - Johnson Wires Senior Systems Analyst Company NameJWI - Johnson Wires Dates EmployedApr 1995 – Apr 1997 Employment Duration2 yrs 1 mo Responsible for all systems software, including ERP systems. Responsible for Novell NetWare server. Responsible for developing specialized in-house applications in INFORMIX-4GL. Show fewer experiences Education Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Degree NameOxford Blockchain Strategy Programme Dates attended or expected graduation2019 – 2019 A 6-Week Blockchain Certification specifically designed for Business Leaders and Innovators. While Blockchain exploration was initially reserved for firms operating in the financial industry, the potential of Blockchain technology is being realised by all sectors, including the likes of energy, telecoms and pharmaceuticals. This online programme cohesively integrates relevant information on Blockchain for business leaders and innovators by showcasing best use cases, value propositions, and implementation strategies in the Blockchain industry. The Programme covers: - What Blockchain is and how it works - How Blockchain can brighten the future of business and your organisation - How to make better strategic business decisions about how to deploy Blockchain University of Liverpool University of Liverpool Degree NameMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Field Of StudyEntrepreneurship & Innovation Dates attended or expected graduation2013 – 2016 The University of Liverpool is a public university based in the city of Liverpool, England. Founded as a college in 1881, it is one of the six original "red brick" civic universities. It comprises three faculties organised into 35 departments and schools. It is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, the N8 Group for research collaboration and the University Management school is AACSB accredited. The university has produced nine Nobel Prize winners. In 2006 the university became the first in the UK to establish an independent university in China making it the world's first Sino-British university. Beijing Language and Culture University Beijing Language and Culture University Degree NameChinese Language StudiesField Of StudyPutonghua Dates attended or expected graduation2003 – 2004 Activities and Societies: Reading, writing, speaking, field trips Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言大学) has the main aim of teaching the Chinese language and culture to foreign students. Beijing Language and Culture University is often called "Little United Nations" in China because of its very large amount of international students from various countries. UBC Sauder School of Business UBC Sauder School of Business Degree NameMBAField Of StudyStrategic Management, CORE ProgramGradeTop 10% Dates attended or expected graduation1999 – 2000 Activities and Societies: Newspaper Reading Club (helping 2nd language English speakers get practice talking in public) A beautiful campus located on the rugged west coast of Canada, the Sauder School of Management is the top Business School for half of Canada, and among the top 3 Business Schools in all of Canada. I enjoyed my time there very much, but left the program after completing the CORE courses to join a Hong Kong - Canadian dotcom called OneAsia.com as their Chief Technology Officer. Concordia University Concordia University Degree NameBachelor of ArtsField Of StudyHistory | Computer Science Dates attended or expected graduation1991 – 1995 Activities and Societies: President, Computing Club Concordia is one of the two universities in Montreal where English is the primary language of instruction. As of the 2011-2012 academic year, there were 45,954 students enrolled at Concordia, making it among the largest in Canada by enrollment. With four faculties, a school of graduate studies and numerous colleges, centres and institutes, Concordia offers over 300 undergraduate and 100 graduate programs and courses. The university was ranked 11th among Canada's comprehensive universities in the Maclean's 24th annual rankings. Concordia is also included in Times Higher Education's list of the top 100 universities worldwide under 50 years old. The university's John Molson School of Business is consistently ranked within the top ten Canadian business schools, and within the top 100 worldwide. Hong Kong Institute of Social Services Hong Kong Institute of Social Services Degree NameChinese Language StudiesField Of StudyCantoneseGradeBeginner & Intermediate Dates attended or expected graduation2011 – 2012 Activities and Societies: Reading, speaking, field trips The HKISS course is designed for non-Chinese to learn practical Cantonese.