On My Own Terms
The Idea Takes Shape
In 2023, I found myself out of work. An industry veteran, on the wrong side of 50, wondering what came next. The market was against me — or so I thought.
Once the dust settled, I took a step back and asked myself a more important question: what did I actually want from the next chapter of my career?
The answer was straightforward. I wanted to do work I found meaningful, with products I believed in and people I genuinely related to. Manufacturing had always been where I found the greatest satisfaction: taking an idea and making it real. Now, I wanted to do that on my own terms.
That meant looking beyond the established brands and business models I’d spent much of my career working with. I was drawn to start-ups and emerging brands — people with ideas, ambition and the determination to make something happen, but often without the experience or connections to navigate manufacturing in China.
In 2024, I turned that idea into Active Connections.
Where It All Began
The Road to China
I started in fashion design, but my career soon expanded into product development, buying and eventually running manufacturing operations. I’ve seen the apparel industry from multiple perspectives.
Over four decades, my journey has taken me from the backstreet workshops of London’s East End to manufacturing operations across Asia. I began working in China in 2003 and moved here full-time in 2008. The depth of manufacturing expertise, the pace of the industry and the opportunities to make things happen are what have kept me here.
Living, Working, & Running in Shanghai
Founder: Stephen Kelly
It’s More Than Work
My focus on sportswear and outdoor gear is personal. Running has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, and these days I compete as a GB Masters athlete.
I’ve always had a real affinity with performance products — not just how they perform, but how they’re designed and made. I see every project as an opportunity to keep learning while helping brands create products that perform.
A Few Things I’ve Learned
After all this time, my philosophy on business is built on three hard-won lessons
01 - Business is serious, but never so serious that you can’t enjoy it - or the life around it.
02 - Problems are inevitable, and they’re always best met with calm, not drama.
03 - You’re never too experienced to stop learning.
Let’s Connect
Always happy to chat — whether that’s over a video call or over a coffee or a run if you’re ever in Shanghai.