Canadian author, consultant finds niche in China
Print Edition
Canadian Jason Inch planned to stay in China for five years when he first came to the country. Now the 43-year-old is considering a third “five-year plan” as a social entrepreneur and writer.
As the general manager of his own company, Loft of Health and Urban Sustainability (LOHAUS), as well as the author of two books about opportunities in China’s economy, Inch devoted himself for half a decade to learning, thinking, writing and doing to help other people.
Inch’s relationship with Asia could date back to his early days. Born in Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, Inch has seen Asian communities and cultures since he was young.
Driven by a curiosity to know about life across the ocean, Inch spent five years working between the US and Japan after he graduated from college with a degree in Pacific and Asian studies in 1997.
“Connecting to China and Japan has always been my desire, and I felt I haven’t achieved that yet,” Inch tells Shanghai Daily when recalling his determination to come to China. “So I enrolled in an MBA program in the Richard Ivey School of Business, which has a strong China connection.”
Without any language skills or connections, Inch confesses that he didn’t really have a career plan when he first came to Shanghai in 2004. After a year and a half of as a freelance consultant, Inch joined US industrial conglomerate Honeywell as an internal consultant.
He says that his first job in Shanghai made an important base for him to start doing other business in China. The job led Inch into writing and sharing his outlook about China’s economy.
Together with his mentor at Honeywell, Inch co-wrote “Supertrends of Future China” (2008) and put his thoughts into a second book in 2012. In both books, Inch explains how China is a unique country with so many opportunities.
“Western readers might find new ideas in the book. But it has value for Chinese readers as well, because it points out some of the differences between what’s going on in China and elsewhere,” says Inch. “I want Chinese readers to know that it’s special to live and start a business in such a fast-changing country.”
For now, Inch sees “economic sustainability” as the next trend for the nation. “China in some ways has the biggest sustainability problem,” he says. “You look at the air pollution and think this is serious, but there are also big opportunities waiting to be seized.”
Inch launched LOHAUS in June 2013 to promote a simple lifestyle. He installed a solar power-generating system on the roof of its office last April, and plans to install a personal gas station in 2015. Both are to showcase the possibility of a self-sufficient model of clean energy.
“LOHAUS was my effort to make a contribution back to society,” says Inch. “I know it takes time to change the way people think, so in the coming five years, I’ll be focused on making the concept of LOHAUS bigger. That’s what I can do and I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
Inch’s third book, “LOHAUS,” is set for release next month. Meanwhile, he continues reading and hosting events to deepen his inroads in the city.
“Ten years on, I’m happy that I made the decision to come to China,” he says. “I feel grateful for what these days
have given me. You won’t feel yourself at work when you finally find something you want to do.”
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