As a unique and multifaceted personality, and a true nexus of the East and West, Shawn Rae is a natural-born global thinker who possesses a well-rounded and interestingly refreshing personal appeal. As an individual he has accomplished much, and is noted internationally for his varied contributions as a speaker, a designer, a recording artist, and a humanitarian. Shawn has, during the course of his global work, met, interviewed, consulted or worked with a host of distinguished personalities from A to Z–– from Wally Amos (“Famous Amos”) to Arianna Huffington to Fareed Zakaria, and many others in between. Shawn has represented the United States at various national and international events, and has also been featured in the media speaking on topics such as corporate giving, human rights abuses, matters relating to world trade, technology, and energy-related issues affecting humankind. He was selected as one of the Top Ten Speakers in the United States for the Conference on American Ingenuity by the U.S. Department of Commerce and picked as one of four Judges by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and the Intellectual Property Association (IPO). The IPO is comprised of such prestigious members as, General Motors, Lockheed, 3M, General Electric, Microsoft, Xerox, Aramco, Rolls-Royce, and other major corporate and multinational leaders.

Shawn is the former global “Goodwill Ambassador” for the World Energy Forum headquartered at the United Nations Plaza. His World Energy Forum duties included keeping an eye on global conversations on energy issues and educational campaigns for accessible and sustainable energy for benefitting the economic and social development of nations and peoples across the globe.

Nicknamed Bambi at birth by his relatives and tribe, Shaanshehryar Khan Rae Zagajadoon, was raised until the age of 18 in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Historical figures such as Marco Polo, Alexander the Great, and Genghis Khan, among others, once visited his homeland. Noteworthy here is the fact that Shawn inherited from both of his parents a remarkable lineage of Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Tibetan, and Chinese ancestry. It was due in large part to his having this multifarious background that Shawn was instilled with a fierce desire to erase international differences and to impact the ways in which human beings care for one another. His heartfelt desire for helping those in need stems from the time he witnessed, in a refugee camp at the age of six, the horrors of homelessness, hunger, disease, and despair. These tragic scenes, etched in his mind, moved him to join with others to alleviate such misery among the suffering peoples of the world.

At the age of seventeen, the United States government invited Shawn from the Far East to study as an exchange student in the United States. He was then sent to Europe and Asia to act as an Ambassador for American Education. A year later, on his own, Shawn traveled back to the U.S., desiring to further his American studies. With this goal in mind, the first of four degrees that he received was a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Political Science and Economics. His academic qualifications also include three law degrees. He has earned a 1) LL.B. Degree (Juris Doctor equivalent) in International Law, 2) an LL.M Degree in U.S. Laws, and 3) a second LL.M. Degree in Human Rights Laws (Intercultural) for the purpose of serving those suffering from human rights, access to justice, and human slavery abuses in the developing world.

As a recording artist Shawn has just completed a new CD of love songs entitled A World of Romance, A Time to Fall in Love, as well as a duet with, Deana Martin, daughter of American musical icon Dean Martin, for his American debut of his Christmas Album, A World Christmas, Love Knows No Borders. As a designer, he has a line of products that include both a Jewelry Collection and a Perfume Collection known as ONENESS, characterized by a philosophy that “exhorts individuals to challenge themselves to reach beyond the boundaries of one’s self, and to awaken to the spirit of oneness inherent in humankind.” In all of these products and other endeavors, Shawn is committed to share in royalties and to dedicate his time and effort in promoting and supporting causes that are in the service of alleviating homelessness, hunger, disease, and despair.

Shawn’s motto is, “Challenge yourself…” He feels that anyone can achieve anything if one challenges oneself enough. According to Shawn, “A unified humanity can collectively resolve problems… Divided, we only serve to create them.” Further, Shawn sees, “The challenge is individually and collectively to awaken our true potential for goodness and greatness, and to realize that positive change begins with us.”

“A student of life”, is how Shawn best likes to describe himself. Blessed with a rich ancestry and a vast cultural background, he has gleaned both knowledge and experience from living in the far corners of the East, to the land, which he now lives and loves in the West. Shawn believes that both these influences together helped to shape and sharpen him in his goal and mission to work for the benefit of the less fortunate, as it continues to serve him as an invaluable walking stick on his “continuing journey towards self-illumination and enlightenment.”