OFFICERS
Without the dedication of a great team of volunteers, the activities and efforts of BEAN could not be possible. Below is just a little information about the team that runs the BEAN Shanghai chapter.
SHEILA SEILER, President
Hi! I'm Sheila, the President of BEAN - Shanghai and Chief Volunteer Officer for BEAN International. I joined BEAN in January 2009 because my New Year's Resolution was to "be more social." Since then, I have met *thousands* of people around Shanghai who are BEAN members, who work with charities, or who are just interested in doing something different on the weekend. I am always on the lookout for new opportunities for BEAN and the underserved populations we support. I'm excited about all the new things I've learned and all the different people I have met while at BEAN. When I'm not having a great time at a BEAN event, you'll find me studying Chinese, at Happy Hour at the Rhumerie, or updating my DoGooder blog on Urbanatomy.com. If you have any questions about BEAN or would like to volunteer with us, you can reach me at: sheila.beanshanghai@gmail.com
ZAC LUDINGTON, VP Operations
Living in China rocks my world. I have taught English in Shanghai for roughly a year now, and prior to that I spent nine months in a wild little place called Xuzhou. My career as an English instructor was highly unexpected, but I have attacked this new path in life with gusto and I still enjoy every minute of it. In addition to my time spent teaching English, I am very interested in fitness, reading and exploring Shanghai. My new addiction is marathon running, and in between random workouts I find myself buried in any good books I can get my mitts on. (If you know of a bookstore with a good selection let me know.) Otherwise I am just another run of the mill man from Oregon passing time in the chaotic wonderland of Shanghai. Feel free to hit me up anytime and I will see you at one of BEAN’s events!
NICOLA HAFFENDEN, VP Service
Nong Hao! I’m Nicola, a Canadian from Toronto, who joined BEAN in late 2010. I found BEAN in a search for meaningful social activities in Shanghai. BEAN seemed like a good fit for someone wanting to find a sense of community, and fulfil a need to help others. After moving to the big city from rural Yunnan province, where I spent a year working as a volunteer teacher, I think for BEAN and me, it was love at first sight! Now, I’m Co-Project Director for a new English and Arts teaching initiative with the Jiu Qian migrant school choir. I currently work in the IT industry, providing language and customer services training. As you may have guessed, I’m very interested in non-profit work in China, the Chinese education system, dance and the arts, Chinese language and enjoying a great social life in this wonderful city.
ALBERT CHANG, VP Social and Project Director
Ni hao! I’m Albert and I was born and raised in the USA. I moved to Shanghai in February 2009, after falling in love with Shanghai while on holiday two months before. I knew one person when I arrived, and decided to join a few activities to meet more people. I’ve always been actively involved with volunteering and community service anywhere I’ve lived, so I naturally gravitated towards BEAN. I just kept showing up to events and helping out where I could. Eventually, I was asked to serve as a Charity Liaison Officer and then VP Multimedia, and now VP Social. As Charity Liaison Officer, I have established good relationships with the Sunshine Disabled Home and the Shanghai Young Bakers. I contact them on a monthly basis to determine how BEAN can best support their needs. After that, I coordinate with VP Service Wan Hing to market the event to our members and to handle event logistics. While at the event, I serve as the contact person in case our members have questions. As VP Social, I organize social events for members. (Can you say Laser Tag? Go-Kart racing? Paintballing? Drinking events?) If you have any suggestions for future social events, please feel free to contact me and we’ll see if we can make it happen. Outside of BEAN, I enjoy playing dodgeball, wandering around the French Concession, cheering on my LA sports teams, and meeting up with friends for food (especially Hunanese food!) and drinks. Shanghai is awesome and BEAN makes it awesomer, therefore BEAN Shanghai is the most AWESOMEST thing in town!
