5 Things: Jessica Lam and Liam Bates on Beijing's Air

By Justine Lopez

A That's series where we ask a Beijing-based somebody (or in this case somebodies) to tell us five things specific to his or her life.

Jessica Lam and Liam Bates are the power couple behind Origins. Along with Ken Ying, they created Origins Technology and designed products like the the OxyBox purifier and the Laser Egg air quality monitor. The idea for Origins first started when Lam, who suffered from asthma, moved to Beijing in 2013. Lam and Bates were dissatisfied with the products available at the time, so they took the plunge and decided to design their own. Origins started out as more of project than a company, but things really got going in when Lam, Bates and Ying joined forces in 2014. Origins is now a successful startup operating out of the heart of Beijing. While their company has grown and changed over the past couple years, their mission is still the same: to design great products and to better the lives and the environment around them. 

What was life like before Origins?

Jess: I think it was a 180-degree change of lifestyle and career for me. I was an accountant at the big four. Prior to Beijing and Origins I had a clear routine. But now that routine has definitely gone out the window. Living in such a vibrant city with so much going on and running a startup is about as opposite on the spectrum as I could possibly imagine. I would describe it like being on a perpetual rollercoaster: exhilarating, scary as hell, and fun at the same time. Did I mention exhausting?

Liam: I was working in television before Origins, as a producer, director and TV host. I was working mostly with Chinese TV, making adventure travel documentaries around the globe. I also worked on some projects with foreign TV, such as the Discovery Channel. It was tons of fun and a little hard to step away from! I’ve always worked on independent projects or startups, however, so Origins was pretty in line with this. It wasn’t a huge lifestyle change, but it was totally and completely different to what I had been doing before, so this was pretty tough. There was a lot to learn!

What are your thoughts on Beijing’s air pollution issue and what precautions do you personally take to stay healthy?

Jess: I can’t wait for the day where I don’t have to think about the air. I think that day will come, sooner hopefully rather than later, but in the process it’s all about education and getting people to understand more about what is happening and how they can change things in their own small way.

Aside from the obvious (know what you’re breathing, wear a mask and use an air purifier), I think it’s important to educate friends and family so that they are able to figure out their own personal threshold of what is “OK” for them. Regardless, I always carry more than one mask, just in case the friend I am with doesn’t have one on hand. I sometimes feel like one of those campus counselors who passes out condoms to overzealous hormonal youth. “Practice safe breathing everybody.”

Do you do any community outreach to educate people about the air quality and its health impacts?

Jess: We are in the process of putting on a series of “Air Pollution Crash Courses” in the following months, which are designed to help people fully understand air pollution in layman’s terms. There is a lot of confusion out there that we hope we can clarify, and the course will contain opportunities to really test out your own knowledge at the end!

Can you tell us about your products?

Jess: Living in Beijing is as much a blessing as it is a curse, but we love Beijing and we want to stay and enjoy the city the way it was meant to be enjoyed. That’s why we want to make products that allow us to have more peace of mind. Knowing what you’re breathing and fixing it is what our products do!

Liam: We want to make really cool, sexy and super useful products. Air quality is one of the few environmental factors that has a huge impact on your health but is actually quite easy to improve. It’s stunning how many people believe they have clean air and then are surprised to find the opposite is true. It’s our goal that everybody can work out exactly what their environment is like, and make educated choices based upon this. Feeling happy with the air you’re breathing in Beijing can make the city a whole lot more liveable!

What other projects are you working on?

Jess: Aside from Origins, I also volunteer my time in running an organization called Beijing Community Dinners, BCD for short. We get together on a monthly basis to have speakers discuss social issues in China and abroad. Our slogan is “Good food, good people, good ideas.” We’ve had speakers from the World Food Program, UNICEF, Plan International and many more. These dinners and documentary events attract many open-minded and open-hearted individuals from all walks of life and is incredibly inspiring.

I’m hoping this year, we’ll be able to be the premiere website for listing all the available volunteering opportunities so that people can get involved. If anyone is interested in getting involved, attending or knows any speakers, they can email [e-mail].

Liam: Some really cool projects! Unfortunately they’re still quite hush-hush, but the general direction is creating great products to improve the environment around us.

For more 5 Things, click "Read more" below.