Dispatch from Hong Kong: Sam Gellman

Photo: Courtesy Sam Gellman

By Diana Aguilera

When Sam Gellman, ’04, moved from San Francisco to Hong Kong two years after graduation, he thought the bustling city, with its iconic skyline and diverse food scene, would be a temporary home. Twelve years later, his adventures in the dynamic metropolis continue, now as a husband and the father of a toddler.

While working for Goldman Sachs and then Uber, Gellman, who is originally from Wisconsin, developed a passion for photography. His travels to destinations such as Myanmar, the Philippines and North Korea, he says, inspired him to capture what he was seeing and bring it to life for his family in Milwaukee.

Gellman says Stanford and Hong Kong have some surprising similarities. Both are welcoming environments, prime destinations for people in business and technology, and easy to get around without a car. Maybe that’s why, he says, the idea of living overseas following graduation seemed inviting.

“I think Stanford is a place that breeds excitement for exploration and for seeing all different sides of the world, all different perspectives, and it also makes the world feel familiar.”

Diana Aguilera is a staff writer for STANFORD.