{"id":80806,"date":"2026-05-13T16:02:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=80806"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:02:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:02:28","slug":"results-announced-for-the-2026-top-chinese-american-youth-under-30-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=80806","title":{"rendered":"Results Announced for the 2026 \u201cTop Chinese American Youth Under 30\u201d List"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAPost | Los Angeles (May 6, 2026)<\/strong> \u2014 The 2026 AACYF Top 30 Under 30 list has officially been released, recognizing outstanding young Chinese innovators and entrepreneurs across cutting-edge sectors including artificial intelligence, health technology, education innovation, fintech, consumer technology, cultural industries, and embodied AI.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s list highlights a strong trend of \u201ctechnology-driven innovation and cross-disciplinary integration.\u201d AI infrastructure and applications, intelligent robotics, healthcare and life sciences, education technology, and global talent networks emerged as dominant fields. Many honorees also demonstrate hybrid backgrounds spanning academia, industry, and investment, reflecting a new generation of globally minded Chinese entrepreneurs with strong leadership and organizational capabilities.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s No.1 honoree is Sirui Ning<\/strong>. In addition, two pairs of co-founders were jointly recognized for their shared startup ventures and systematic innovations in AI-powered education.<\/p>\n

Below is the full 2026 AACYF Top 30 Under 30 list organized by sector:<\/p>\n

\n

I. Fundamental Science & Academic Innovation<\/h1>\n

Sirui Ning<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and recipient of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Fellowship. He graduated from the Special Class for the Gifted Young at the University of Science and Technology of China and later pursued advanced theoretical studies at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. His research focuses on theoretical biophysics and string theory, with more than ten published papers and reviewer roles for multiple international journals. He currently serves as President of the Berkeley Postdoctoral Association.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Theoretical Physics \/ Interdisciplinary Mathematics \/ Academic Research<\/p>\n

\n

II. AI Education & Learning Technology<\/h1>\n

Huandong Cao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Graduate of Columbia University\u2019s Mathematics Education program and Founder & CEO of IGNITE Academy. He advocates for \u201creturning teaching autonomy\u201d to students, has authored academic curricula, and mentored over 100 students admitted to Ivy League and Oxbridge institutions, including MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and Wharton. He also appeared on Chinese television programs such as The Brain<\/em> and founded the public education initiative Chasing Light Academy<\/em>, whose educational content has surpassed 100 million views.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Education Innovation \/ Youth Leadership \/ Content Media<\/p>\n

\n

William Feng<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Master\u2019s graduate in Education Leadership from Harvard University and dual-degree graduate from Northwestern University. As TEDxSinanRoad Curator, speaker, COO of IGNITE Academy, and bestselling education author, he has promoted cross-cultural education and youth leadership development while mentoring hundreds of students accepted into top global universities.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Education Innovation \/ Youth Leadership \/ Content Media<\/p>\n

\n

Yilin Zhao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Columbia University entrepreneur and founder of Hyperknow. He developed what is described as the world\u2019s first \u201cproactive learning agent,\u201d reimagining personalized education pathways. The platform serves tens of thousands of users and has received million-dollar angel investment support from ZhenFund and recognition from Google for Startups.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Education \/ Learning Agents<\/p>\n

\n

Ruohan Jiang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Founder of Hyperknow and former Columbia University student in astrophysics and computer science. She left school during her freshman year to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. She leads the design of Hyperknow\u2019s AI learning system, transforming education from passive Q&A into proactive learning planning.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Education \/ Learning Agents<\/p>\n

\n

Miaoyu Lei<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Graduate of Rutgers University with a master\u2019s degree from Boston University and a background in landscape architecture and spatial design. She has long been involved in interdisciplinary creative practice and youth community building. Former President of the Rutgers Chinese Students Association, she built support networks serving thousands of international students and launched a women\u2019s mutual-support platform connecting over 2,000 members in Los Angeles and Irvine. She currently works with AWDPI and One Culture Foundation on youth and cultural development initiatives.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Youth Development \/ Community Platforms \/ Cross-Cultural Innovation<\/p>\n

\n

III. Artificial Intelligence & Infrastructure<\/h1>\n

Yuhua Hu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

AI Visiting Scholar at Oxford University and graduate of King\u2019s College London. Founder of PathpalAI and related ventures focused on AI-driven professional development systems and multi-agent collaboration infrastructure, serving over 250,000 users and connecting more than 2,300 mentors.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Education & Career Systems \/ Youth Communities \/ Smart Infrastructure<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Yang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Co-founder of Yanfa Technology and serial entrepreneur focused on AI-native products and global growth. His AI products have served more than 3 million users worldwide across multimodal content generation, multi-model collaboration, and intelligent productivity tools.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI SaaS \/ AI Agents<\/p>\n

