John Shen

CEO
American Lending Center

John Shen grew up in China and came to the U.S. in 1993 as a foreign student. He earned his undergraduate degree from Peking University in 1992 and a master’s degree in Statistics and Decision Sciences from Duke University in 1996. As the founder and current CEO of American Lending Center, headquartered in Irvine, Shen has successfully turned a small start-up into one of the most successful non-bank small business lending institutions in the country over the past decade. Since 2015, Shen has successfully founded three other dynamic, inventive start-ups - a diversified investment firm in Sunstone Management; a “Trustech” company in Sunstone Trust Company; and a “virtual kitchen/food hall” developer and operator in Partake Collective. His entrepreneurial vision and leadership sent all his companies onto the fast track to success. As a grassroots entrepreneur himself, John possesses a great passion for start-ups and small businesses.