My Story

Hey, I'm Gary. I create institutions where scientists can pursue their divine calling and their breakthroughs can be commercialized for humanity.

My mission is to Unlock the Golden Age, with God as the Foundation.

Me after hosting a 3,000 person tech event in 2024

Me after hosting a 3,000 person tech event in 2024

TL;DR

My story begins way before I was born, with my great-grandfather serving as a pastor in southern China during the 1930s and 40s, before Christianity was banned. His dedication to faith and community laid the foundation for our family's values.

A big part of my story is also the story of my grandfather, driven by ambition and faith in possibilities, who left his village to become a rocket engineer in a major Chinese city.

Then came the Communist revolution.

For the simple fact that his family owned land, he was torn from his five-year-old son — my father — and imprisoned in a labor camp for six years. Despite the futility, my grandfather became known for his iron will, protesting his unjust imprisonment every chance he got — a testament to unwavering faith in truth and justice.

The treatment my grandfather received

The treatment my grandfather received

Origins

My parents' determination to provide a better life for themselves and their future children led them to top universities in China and eventually to the United States as graduate students.

My brother was born shortly before the Tiananmen Square massacre, a pivotal moment that transformed our family's status from student visa holders to permanent residents, thanks to the Chinese Student Protection Act supported by Nancy Pelosi and President George H.W. Bush.

I was born in the United States soon after.

Two students dancing during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989

Two students dancing during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989

Parents' Journey

Growing up in suburban America, I had the privilege of attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy IMSA, founded by a Nobel laureate.

Beyond academics, I discovered my talent for organizing communities — from coordinating DOTA tournaments across dorm rooms to negotiating sanctioned dance parties with administrators.

As tennis team captain and event organizer, I learned early on how to bring people together around shared interests.

The IMSA campus

The IMSA campus

Early Education

At Duke University, early mentors introduced me to software engineering.

Interning at small startups with millions of users showed me the incredible impact a few hundred lines of code could have, and inspired me to pursue Computer Science as my major.

Beyond academics, Duke was transformative for the diversity of people I met and my role in the university's leading dance team.

Organizing large dance shows honed my skills in creating memorable experiences.

Duke University

Duke University

University Years

I began my career at Google, leading a small team on Google Cloud's frontend. This experience instilled in me the importance of structured thinking, comprehensive design documents, and cross-team coordination.

During this time, I also co-founded Dancing Pineapple, producing 24 concerts and parties across NYC and LA over two years. Through this platform, we helped launch electronic music artists who later performed at major festivals like Coachella and EDC Vegas, while creating transformative experiences that brought diverse communities together.

Amid the social upheaval of 2016-2019, I left Google to co-found Civics Unplugged, a nonprofit focused on civic education and innovation. Our work empowered thousands of young people across 70+ countries to engage meaningfully with democracy and public service.

We gained support from notable partners including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Andrew Yang, Coinbase, and the Ethereum Foundation. This work earned me recognition in the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list and was featured in PBS's "Roadtrip Nation" documentary on Changemakers.

The NYC Google office

The NYC Google office

Professional Journey

My journey then led me into the web3 space, where I was captivated by the potential of permissionless systems.

I helped grow multiple projects in the space by lending my talents in product design, community building, event production, and product marketing.

A highlight was contributing to the early days of Vitalik Buterin's Zuzalu, a pioneering pop-up city community first launched in Montenegro that demonstrated new models of innovation and community living.

Being immersed in the web3 space inspired me to explore all sorts of what I call foundational technologies—solutions that enable hyperlocal resilience, self-sustainability, dynamism, and ecological regeneration. This exploration laid the groundwork for my current mission.

Me with my friend at Zuzalu in Montenegro

Me with my friend at Zuzalu in Montenegro

Web3 & Community Building

AI dominates every conversation in technology, and for good reason: it's reshaping every industry and aspect of our lives.

To understand how this technology will transform education, governance, healthcare, manufacturing, and spiritual life itself, I spent over 1,000 hours in between June 2024 and April 2025 building and experimenting with AI tools like Cursor. During this time, I also completed the Gauntlet AI intensive bootcamp, graduating among the top of the founding class.

While I've learned a tremendous amount about the power and perils of AI, it will be an ongoing journey to discern how increasingly powerful versions of AI—and other foundational technologies—can help unlock heaven on earth (versus forge a dystopian hellscape).

Speaking at the Gauntlet AI graduation in March 2025

Speaking at the Gauntlet AI graduation in March 2025

Immersing Myself in AI

My days are spent doing whatever it takes to "refound America."

Imagine faith-centered towns with the perfect conditions to foster the next Bell Labs.

Empowering safe havens for once-in-a-generation scientists committed to commercializing breakthroughs that democratize human flourishing.

These Christofuturist communities are the future of America, and I am committed to helping them become a reality.

The Christofuture: Refounding America
The Christofuture: Refounding America

Building is an act of worship.

Build for the glory of God, not the glory of men.

Build with Truth as your foundation, Beauty as your standard, and Goodness as your measure of impact.

To build with Truth is to reject illusion and anchor your work in the eternal.

To build with Beauty is to create technology that feels more like nature than machine, making us more human, not less.

To build with Goodness is to ensure every venture serves human flourishing and strengthens our connection to each other and to God.

You are a node in God's divine neural network.

Play the part that God has designed you for.

A Builder's Vow
A Builder's Vow
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