Season 26 Episode 9582
S2 E32 From New Zealand to China and Back A Culinary Entrepreneurship Journey with Jade Gray
Join host Phil Masiello on ""Think Engage Thrive"" as he welcomes Jade Gray, a dynamic entrepreneur who turned a dream into a thriving reality. Jade left New Zealand for China in 1996 with a pair of skis, a basic knowledge of Mandarin, and a vision to conquer the world’s fastest growing market. After 23 years, he returned fluent in Chinese and as the owner of an award-winning restaurant group, Gung Ho! Ventures. In this episode, Jade shares his remarkable journey from managing cattle breeding farms and supermarket retail in China to founding several award-winning food and beverage brands, including Gung Ho! Pizza and Pyro Pizza. Jade sold his restaurant group in 2019 and has since launched Off-Piste Provisions, a food-technology company dedicated to developing fortified, plant-based meat products for nutritious eating on the go. A passionate advocate for social entrepreneurship, Jade has spoken at numerous conferences, including at Tsinghua, Peking, and Auckland Universities. His ventures have included founding Beijing’s first Earth Day Festival with Patagonia and achieving B Corp certification for Gung Ho! Pizza, making it the third B Corp in China. Phil and Jade will discuss the keys to succeeding and failing in the global market, the importance of social responsibility in business, and insights from Jade's extensive experience with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the New Zealand Government’s China Capable Public Sector Masterclass progra
