# @henryvbao on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZeuuCQplqQ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66616656-henryvbao-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/f3114c3f89.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-12T09:06:44.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Henry V Bao Lachaux (@henryvbao) — https://gondola.cc/henryvbao

## Caption

“Hometown Foreigner, Global Citizen.”

“Made in Germany 🇩🇪 . Designed by China 🇨🇳.” Hamburg born and raised, and local in Shanghai for 10 years, Martin Zhang finds himself straddling between worlds and cultures since a young age.

Today, as a cultural strategist building bridges between East and West, he is being the cultural translator. He’s helped Borussia Dortmund break into Asia, built fan communities for Pokémon, Nintendo & IWC, and now bridges Chinese brands like BYD and Xiaomi to the world. 

Martin’s also lived multiple lives — competitive badminton athlete, model, cultural strategist, and translator between worlds.

And here’s the part that stayed with me the most: before we share a language, we share rituals. Spring rolls at the school lunch table. Chinese New Year and Tết. A football chant. A Pokémon trade in the schoolyard. These are the common language that needs no words — how total strangers become a community.

The line we keep coming back to: it’s never either/or. It’s AND. 🌉 We can embrace all parts of us - and there’s tremendous power in that. 

🎧 Full conversation out now.

#EmpowerCircles #MartinZhang #CulturalTranslation #CrossCulturalLeadership #GlobalCitizen Belonging Community Identity Storytelling FandomCommunities

## Stats

- **Views:** 1,310
- **Likes:** 0
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 12

## Tags

martinzhang, empowercircles, crossculturalleadership, globalcitizen, culturaltranslation

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