Caiwei Chen is a bilingual storyteller, journalist and writer originally from Hubei, China. Before joining OHMA, she was a freelance journalist covering culture, tech and their intersections on Chinese internet. Her work has appeared on publications including Rolling Stone, South China Morning Post, Protocol, SupChina and SixthTone among others, with topics ranging from female stand-up comedians, short form dramas, Chinese masculinity and Beijing’s underground music scene. 

Caiwei’s interest in oral history originated from the trauma that carries across generations in her own family. After spending some time in the media industry, she is excited to continue her studies at Columbia University in order to explore topics including collective memory, cultural transmission in the digital age, audio storytelling and narrative art.

Caiwei is part of Marcast, a Chinese podcast network that aims to create high-quality audio content for global clients and explore the possibilities of audio storytelling. She is the host of Redirect, a cultural critique podcast covering cross-cultural internet trends in Mandarin. Before starting her own, Caiwei worked as a producer for Tech Buzz China, a podcast that takes monthly deep dives into China’s leading tech companies and innovative sectors. She also contributes regularly to Chaoyang Trap, a newsletter about everyday life on the Chinese internet.

In her spare time, Caiwei is a pop culture junkie and avid reader. Caiwei graduated cum laude from China Agricultural University and University of Colorado, Denver with B.A.s in Communications. Learn more about her at www.chencaiwei.com. You can also find her @CaiweiC on Twitter, or other random corners on the internet.