Leadership
Benny Xian- Co-Creator
Benny is actively involved with the AI and Compassion Project. Benny brings leadership and technology experience to Voyadi, which came out of Banian Labs. He is responsible for the strategy, vision, and growth of Voyadi. Previously, he has played key roles from product engineering (Actel), product (Transmeta IPO: TMTA), to operations (Midori Linux), to cofounding and investing (BeyondCore – acquired by SalesForce, and few others), to founding Banian Labs. After many years with technology companies from hardware, software, to predictive analytics, he recognizes technology by itself isn’t enough. It is what inspired him to study human motivation, to design thinking, and to the need to focus on human experience. He graduated from Stanford University with a MS in electrical engineering and a BSEE with high honors from University of Florida. He enjoys contributing to the local community including mentoring (Stanford StartX, GEM, Singapore NUSEA) and advising technology startups (Lawgives, Mindsumo).
Betty Ban- Co-Creator
Betty is responsible for leading the insider program, content curation, and creative community management. She works with creatives and influencers in search of unique experiences around the world. Previously, she was a cofounder of TrulyShare in charge of products and marketing strategy. Betty is a graduate of Draper University, which is known for unconventional entrepreneurial training by Tim Draper. In consistent with Draper University’s values, Betty is actively driving, building, and pursuing progress and change in everything she does. She is fluent in Mandarin. She advocates women in leadership and technology. One of her passions is helping local communities in China, who lack the resources that we have in California.
Personal Page
twitter@bettyban007
Janet Yang- Honorary Cultural Ambassador
A Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning Hollywood producer with deep roots in China, Janet Yang came to prominence through her collaboration with Steven Spielberg on Empire of the Sun followed by partnerships with Oliver Stone and Lisa Henson. Her extensive Film and TV credits include The Joy Luck Club, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Shanghai Calling and High Crimes.
She currently leads Janet Yang Productions, which is developing projects with Asian themes, including the upcoming animated feature, Over the Moon.
John Maeda- Founding Advisor
John is the Global Head, Computational Design and Inclusion, at Automattic. He has been a source of inspiration and a force behind Voyadi ever since the early days. He brings a wealth of experience in leadership, design, and technology. He is an internationally recognized thought leader at the intersection of design and technology. Esquire named Maeda as one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century. He is currently a Design Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Previously, he led a research team at the MIT Media Lab before serving as the 16th President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Maeda received his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.