Per Erik Bjornsen is an esteemed Italian cook who learned his craft by watching and receiving coaching from his grandmother while growing up in Genoa. (And, yes, the name is Norse. There’s a back story there.)

Manuel Charlemagne is a math and physics professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has also honed his skills as a photographer and photography instructor.

Chhaya is a Master North Indian home cook chef. She’s one of the go-to contacts for Shanghai’s Desi community when it’s time to celebrate.

Most recently, Titus Levi worked as an Associate Professor at the USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry. Before this, he served as a Visiting Scholar at Hong Kong Baptist University, and as a Visiting Scholar at Shih Chien University’s Graduate Institute of Cultural Industries, Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and as Associate Professor with United International College in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. He has been involved in music in various capacities: as an amateur singer with The Shanghai International Choral League, the BG Chamber Choir, a recitalist dedicated to performing arts songs, a music journalist, classical radio DJ and program producer, as well as a concert producer and promoter.

Formerly the point guard for the Shanghai Jiao Tong University women’s basketball team, Zeng Wenling led the team to the quarterfinals of the national collegiate tournament. She currently works in athletic shoe marketing.