Entrepreneur. Adventurer. Philanthropist.
We are proud to welcome Wang Qiuyang as one of the 2014 WildChina Explorer Grant judges. Since founding Antaeus Group – a prominent Beijing real estate company – in 1994, Wang Qiuyang has chased adventure all over the world. When she is not hard at work in the city, this unassuming businesswoman can found scaling the world’s most challenging peaks. Today she holds the record for being the first Chinese woman to complete the “7+2” challenge of reaching the North Pole, South Pole, and each of the seven continental summits.
Despite her worldly travels, however, Wang Qiuyang has still found time to explore her native China. In 2003, she drove her car all the way to Xinjiang and the Tibetan Autonomous Region, where she encountered the hospitality and vibrant culture of the locals. This trip left such an impression on her that she decided to donate 10 Million RMB to the building of two schools in Tibet’s outlying Ali prefecture. This marked the start of the Apple Education Foundation, which has grown to be one of the largest philanthropic projects in the Tibetan region. For Wang Qiuyang, adventure is not only a way to push oneself to new heights, but can also inspire cultural understanding and positive change in the world.