AMANDA OU, VP Logistics and Project Director
Hi all, this is Munmun; my English name is Amanda. I am Cantonese and was born in Guangzhou (yes, that means I eat everything). I joined BEAN in Feb 2009 by accidentally joining one of their officer meetings and found out it's such a cool organization. Since then I have become the Charity Liaison for the below projects/organizations: Marine Dreams, River of Hearts, and Fenfa Migrant School (now we have two monthly events going on). I am enjoying every minute with BEAN and it's making my life in Shanghai super fun! This is my third year in Shanghai and I work for a British Recruitment firm as a professional "headhunter" in the Environment and Energy sector. ***The following is advertisment*** if you are looking for a career move or you are hiring (even better), you can always grab my shoulder and talk to me. : ) I love traveling and I like to get a lot of people to go with me. Yes if you are on my mailing list you will receive my "travel plans" almost every week. Welcome on board! I also go out a lot in Shanghai, sports, clubs, movies, shops. See you around in the city and please send me an e-mail if you are a hardcore diver or traveler and looking forward to explore fun fun fun!
SARA BENEROSO, VP Marketing and Membership
Hola! I’m Sara, VP of Marketing & Membership of BEAN – Shanghai. I first heard about BEAN from its founder, Aimee, back in 2009. When she told me about it, I didn’t doubt a second, and jumped in. I thought it was such great way to give back to the community, especially considering how much Shanghai takes care of spoiling our easy expat lives. Always participating as a volunteer, I have joined a wide array of events during a period of almost three years now. BEAN has brought in a revolutionary concept of volunteering. Listen to this: volunteering with BEAN is easy, convenient and fun, not to mention the large number of friends you make along the way. No matter where I end up after Shanghai, I will keep searching for my BEAN chapter, and if not, set it up! As I always say, you can’t fight against the world, but by helping those living next to you, you can change your little world. A word of thank you to Sheila as she is the glue who sticks all of us together, to officers for their tremendous efforts, and to you volunteers, for jumping in. If you have any questions about BEAN, please feel free to reach me at: sarabeneroso@gmail.com.
DIRK BEKKERING, VP Multimedia
I am BEAN's VP Multimedia and director for charity events with Habitat For Humanity China. Habitat builds homes for low-income families and helps rebuild disaster-stricken areas. They organize 'builds' all over the country and staff them with volunteers from all over the world, including Shanghai BEAN-members. I am an architect and moved from Amsterdam to Shanghai to be part of the biggest building boom in history. Life in this city has been great, and even better since found out about BEAN in 2008: I've met an amazing variety of interesting friends and BEAN events have taken me to parts of Shanghai life that I otherwise never would have known about. I have quickly become an active member and help out with much of the behind-the-scenes work, particularly with graphic design. I also enjoy helping out with construction jobs for other BEAN-related charities, for instance at the orphanage and the animal shelter.
JOEY GU, BEAN Chapter Development Director for Asia
Born laughing, Joey started running at the age of one. He left his home of Southern California in 2004 to explore his family's cultural background in China. His experiences in the Entertainment and Creative industries with companies like SPIN and Innodio sharpened his wits for achievements such as organizing the largest rock music festival to date in the city of Nanjing. He continued to work with both local and multinational firms such as LOTA, Nokia, CareerEngine.org, and J&B .. focusing in areas such as entertainment, editorial journalism, HR, PR, business development, training, and events, also as a freelance consultant in marketing and communications. Amateur photographer, Joey also acts as Photog for BEAN events, while he currently represents YUNIO Inc. www.yun.io as Director of Operations; he adores pizza, photography, and people and was once described as being "... breathlessly in love with the world." To stay in touch with Joey: joey.beanshanghai@gmail.com.
MABEL YU, Project Director
Hi buddies! Here is Mabel! I come from the northeast city of Changchun, China, and have lived in Shanghai for seven years. I work in a Singapore executive search firm, serving clients from retail/FMCG/luxury industries. I am a very outgoing and social person, and I love to make new friends. I joined BEAN at this April because of a friend who told me he taught the migrant children English at a BEAN event, which really impressed me. I decided to explore more about BEAN and then could not stop. I was also lucky to get more involved with the BEAN`s events as an officer. Now I co-lead the Reading Buddies events, which is an awesome program that you can really enjoy with the lovely migrant children. You can make many friends from all over the world here! Looking to meeting you, my new friends!
