Chongqing- Clark Rubino is a guide and developer for startups aiming to set up and expand from Chongqing. He founded Chongqing Bright Ideas (CBI) in 2016. Clark is originally from Kentucky in the USA and has lived in Chongqing since 2011.
"We make the ecosystem healthier and more transparent for founders, stakeholders, and teams. We connect the dots of the changing landscape, so it’s less of a hassle for people to start doing business. If you need help getting into Chongqing to start your business, get a visa, translation work, handling compliance, team building, or partnership matters, that’s where our team comes in."
"Also, we help Chongqing small and medium enterprises and startups reach overseas markets. As a service to the community, we have hosted free and affordable activities through our local startup grind chapter, and we also partner with community-supported and AI-Driven solutions like Founders Lair and weHustle to bring the best out of all ecosystem players."
Clark Rubino (Left) stands with Kaha Gogiashvili, director of the SG Beijing Chapter.
From donkey wagons to high-tech grandeur
Clark first came to China in the summer of 2005 and spent his time between Beijing, China's capital, and Xining of Qinghai Province until Winter 2006. His first visit to Chongqing came three years later, and he eventually returned in February 2011 to set up CBI after a fundraising trip back home in the US.
"It really feels like light years since I first landed at a small regional airport in western China back in 2005. At that time, they were transferring luggage from the tarmac to baggage claim with a wagon pulled by a donkey, and some old dude with a beard was coaxing it to move forward with an ear of corn. Barely 16 years later, airports all over China are the most hi-tech and grandiose in the whole world!"
"Chongqing used to be kind of like Boston, or other small cities that developed quickly in the West, with lots of two-lane roads and one-way roads winding over old mule paths. I remember missing the bus stop once in the Hongqi Hegou area and having to walk 20 minutes just to get to the bus stop going back in the other direction. It was a real nightmare."
"Now, with startups like Didi and Hello Bike offering economical rentals for electric scooters that use smartphone applications like WeChat or Alipay, I can now ride pretty much anywhere in the Liangjiang New Zone without getting on a bus, train, or taxi."
Clark hosts Jia and Joseph of Nenlv Tea at a Startup Grind Fireside Chat event.
Accomplishing the impossible
"I have been mightily impressed by the transformation of Chongqing from an overcrowded city with crazy public transport schedules and commute times to an international hub that runs a smooth and contiguous network. I thought it would be nigh on impossible with all the crazy planning around mountains, rivers, and cliff faces, but they’ve accomplished it with some of the best civil engineerings the world has ever seen!"
"It’s way easier to get to work in Chongqing than any of the mega-cities out East, where you’ll be stuck in traffic for hours if you drive. Also, the pace at which Chongqing has lunged into the 21st century just astounds me. Infrastructure took giant leaps between 2011 and 2017, and in just a few more years, Chongqing will have more train networks per capita than almost anywhere on the planet. It’s really quite amazing!"
"Most recently, I’ve been deeply impressed with the excellent job Chongqing did with mitigating the coronavirus outbreak. Out of all the large cities in the world, I wouldn’t feel as safe anywhere else as I do in Chongqing. It’s also quite an accomplishment how they really rallied everyone in Chongqing to cooperate and follow the rules. I’m really thankful for that, and it has also made it safer to do business here."
SG team members, speakers, and attendees pose for a group photograph after a Chongqing company event.
Excellent business environment
Chongqing is hands down the most important place to do business and understand technological advancement, smart cities, and how to overcome our climate challenges. Office space is extremely affordable, and government services have become very smooth and efficient. Everything is happening here all at once, and it's so quick you will miss it in the blink of an eye if you don’t come and see for yourself.’
"I hope that Chongqing and the rest of China will make it easier for people to move and live in smaller cities. Mega-cities are inevitably stressful, and it doesn’t matter how well you organize them, as the population density, the traffic, distances, bustle, and commutes will always drain you to some extent."
"Also, I hope that more corporate leaders and stakeholders figure out a way to allow their people to work more sensible hours. Some of my good Chinese friends work from 9:00-21:00, seven days a week. Chinese employers must begin prioritizing their team’s health and families over the bottom line and realize that mental health, stress, and depression are the biggest challenges we will have to face in the coming years."
"Education and professional training also play an enormous role in this. We don’t want to work people harder; we want to find ways to have them work smarter with reduced hours but increased productivity. AI and machine learning can be some useful tools for this to happen, but It’s going to take everyone to find a consensus and step forward."