The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (DEALL) successfully launched its 2026-2027 Alumni Talk Series on October 5 with a presentation by distinguished alumnus Jared Psigoda, entrepreneur, global business leader, and Ohio State graduate with a BA in Chinese and Japanese and an MA in Chinese. The event brought together 21 attendees, including undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff from DEALL and the broader East Asian Studies community. 

Jared shared his remarkable professional journey from studying Chinese and Japanese at Ohio State to building a successful international career in China and the technology sector. He discussed how language proficiency, cultural knowledge, and global perspectives gained through the study of East Asian languages and cultures opened doors to opportunities that ultimately led him to co-found and lead Reality Squared Games (R2Games), a company that grew to more than 250 employees across multiple Chinese cities. He also reflected on his experiences in entrepreneurship, leadership, the gaming and blockchain industries, and his current work in artificial intelligence as founder of Renji Labs in New Albany, Ohio. 

Landy Wang, an undergraduate student majoring in Japanese, played a key role in organizing the event. The following is her reflection on the event:

"Jared's talk was a wonderful kickoff to this academic year's DEALL alumni talk series, and I was grateful to contribute as a first-time moderator, especially with such an accomplished speaker as Jared. Beyond introducing him and helping facilitate the Q&A, it was such a fruitful experience to be involved in the preparation process, including communicating with Jared and assisting with event logistics.

I was impressed by how Jared connected his background in East Asian languages with his experiences in entrepreneurship, gaming, and emerging technologies. The audience was more engaged than I had anticipated, with many thoughtful questions during the Q&A.

Having attended many DEALL and East Asia-related events as an audience over my past two years here at OSU, usually sitting quietly in the audience, it was especially meaningful to have the opportunity this time to contribute both behind the scenes and onstage as a moderator. This experience gave me substantial firsthand insight into how such events come together, and I look forward to similar opportunities in the future."