Stephen was born in Surrey, England, and moved around the south of England before settling down in Aberdeen, Scotland, for eight years. Eventually, he returned to finish school in England and attended King's College London to read history.

Contrary to the seemingly common belief that all history majors become teachers or academics, Stephen has set about entering the world of finance and entrepre-
neurship. After visiting Russia and India, he moved to Beijing to learn Mandarin and to attain work experience in China.

For two years he was working with MG Maple, a private equity firm, focused on making investments in the Greater China region. He is now with Maple Elite Investments, a China focused PE firm, and is based between Hong Kong and Beijing. Other experience includes working with a real-estate venture capital fund in Mumbai, India.