Chen grew up in Beijing, China and attended Beijing Agricultural University for a degree in agricultural meteorology.[5] A difficult environment for starting and growing businesses in mid-1980s China led Chen to immigrate to America in search of better opportunities.[6]
Career and inventions
In 1988 he founded CID, Inc. (now called CID Bio-Science), to develop scientific instruments for plant and agricultural research.[7] Specific products in the field included photosynthesis meter, a leaf scanner and a plant canopy analyzer.[8] During that time Chen worked with NASA and developed a special leaf area meter that was sent to space used in Mir space station. Chen sold CID in 2009 to become a full-time inventor of consumer products.[9][10]
In 2003 Chen founded Inventist, Inc., a company he started as an avenue with which he could develop more mainstream ideas and inventions. Entering the retail marketplace in ‘03, Chen introduced the AquaSkipper,[11] a human-powered hydrofoil watercraft. The AquaSkipper won many awards including being a finalist at ISPO BrandNew awards, and it was featured on The History Channel's Modern Marvels as part of an invention competition.[12] Next, Chen developed and patented a three-wheeled scooter and licensed the design to RazorUSA in 2006.[13][14]
Chen continued to develop other consumer products notably the Orbitwheel Skates, UltraDrainer, Lunicycle, Solowheel and Hovertrax.[15]
He has ongoing problems with illegally made copies of his products, which are being produced and distributed worldwide out of China.[16][17][18]