Grace Chen

Determined to act as a conduit between east and west for artists and athletes, Grace Chen founded her company Graceful Media in 2010; 10 years later she set up a platform for Asian and Asian-American musicians by organising the first MetaMoon Music Festival, held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Chen grew up in Dallas, Texas, where she later studied business at the Southern Methodist University. After graduation she entered the entertainment industry, beginning at the bottom at the William Morris Agency, where she rose in just a few years to head its Asian operation and, as managing director, opened the first office in China of any Hollywood agency. Chen, who also serves as the China chief strategy officer for the US entertainment company Live Nation, as well as an advisor to the Chinese-medicine-oriented wellness brand NOOCI, aims to continue working with artists and athletes keen to develop the China/Asia market, while paving a path for Asian artists keen to gain a foothold abroad. A lover of cooking, great TV drama series and a stunning sunset, she says her secret is success is: “Believe. Trust the universe. It’s not always easy to surrender and let go, but being able to let the process play out is something I’m trying to be better about. Water will boil when the temperature is right – you can’t rush it or will it to happen faster.”