About this Event
North America’s largest student-run conference on Asia, organized by Asian Affinity Business Association (AABA) and Southeast Asia Club (SEA), student clubs at Harvard Business School.
Join us at Harvard Business School on Saturday, November 7, 2026, for a full day of keynote conversations, industry panels, special sessions, and networking with business, technology, investment, policy, and cultural leaders from across Asia and beyond.Under this year’s theme, “Global by Design: The Dual-Fluency Advantage,” we will explore how leaders build across markets, how Asian companies expand globally, and how organizations navigate the opportunities and complexities connecting Asia and North America.Asia is shaping the future of global business, yet many of its most influential leaders rarely appear together in Boston.
This conference offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the people building companies, leading institutions, and navigating the forces reshaping the region.
Keynote speakers
- Ida Liu, CEO of HSBC Private Bank: Leading the private banking business of one of the world’s largest financial institutions, with $554 billion in global client balances as of June 2026.
- Sungsoo Lee, CEO and President at Hanwha Group: Representing South Korea’s fourth-largest business group (after Samsung, SK, and Hyundai), a Fortune Global 500 company with businesses spanning aerospace and defense, energy, semiconductors, and more.
- Carol Lin, CEO of Z.ai Global Business: Leading global business at Z.ai, also known as Zhipu AI, one of China’s leading artificial intelligence companies and the developer of the GLM family of large language models.
Two special sessionsThe program also includes special sessions with Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and Joe Ngai, Chairman of McKinsey Greater China, offering perspectives on leadership, business, and the region’s changing global role.
Panels across industries
Explore the ideas, companies, and decisions shaping Asia through panels on:
- Geopolitics
- Digital & AI
- Technology
- Entertainment & Media
- Venture Capital
- Finance
- Entrepreneurship
- Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
- Sports
- Fashion
Speakers with experience across countries and industries
Our panelists bring perspectives from global finance, industrial leadership, technology, consumer brands, and culture. Featured speakers include:
- Haryanto Budiman, MD at BCA and former CEO of JP Morgan Indonesia
- Winnie Kwan, Global Portfolio Manager and Principal Investment Officer at Capital Group
- Takajiro Ishikawa, President of KPS Capital Partners Asia and former CEO and President of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Americas
- Tracy Nguyen, Chief Communications Officer of SKIMS
The broader program also features leaders with experience at Intel, YouTube, Nike, a16z, and prominent startups across Asia and the United States.
Your ticket includes:
- Admission to the conference’s keynotes, panels, and special sessions
- A catered lunch
- Coffee and tea service throughout the conference
- A goodie bag featuring products from our speakers and corporate sponsors, with a combined retail value of over $50
Who should attend:
Beyond the stage, the conference is designed to create genuine opportunities to meet speakers and connect with
- Students and professionals interested in Asia
- Founders, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs
- Business leaders working across Asia and North America
- Anyone interested in technology, consumer markets, investing, leadership, or geopolitics
- People considering careers, partnerships, or expansion connected to Asia
Transportation:
- Limited Parking available outside Klarman Hall for a fee
- HBS bike map: https://www.hbs.edu/about/campus-and-culture/policies/bike-policy
- Harvard Campus Map (select “explore” and then “transportation to see Bluebike locations, bike FixIt stations, and more: https://mapprod.cadm.harvard.edu/portal/apps/indoors/index.html?appid=2c3969f8d1b14147920610a68f6db713#?n=1743789728395
- CityMapper (MBTA and Harvard buses visible in one place + walking times + Bluebikes) https://transportation.harvard.edu/news/2026/08/harvard-shuttles-launch-citymapper
For more information, visit our website at: https://asiabusinessconference.com/
Event venue & nearby stays
Harvard Business School, 80 N Harvard St, Boston, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.