Christinewhuang.com (Christine Huang)

At 8:09 a.m. on April 12, 2007, Christine Huang posted a note on her Facebook page: "I'm going/moving to New York in about three hours. Anyone know someone who needs a really crazy Asian roommate?" This, Huang recalls, marked her arrival on the New York tech scene.

Huang's first New York gig was at PSFK, a trends blog and consulting company. The 27-year-old has since become the director of cultural trends at multicultural marketing firm GlobalHue. "For a recent project, I was tasked with becoming a sneaker culture expert--in a day. I tore through fashion and men's lifestyle magazines, read sneaker and fashion blogs. But in the end, what I gathered through my online network was most useful." She interviewed the owner of a sneaker boutique through Twitter and chatted with a slew of sneaker-heads via Facebook. A much sought-after authority on multicultural digital marketing, she also contributes to The Huffington Post and Ad Age, where she's done everything from analyze the cultural nuances of social networking to write about "What Brands Can Learn From Online Dating."

Oh, and in her spare time, she's trying to figure out how technology can be used to help better the world. "Lately I've been most inspired by the innovative ways individuals and brands are using new media for good," she says. Huang is working pro bono as an adviser for Lovely Day, a new agency where global brands create programs, products and business practices that help solve world problems while turning a profit. She also advises the Robin Hood Foundation on how to use social media to support programs like Food for Good.

Huang, who lives in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, is inspired by the recent fearlessness she senses among those involved in the New York tech world, fueled by success stories like Kickstarter and Etsy. She also quite enjoys the "confluence of partying and geeking out" that occurs regularly here in the city. "Nearly every two weeks, there's some gathering that guarantees good ideas, stimulating conversation and a fair amount of cheap booze. It's a nice mix."
AMANDA MOONEY