David Madden, Founder and Co-Executive Director, International Academic Competitions

David Madden is the founder and co-Executive Director of The International History Bee and Bowl (IHBB) and its parent organization, International Academic Competitions (IAC). Having played quiz bowl for four years at Ridgewood High School from 1995-1999 and college quiz bowl for two years at Princeton University, he is well-versed with all the formats, concerns, and issues surrounding academic quiz competitions. He graduated magna cum laude with a concentration in International Relations at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University in 2003, and completed a master’s degree in international relations at the Free University of Berlin, Germany in 2007. He is committed to high standards for tournaments, well-written questions, and the growth of academic competition throughout the world. He is a former 19-day champion on the American quiz show Jeopardy! and champion of the Jeopardy! All Star Games Tournament, a published art historian, a professional genealogist, and a hiker of the entire length of the US East Coast for the Fisher House Foundation, a veterans’ charity. He was taking courses  to become a history teacher himself when he had the idea to run a history themed quiz bowl tournament in May 2010. Soon after that, he put his teaching plans on hold to establish the National History Bee and Bowl. Together with his wife, Nolwenn, he launched the International History Bee and Bowl in 2012, which has since expanded to over 25 countries, and he and Nolwenn oversee the International History Olympiad as well. He also has established the Academic Bowl of Asia, and the International Geography Bee as well as the other International Academic Competitions events that operate in Asia. He can be reached at david@iacompetitions.com.

Nolwenn Léon Madden – Co-Executive Director, International Academic Competitions

20130824_174554Nolwenn is the co-founder and serves as the co-Executive Director of IAC and IHBB. She also organized the debut of the International History Olympiad in 2015 with David and oversees communication and logistics for the Olympiad as well as IHBB. She has a master’s degree in business from the French grande école EM Lyon, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada in support of IHBB’s operations. Within the USA, Nolwenn serves as the Director of Middle School and Elementary School Division though she still conducts outreach and directs tournaments for IAC throughout Asia. She can be reached at: nolwenn@iacompetitions.com

Suopeng Gao – Director of International Operations

Suopeng is the Director of International Academic Competitions’ International Divisions. He directs IAC events throughout Asia. He is also the Director of the 2020 International Geography Bee World Championships. He played quiz bowl for four years at Lexington High School in Massachusetts, where he was also the captain of his school’s National Science Bowl team. Upon receiving his Bachelors and Masters degree in Management from Babson College, he moved to China to pursue a career in education. Since 2016, he has overseen IHBB tournaments in Mainland China as well as assisting with various other IAC tournaments and competitions around the world.  Suopeng can be reached at suopeng@iacompetitions.com