What I have accomplished.

Anfulu

We're building Anfulu to bring China's emerging premium brands to Western markets. There is a whole generation of Chinese designers and founders making things that deserve a global audience.

I lead partnerships, content, and go-to-market. From finding brands to shipping our first orders, this is very much a hands-on project.

Mydian

Alongside my co-founder Andy Crawford, I build distribution channels for Chinese and American consumer brands through Mydian. Our work spans China market entry, international sales, and the technology that helps brands manage their distributor networks.

We've worked with seven-figure distributor networks across Asia. Anfulu grew out of the same work, taking what we learned in China and applying it in the other direction.

AmCham Shanghai’s Summer 2026 edition of Insight featured Andy and me in “Cutting Through the Noise: Connecting China to the World,” written by Stephanie Sam.

Emerging Leader

AmCham Shanghai selected me as its 2025 Emerging Leader Award recipient. It was an honor to have our work at Mydian recognized by people I've looked up to in the US-China business community.

Building in Lingang

In 2025, I received the Talent Ambassador of Shanghai Lingang title from the Shanghai Municipal Government, recognizing my work introducing companies and entrepreneurs to the Lingang Free Trade Zone.

I've helped bring hundreds of foreign entrepreneurs to China, sharing what I've learned about starting a business here and introducing people to the communities that helped me get going.

When I found Lingang's support for young founders, I started recommending it to other entrepreneurs. Seeing friends build their own companies here has become one of the most rewarding parts of the work.

My Lingang story in Jiemian ↗

NYU Shanghai

I'm Charlie Howes, also known as 王康. I'm an American entrepreneur working between Shanghai and New York City, co-founder of Anfulu and co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Mydian.

I graduated from NYU Shanghai with a degree in Business and Interactive Media and a minor in Global China Studies and Mandarin. Before that, I studied Chinese at Beijing No. 80 High School through the US government's National Security Language Initiative for Youth.

I still come back to share what building a company here actually looks like. I've spoken with NYU Shanghai students, AmCham Shanghai, and visiting Columbia MBA students, as well as on a Mandarin-language panel welcoming 2026 in Hong Kong.