PHILLIPA CROUCH, Project Director
Hi everyone! My name is Phillipa and I am from Australia. I arrived in Shanghai in mid-2010 and found out about BEAN a few months later. I came to Shanghai after spending a year in Beijing and 4 years in Japan previously and am now glad to call Shanghai my home. I decided to apply to become an officer at BEAN after making a conscious decision that I wanted my life here to be more about community. Given BEAN's focus not only on the 'socialising aspect' of community but also on participating with and making a difference to the local community, it seemed like a perfect fit. For my first project, I am going to be teaching BEAN's first dance class fundraiser, an opportunity I jumped at, as it is something I have done lots of before in the past and have always wanted to create a charity angle for. But I am also keen to get involved in and learn new things and so am helping out on the fund raising team more generally. So far BEAN has given me the opportunity to see parts of Shanghai (both people and places) that I would never have otherwise had the opportunity to see and I am looking forward to exploring this city much more with BEAN in the future.
LINDSEY WHITE, Project Director
I moved to Shanghai from the Big Island of Hawaii just over a year ago to teach English at Cambridge International Centre in Jiuting. I started going to BEAN events soon after I arrived and found it to be a fulfilling and inspiring experience. I have participated in a variety of events, both social and volunteer. I have fond memories of running around the city like a madwoman for the photo scavenger hunt, dressing up as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for the Pirates vs. Ninjas party, and taking care of the little ones at Shanghai Healing Home. The events connect like-minded people and allow their appreciation for this amazing city to grow. I have met so many amazing people through BEAN and I look forward to meeting you!
JANET FLATLEY, Project Director
Hi everyone! I'm a native Floridian and have been in Shanghai with my husband since summer 2010. I was looking for some volunteer actitivies in Shanghai, and ended up getting involved with BEAN by volunteering for the SCAA abandoned animals events. I love animals and miss my pets back at home, so I was very excited to learn about this great opportunity to interact with so many great cats! I've been volunteering with BEAN since early summer 2011, and have also participated in the Reading Buddies program. I have found that BEAN is a wonderful way to meet interesting people in an environment that is both fun and fulfilling. When I'm not working or volunteering, I enjoy reading, laying by the pool, or trying out Shanghai's abundant happy hours and brunches. But my favorite activity of all is traveling - I am trying my best to take full advantage of all the fabulous travel opportunities available from Shanghai, both within China and around Asia. I hope to meet you at a BEAN event soon!
JASMINE DU, Project Director
Hey everyone, this is Jasmine Du, BEAN officer of Networking Nights. I came to Shanghai July 2010 after graduation and started working. My hometown is far far away from Shanghai, up in the north, yes, it is freezing in the winter, and yes, we have real snowflakes for Christmas. I joined BEAN in 2011 and I have a lot of fun by meeting and hanging out with friends at BEAN. Volunteering is a way to find pure happiness to me and I enjoy every minute of it. It feels great knowing I could help. Come and visit our website if you are interested in this and have a nice day, my friends!
MAGGIE WEN, Project Director
Hi guys, I’m Maggie, came to Shanghai about six years ago, and two weeks later I fell in love with this city. Currently I’m working for an American management consulting firm. About half a year ago, I was trying to find a volunteer program for my company, and people told me about BEAN. I’ve never been involved in any volunteer work before, so I decided to try one personally before setting up anything for my company. After my first event, I was totally in love with BEAN; it is like a big warm family full of amazing people with good hearts! Later on, I was more and more involved in BEAN which also became part of my life. So if you are going to join BEAN, please be prepared, because it’s gonna rock your world! Outside of BEAN, I love music, art, movies and travelling, I love meeting new friends, looking forward to meeting you at the next BEAN event!
REBECCA SIEGEL, Project Director
Becca moved to Shanghai in August 2010 to teach English at a primary school. She is originally from Queens and New Jersey, and studied Chinese at the University of Maryland. Back in high school, Becca regularly volunteered with senior citizens in her hometown, so she was very happy to find BEAN last year. When she's not conversing with street vendors or eating Lanzhou LaMian, Becca can be found on her bike, going....somewhere, with her camera in tote. Her favorite BEAN event is Adopt a Grandparent and she seriously enjoyed the BEAN Bike Crawl 2011. Check out the BEAN Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/48797590@N06.
