Tech guru helps young entrepreneurs get started up, develop businesses and list

If asked for three words to describe himself, Kai-Fu Lee, a high-profile information technology professional and former head of Google China, says they would be: "Make a difference".

He certainly lives up to the motto. The 51-year-old has made a difference in terms of not only his career development but also his devotion to, and influence on, young people in China.

Mobile payment technology displayed at an international telecommunications exhibition in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Innovation Works is focusing on the IT, software and mobile segments. Its founder Kai-Fu Lee said most mistakes are made in first 12 to 18 months in business. Yu Ge / for China Daily

Born in Taiwan in 1961, Lee was the youngest child in his family and was sent to the United States to be educated at the age of 12. After getting a PhD degree in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in 1988, his career progressed smoothly through a series of globally leading IT companies.