\n

Shawn Pang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Co-founder & CEO of AllScale, a stablecoin banking and AI payment infrastructure startup. Within three months of launch, the platform processed more than $80 million in transactions and secured $7.5 million in funding from leading venture firms.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> FinTech \/ AI Payment Infrastructure<\/p>\n

\n

Miaomiao Fu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Founder & CEO of TrialV.AI and graduate of Dartmouth College. She developed an AI-powered patient recruitment and enrollment optimization platform for clinical trials, improving recruitment efficiency by approximately 40% in pilot programs. The company is incubated at C10 Labs in MIT\u2019s Kendall Square ecosystem.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Healthcare \/ Clinical Trial Optimization<\/p>\n

\n

Ruifeng Ren<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Founder & CEO of Zhence AI, recipient of the MIT Student Excellence Award and one of the first students in his department\u2019s history to achieve a perfect GPA. His AI data intelligence platform has served more than 100,000 users.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Data Intelligence \/ Agent Systems<\/p>\n

\n

Kuai Yu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Student in game interaction design at the China Academy of Art and co-founder & CEO of Tech Tank. He focuses on integrating gaming interaction technologies with psychology to develop immersive digital experiences for commercial and public applications. The company has raised $2 million in angel funding and partnered with sports organizations and government agencies.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Interactive Technology \/ Gaming Tech \/ Digital Experience Systems<\/p>\n

\n

IV. Embodied AI & Robotics<\/h1>\n

Yuli Ouyang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Cambridge University graduate in real estate finance and current Harvard real estate student. He is active in robotics and real estate technology ventures and has co-founded multiple intelligent technology companies.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Robotics \/ Intelligent Manufacturing<\/p>\n

\n

Jack Pu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Graduate of the University of Southern California and co-founder of Qingyu Technology. He focuses on next-generation biomimetic flexible robotics and has secured multiple rounds of investment from leading venture firms.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Flexible Robotics \/ Embodied AI<\/p>\n

\n

Richard Feng<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Master\u2019s graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and co-founder of Astairo Robotics. He leads the development of AI-powered pet health robots and multimodal interaction systems. He is also founder and chairman of GVALN, a global alumni venture network connecting more than 10,000 innovation and investment professionals worldwide.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Embodied AI \/ Home Robotics \/ Global Venture Networks<\/p>\n

\n

V. FinTech & Investment<\/h1>\n

Jiayi Qu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

CFO of Hill Research and Cornell MBA graduate. She helped scale the commercialization of an AI healthcare platform by 10x.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Medical AI \/ Financial Growth Strategy<\/p>\n

\n

Longjie Lin<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Investor at Jinqiu Capital focusing on AI and commercial aerospace. He has participated in investments totaling nearly RMB 200 million over the past two years.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Investment \/ Early-Stage Venture Capital<\/p>\n

\n

Jiayi Yu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Graduate of NYU Stern School of Business, co-founder & CEO of Quis Lab, and venture partner at global investment firm Antler. He focuses on early-stage technology entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem development while bridging startup incubation and global venture capital resources.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Venture Capital \/ Startup Incubation \/ Innovation Ecosystems<\/p>\n

\n

Wenshu Cui<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Student representative at Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Cambridge University finance graduate, and honors graduate of Ohio State University. Founder & CEO of Insight Education and co-founder\/CFO of multiple AI and intelligent manufacturing ventures. Former consultant at McKinsey and Roland Berger.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Technology Investment \/ AI Industry \/ Education & Capital Integration<\/p>\n

\n

VI. Consumer Technology & AI Products<\/h1>\n

Jiayang Cheng<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Co-founder & CEO of Nestify Labs and former YouTube engineer. His company develops AI-powered family coordination systems used by tens of thousands of North American households.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Consumer AI \/ Smart Family Systems<\/p>\n

\n

Cindy Le<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Founder of Immerse AI, a generative AI content platform with over 100,000 users globally. Former Google engineer with research published at CVPR and ICCV.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Generative AI \/ Content Platforms \/ Research<\/p>\n

