My Days with Touchstone
Touchstone's President & Legal Counsel on a first meeting in a Chinese office lobby in 2007, and the persistence that carried the platform to the door of success.
Mr Leonard
President & Legal Counsel, Touchstone
Beijing / London · 16 Aug 2026 · 4 min read
Our first encounter was almost like two trains heading toward each other on the same track.
I first met Kenny in 2007, in the lobby of one of China's early modern agricultural businesses. I still remember vividly our first conversation:
“Are you here to talk about business?” — “Yes.” — “We are here to talk about buying this business.”
Our first encounter was almost like two trains heading toward each other on the same track.
Soon afterward, we became friends and began discussing Kenny's platform—Touchstone. I was immediately drawn to his vision and decided to join him on what would become a long journey leading to where we are today.
Many came and went
Over the years, I have seen many people come and go. Some started with great hopes but eventually dropped out, concluding that “the journey is too long and full of uncertainties,” or simply, “I do not want to waste my precious time.” I, however, never lost my confidence or faith in what we were trying to achieve. I always believed that, with Kenny's persistence, Touchstone would one day become a great success—no matter how difficult the road, or how many setbacks, failures, changes of direction, or relaunches we might encounter along the way.
The spirit of the platform
Kenny has instilled in the soul of Touchstone a spirit that is perhaps best reflected in Calvin Coolidge's famous words:
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Today, we stand at the door of success. And perhaps now, more than ever, persistence matters. On the battlefield, it is often the side that can endure the last five minutes that ultimately wins the war.