I am an independent creative, entrepreneur and intercultural comedian based in Beijing who uses comedy as a means to bridge cultural divides between China and the West. I perform on television, radio, and live on various platforms in China. My intercultural comedic pieces have collected millions of views across various traditional and new media platforms.

I am a maker, performer, host, advisor, mentor, activist and trailblazer in the new and fantastically interesting field of intercultural comedy. My work has been featured on TEDx, PBS, NPR and PRI, as well as Chinese media such as CCTV, BTV, and CRI. I was also listed as one of the “People of the Year” for 2012 by the Global Times for my viral video "Laowai Style,"​ which garnered two million views in China.

In the English-speaking world, my "Great LOL Of China" tour, has performed Chinese comedy at over 30 schools, such as at Harvard, Yale SOM, University of Washington, Brandeis, Wesleyan, and UH Manoa.

Previously, as a Fulbright Research Fellow, I conducted 14 months of research on Chinese traditional Xiangsheng comedy, studying Chinese humor through performance. I am a disciple of master performer Ding Guangquan 丁广泉 and also perform bilingual improv comedy, Chinese language standup, and bilingual rap.

I use comedy to bring China and the outside world closer. My goal is to provide a unique supporting angle to organizations that wish to utilize the tremendous strength of comedy in their work in China-West related fields.

In the past, I have worked at The Nature Conservancy in Beijing and Kunming, taught improvisation and sketch comedy at Newton North high school and at various schools in China, and ran an entertainment company with my brother Ben Appell. I am a hobbyist of Chinese tea culture, enjoy writing scifi/fantasy novels, and have a giant pet stuffed octopus named Copernicus.

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