His roots trace back to the Cherokee nation of North Carolina where he was born and reared. He speaks fluent Mandarin and has been successfully doing business in China for many years. That does not mean he’s abandoned his roots or his frank, tell-it-like-it-is American personality.
His passion for soccer got him on the Olympic Development Team as a goalkeeper in his native North Carolina.
“I never played in the Olympics but I got to that level,” the 34-year-old entrepreneur said. He is at home in New York City where he lives with his wife, young daughter, and infant son in a garden apartment. “My office is a few blocks away. I’m opening a showroom nearby so everything is close,” Jake said.
A New Yorker’s Business in China
People generally think they can go on the Internet and buy items in China and get what they order. That is far from the case.