Chavalit Frederick Tsao is the fourth-generation steward of TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), a family business with more than 120 years of history, established in the late 1800s during the Qing Dynasty. He was born in Hong Kong, China, and after completing his education at the University of Michigan, Chavalit joined the family business at the age of 20 and became the chairman at the age of 37. He also served as the chairman of Intercargo, where he established innovative platforms to promote collaboration within the maritime sector.

Chavalit's background and experience gave him unique insights into global sustainability challenges and founded East West Cultural Development Centre in 1995 to research this topic. He discovered that integrating ancient wisdom and modern science creates a holistic approach to cultivating leadership for this era.