MELISSA MAW, Project Director
Hi! I’m Melissa, born and raised in the states. I moved to Shanghai in the summer of 2010 after living in Beijing for a year and am now glad to call Shanghai my home. While I was heavily involved in community service and philanthropy in the states, I realized that since moving to China I was missing out on these types of events and wanted to get involved again. I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a week in Nanchang with Operation Smile helping cleft palate infants. After my time there, I realized I really missed volunteering… and I wanted more. I came across BEAN after a friend passed along a newsletter, introducing me to this great organization that focuses on making a difference in the local community. After my first event where I met some amazing people, I jumped at the opportunity to make BEAN a part of my life. Outside of BEAN, I enjoy traveling, good food and wine, music festivals, street art, and random adventures around the city.
XUE HUANG, Project Director
Hello everybody, my name is Faith Huang (Chinese name: Huang Xue). I was born in Shanghai, studied in SH, US and Korea, and traveled around world. Now I'm working in the marketing/procurement function for the biggest beer company in the world（YES！ don't be jealous, free beer all the time!!:)). As a BEAN officer, I am mainly responsible for fundraising events. I also co-lead social media and some volunteer events. I am very glad that I became part of BEAN as it is full of interesting people, tons of fun ideas, and meanwhile BEAN always tries to make this world better!
ETHAN WANG, Project Director
Hi! I’m Ethan and I’m originally from California. I came to Shanghai two years ago and wanted to find ways to give back to the community during my spare time. I was introduced to BEAN by one of its interns and found that BEAN offers interesting events every weekend that accommodates my sometimes crazy schedule. In addition, I get to meet and network with like minded people with similar interests during these volunteering events. I never imagined I would be asked to start a new program in Elder Care (Adopt a Grandparent) but I guess anything is possible in this dynamic city. If you are browsing through these pages, chances are you are looking for an organization / club that meet your needs and interests. Give BEAN a shot and you may be pleasantly surprised at the quality of these events and the people you meet!
ROBERT HARTMANN, Project Director
Im from Switzerland and moved to Shanghai in 2005. In the years here, I learned Chinese got my university degree, and learned a lot about myself and this country. Now I'm working for an international company. My first event with BEAN was the Dental Hygene Day. It was the first time it was held and I have participarted in every single one since. Since I am really grateful for the opportunity to serve that BEAN provides, I try to help out as much as I can. If we need to buy some stuff, I go get it. My local supermarket is getting used to me buying 200 toothbrushes. =) Brainstorming and planning future events are also a fun way to get involved.
ANIA PRITCHARD, Project Director
Hi! I’m Ania, and I help out with marketing at BEAN. A reformed hedge fund employee, I arrived in Shanghai from NYC-via-Nepal this summer, and started showing up to BEAN events as a way to make friends and get involved. I found an awesome, openhearted crew of people really seeking to serve the Shanghai community and have a great time while doing it. If you have any questions regarding marketing or would like to join in, feel free to give me a buzz at aniapritchard@gmail.com or come up and chat if you see me at an event. Outside of BEAN, I enjoy being a ballet nerd, microfinance, outdoor sports, and talking. I hope to see you at one of our events soon!
ZOE V, Project Director
Hello! I’m Zoë and I’ve lived in Shanghai since March of 2010. I’m originally from Belgium, have lived in Minnesota and Los Angeles and now looking to take on China. I got involved with Bean by volunteering for their migrant school events and loved the energy of Bean so I decided to get involved. I work in market research and enjoy learning about Chinese culture through the eyes of the consumer. My work experience so far has taught me a lot of project management experience which I will be helping Bean with. First off, I will be helping launch Think Globally Act Locally, where we take an issue that Bean chapters worldwide have voted on and implement it locally. Other than that, I play soccer, stay pretty active, experience as much of Asia as I can, need to learn more Mandarin and always have something new I want to do. Feel free to contact me and join us!
