Brian Connors
PARTNER
Brian is partner at Due East Advisors and a seasoned China advisor, entrepreneur, and fluent Mandarin speaker. As the State of Michigan’s chief advisor for China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, Brian has coordinated nine Governor’s trade and investment missions to Taiwan and China, establishing partnerships with governmental partners, industry groups, and corporations. His work to attract foreign direct investments has resulted in more than $4.5 billion in economic impact in Michigan. Brian also founded and operated the Bridge Café, a popular café chain in Beijing.
Brian received his B.A. in Chinese from Williams College, Certificate in Chinese Studies from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, and Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Courtney Henderson
PARTNER
Courtney is partner at Due East Advisors and our team’s boundlessly creative leader of strategy and operations. Courtney previously served as the Deputy Director of the Michigan-China Innovation Center (MCIC) and led the organization’s FDI attraction, market development, and bilingual digital marketing strategy. Courtney has supported five Governor’s trade and investment missions to Taiwan and China. Before serving her home state of Michigan, Courtney worked in Washington, D.C. at the nation’s largest biofuels trade association.
Courtney received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. in Chinese Studies from the University of Michigan. Previously, she lived and worked in Shenzhen, China and studied at Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan.
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Crystal Li
REPRESENTATIVE
Crystal represents Due East Advisors in Shanghai. She has more than a decade of experience working as an international trade and investment consultant for U.S. companies interested in doing business in China. She has a B.A. in Spanish from Shanghai International Studies University and an M.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia.
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Lindsey Quint
JUNIOR ASSOCIATE
Lindsey holds an M.A. in Chinese Studies and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan. She earned her B.A. in Chinese and International Relations from the University of Colorado Boulder. Lindsey’s interest in international relations at the state and local level began during her graduate studies, where she explored ways to foster U.S.-China relations at a people-to-people level.
