For the past 20 years, Steven Shen has been a leading producer in the Sino-US cross cultural entertainment business.

Upon graduation from Beijing University, China’s most prestigious University, with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature he started his career at Central People’s Broadcasting Station in the early 80’s. He was the youngest acting director for the China Film & TV Journalists association in 1985. In 1986, he became a scriptwriter and concept designer for major events in China Central TV (China’s only national TV network) and his TV work won the national prize in the same year.

In 1989, Steven Shen (a.k.a. “Qun Shen” at the time) entered Southern Illinois University’s graduate program in Radio and Television. In 1991, he became one of the first generation of Mainland Chinese in the post-Mao era to obtain a master’s degree in Radio and Television from an American university.

Steven Shen incorporated Newshen International in California in 1993 and its sister company Beijing Nisen Limited in Beijing in 1994. He then focused on the media business between China and the US. In 1995, he published a large and influential reference book—the China Business Register, which was the first annual printing resource for foreigners looking for Cheses businesses. In its 1996 edition, Steven supplemented the book with an online service to link China and the world.

In 1996, Steven was one of the three major coordinators in China who helped launch the Sundance Film Festival in Beijing.

In 1997, as one of the major investors and CEO, Steven started to organize and deliver major events in the US. He opened the 98’ San Francisco Chinese Lantern Festival. This theme park-like event opened for 186 days and included thousands of Chinese cultural exhibits and live shows. It drew more than a hundred Chinese artists who gave on-site performances. This festival was considered the largest cultural event sponsored by mainland Chinese since diplomatic relations were normalized between the PRC and the US in 1972.

In 1999, in association with CCTV, he became the producer for the TV series “Sustaining The Earth”, which is a US-funded environmental protection TV program aired annually on CCTV.

In 2001, on behalf of the mainland Chinese printing media, he applied on-site reporting to cover the Academy Awards: a ground-breaking journey. In the same year, he formed Shenhart Entertainment in Hollywood with some US partners. Shenhart launch the website China Footage a few months later. In October, Steven produced the live show The Tenth Golden Rooster and the Hundred Flowers Film Festival for CCTV.