ABASS M.L, Project Director
Hi guys, my name is Abass M.L i'm from Niger (easily confused from Nigeria) I've been in Shanghai for more than 6 years working mainly in the financial services sector .I joined BEAN in early 2011 as part of my new year's resolutions and so far i'm having a blast. I've always been involved in some kind of charity or volunteer work for as long as I remember until I came to shanghai where I fell off the wagon and thanks to BEAN i'm back on again. I've taken up the role of Networking Director and in collaboration with the VP we hope to bring you memorable networking events. I'm a big F1 fan and sport in general, I'm passionate about world affairs, astronomy, quantum physics and also like talking about investment ideas and opportunities.
LAUREN LUELLWITZ, Project Director
Hi! I am Lauren, and I was born and raised in Wisconsin, USA, but lived in Nashville, New York City, and Chicago en route to Shanghai - I moved here in July of 2010 to lead APAC Operations for my company, Kenexa. I love being able to work in an emerging market and all the challenges/opportunities it brings, learn and explore new cultures, and travel around to some awesome places. When I am not working or at BEAN events, I am wandering around the French Concession, going to yoga classes, cooking with friends, editing the Shanghai Expat Association monthly magazine, or planning my next travel adventure. Since a young age I focused on volunteering, and was eager to get involved in Shanghai. A friend introduced me to BEAN before I arrived in Shanghai, and I am forever grateful for that. I lead the Shanghai Healing Home project - an orphanage, partnered with Operation Smile, focused on helping cleft palette infants. BEAN has been connected with SHH for some time on an ad hoc basis, but I am tasked with developing a more regular program with them. Please feel free to reach out with any questions about BEAN, Shanghai Healing Home, or life in general as a volunteering expat in Shanghai!
MARK ROSSETTI, Project Director
Mark Rossetti hails from the silicon-gilded hills of San Jose, and went to college at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he studied psychology and theology. Looking for something entirely new, he moved out to China at the end of 2009 to teach English in a small city in Hubei and get a genuinely immersive experience in China. After finishing his contract there, he moved out to Shanghai and has been living here since the end of 2010. Now, with more hobbies than free time, he spends his spare moments improving his Chinese, singing, copywriting, practicing guitar, learning web design, and generally running around the city.
COLIN PROUT, Project Director
What is there to say..? Well I am a UK National, born in Liverpool, but moved away many years ago. After spending several years studying and travelling, I have found myself in Shanghai after a not unsubstantial stay in London. I am still fairly new to Shanghai, having moved here in the Autumn 2010, and still feel I am yet to fully find my feet. I have, however, really enjoyed it thus far, but like most am finding the language far from the easiest to master. I am also very new to BEAN and I am very excited about the work that is undertaken and the opportunity offered to meet like minded people. I have a huge interest in the developing world am looking forward to working with BEAN to help make people's lives a little easier.
ALICIA WEI, Project Director
Hi I am Alicia, Design Director and co-lead on weekday elder care. One of my friends introduced me with BEANShanghai. I was lucky to find BEAN.My original purpose here was finding a group of people who work together without complicated goal. After I realized that what I did here , who I met here and what I am going to do, I think it is much better than I thought. We enjoy ourselves; we improve our community; we make friends here, we help each other and help more people who need our care. I come from Shanghai. I am also a member of the post-90s generation. I am a college student from Tongji University. My major is Animation. Once one of my friends asked me " What?! Animation can be a major?" Yes. No doubts. I am enthusiastic about doing art. I try to join any activities which are related with art . I also curious about everything I haven't done yet. I love changes, and I will appreciate anyone who gives me any changes in my life, however big or small. I want to let more chinese people know about BEAN Shanghai. It would be great if more friends would join such a great and fun group!
JIMMY WU, Project Director
Hello, my name is Jimmy and I've been in Shanghai for more than 2 years. Shanghai is such an amazing city, but it makes me lonely sometimes as I don't have too many friends here. However, things have changed after I encountered BEAN: it provides such a great platform for me to meet interesting people and participate interesting activities, also, I could help a lot a people through these events. I was in medical field for a year and a half in Shanghai, and I am a native Chinese, if you are new to Shanghai, let me know if there is anything I could help!
