Zhining Zhao is an entrepreneur and technologist. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Andean Systems, a manufacturing startup developing sustainable methods for extracting critical metals from electronic waste. He is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council.

Early life and education

Zhao grew up in Shanghai, where he was reportedly expelled from his school for publishing an unauthorized student newspaper. He subsequently attended the Groton School in Massachusetts, a prestigious boarding school where he lived in the room formerly occupied by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

He enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University, initially studying philosophy before transferring to the robotics and computer vision program.

Career

ConverNations

Prior to Andean Systems, Zhao co-founded ConverNations, a startup focused on conversational AI or language-related technology.

Andean Systems

Zhao co-founded Andean Systems, which develops advanced manufacturing processes to recover critical metals — including gold, silver, copper, neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium — from electronic waste. The company aims to build a sustainable domestic supply chain for these strategic materials.

Public contributions

Zhao is a member of the Forbes Technology Council, a vetted professional community for technology executives and leaders.

Verification scope

The strongest open evidence supports identity, current company leadership, and domain focus (critical minerals from e-waste). Public information is thinner on technical process disclosures, financing terms, and precise role chronology across prior ventures. Where claims are based on profile-level bios rather than primary technical artifacts, this profile treats them as medium-confidence context.

Zhining Zhao

Zhining Zhao

References