Allen Shen

Discover the unseen, experience the unknown, and go where no man had gone before. Those are the drivers for the American Spirit, and elements that defined the Courage for the American people. ---- Allen Shen

No power of a government or censorship of information can ever suppress the human will to breathe FREE. --- Allen Shen

Background

The American Dream story of my family started when my parents decided to immigrate to America in the late 1980s. Aspired by freedom that the United States represented, they believed that if they put in the hard work anything was possible in the Land of the Free. My dad’s career had experienced many ups and downs. He went from teaching at the University of Minnesota to a paperboy delivering Star Tribunes to make the ends meet. Later he became a journalist for a local newspaper, interviewed Governor Jesse Ventura at the State Capitol; and joined his international delegation trip to China as a news reporter. My mom is a pioneer in the Chinese medicine and acupuncture practices in the State of Minnesota. She organized a team of eastern medicine doctors to go to Washington DC convincing the legislators to have acupuncture treatments covered by insurance companies.

When I was still a little kid living in the Communist China, I wasn't certain when I would be able to join my parents in the US. But every time when I saw the stars and stripes waving in the sky, I knew in my heart that flag symbolized Freedom! But the Chinese CCP government refused to issue me a passport to leave the country as a way to make my parents return back to China. My parents reached out to the State Auditor Mark Dayton for help and he did all he could persuading the Chinese government to release me. Eventually, I received my passport after Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of States in the Nixon Administration wrote a letter to the Chinese government. When I was 12 years old I flew across the Pacific Ocean by myself leaving the communist state behind. Upon seeing the shiny cars dashing on the freeways while landing at LAX, I realized that I had arrived in the land of the Free, and thus my journey in the free world began.

Military Service

Upon finishing high school at Mounds View I answered the call to serve my country in the US Army. This country had offered me so much, and allowed me to fully live out my potentials. It was my desire and greatest honor to defend her freedom, carrying on the ideal of our nation and to protect the American way of life.

During the seven years while I served in the US Army, I had come across many brave patriots who were willing to give their lives to protect this great nation. They were truly the greatest people alive. They always lead by example, putting others’ interests before their own, and they are willing to die before dishonoring their country. Serving with those great people made me realize that there is no greater honor one can receive than to serve his country in uniform.

It was my time in the military that taught me the concepts of discipline, selfless service, courage, integrity, and hard work. I have said many time before, just because we took off our uniforms, it doesn't mark the end of our service to our country. Now we have communists at our door step, we have to defend our freedom and take our country back! Our future belong to those willing to risk it all to defend the American way of life, I don't want to one day tell our next generation that how Americans used to be free. We are the land of the free because we are home of the brave!

International Business Experience

After I got out of the Army, I took a job opportunity and moved to Shanghai, China doing international business. I worked for two French companies with the intention to further advance my international business expertise and obtain the consumer behaviors over in the Far East. I brought my extensive knowledge back to the United States to assist American corporations in expanding their business interests into global markets.

Besides helping businesses I also committed myself to the education of our next generation at college campuses. For many years I have been invited onto campuses to share my insights on global businesses practices. I also founded the American Marketing Association Marketing Students Case Competition. It offers students to take on a real world business project before they graduate in order to further their horizons outside of text books.