\n

Musia Yu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Dual-degree MBA\/MPA candidate at Stanford GSB and Harvard Kennedy School. Founder & CEO of Kinetiq AI, developing wearable spinal health devices and AI platforms supported by Google Cloud and healthcare partners worldwide.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Consumer HealthTech \/ AI Healthcare \/ Women\u2019s Health Innovation<\/p>\n

\n

Lisa Chen<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Columbia University MPA graduate and founder of DuoDuoLand, an AI-powered social networking platform with more than one million users.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> AI Social Networking \/ Global Networks<\/p>\n

\n

VII. Cultural & Creative Industries<\/h1>\n

Miaotian Sun<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

New York-based dance artist and founder of Quadrant International Art Association. Her work has been featured at Alvin Ailey theaters and other international platforms.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Performing Arts \/ Cross-Cultural Exchange \/ Arts Platforms<\/p>\n

\n

Yuer Hao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

UC Berkeley graduate active in the music and film industries. She co-founded MPera, a North American music creator platform connecting more than 40 universities and supporting cross-cultural creative collaboration.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Cultural Industries \/ Music & Film \/ Cross-Cultural Media<\/p>\n

\n

Luodawei Xiao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

MFA graduate of the American Film Institute and lead editor for ReelShort, contributing to the industrialization of the North American short-drama industry.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Film & Digital Entertainment \/ Short-Form Drama<\/p>\n

\n

VIII. Cross-Disciplinary Entrepreneurship & Innovation<\/h1>\n

Xiaoyang Zhang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Columbia University graduate focused on overseas Chinese youth innovation and public communication. As brand director of the NGO H\u00e9b\u00e0ozh\u012bm\u00f9 Innovation Community, she has helped build collaborative networks spanning more than 40 countries and 150 universities.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Youth Innovation Networks<\/p>\n

\n

Yue Cheng<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Johns Hopkins University graduate and co-founder of the nonprofit ISEA, promoting cultural and investment exchange between China and the United States.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Cultural Business \/ Community Economy<\/p>\n

\n

Sirui Wang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Dual master\u2019s student at Columbia University specializing in climate science and carbon management. Her work focuses on carbon market policy and nature-based climate solutions.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Climate Finance \/ Sustainability \/ Sports Education<\/p>\n

\n

Zhengfan Guan<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Transportation designer and ACCD graduate currently working with Ford-Lincoln\u2019s global design team on future mobility experiences.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Industrial Design \/ Mobility Technology<\/p>\n

\n

RuoYi Li<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

PhD student at Ohio State University studying arts administration, education, and policy. She researches labor transformation in creative industries and serves as President of MIT-CHIEF, promoting interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Cultural & Creative Industries \/ Innovation Communities \/ Entrepreneurship Ecosystems<\/p>\n

\n

2026 AACYF U25 Chinese American Youth Elite List<\/h1>\n

Jie Gao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Master\u2019s student at the University of Chicago and co-founder of UChicago Venture Club. His work spans entrepreneurship communities, advanced manufacturing exports, international trade, and early-stage investing.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Youth Entrepreneurship \/ Cross-Border Business<\/p>\n

\n

Yufan Zhang<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Columbia University graduate and founder of VPI Visionary Co-Creation Association. She leads multiple DTC consumer brands and cross-border growth systems.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Consumer Brands \/ Global Growth<\/p>\n

\n

Yangzheng Wu<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Master\u2019s student at Yale School of the Environment and founding secretary-general of the Chinese Students & Scholars Association across the U.S. East and Midwest.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Cross-Cultural Organizations \/ Youth Leadership<\/p>\n

\n

Yihao Shen<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Former NYU CSSA President and founder of the Eastern U.S. Chinese Students & Scholars Alliance, connecting more than 50 universities and launching China Going Global Summit projects at the United Nations Headquarters.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Academic Networks \/ Industry Collaboration<\/p>\n

\n

Ziyi Gao<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Stanford University graduate student focused on climate governance and energy transition initiatives.<\/p>\n

Field:<\/strong> Climate Governance \/ Energy Transition<\/p>\n

\n

The 2026 AACYF Top 30 Under 30 list reflects a clear trend: young Chinese entrepreneurs are moving from \u201cparticipating in global innovation\u201d to \u201cdefining global innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

From fundamental science to AI infrastructure, from embodied intelligence to education transformation, and from fintech to cultural industries, this generation is reshaping the technological and commercial landscape of the next decade through interdisciplinary expertise and global resource integration.<\/p>\n

(By Richard Ren \/ AACYF & LAPost)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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