OG: Approved - Nemo Zhou
Featuring the Next Generation of Storytellers Rising from the Creator Economy
Welcome to OG: Approved—where rule-breaking creators shape the future. Hand-picked by Open Gardens, they’re not following the playbook—they’re writing the next one.
Name: Nemo Zhou
Instagram: 464K Followers
Youtube: 442K Followers
Tik Tok: 361K Followers
Who Is Nemo Zhou?
Nemo Zhou figured something out that most elite chess players never do: how to be world-class without waiting for permission.
She came up through the traditional pipeline: tournament circuits, national teams, federation titles. And she crushed it. By five, she was the youngest Finnish national champion. At fourteen, she won the World Youth Championship without losing a single game. She went on to become the first Canadian woman to earn both the FIDE Master and Woman Grandmaster titles. That alone would be enough to cement her legacy in classical chess.
But instead of staying in the system, she stepped outside it.
In 2020, Nemo signed with Counter Logic Gaming and became the first chess player in esports history to join a professional team. It wasn’t a publicity move. It was a signal. She saw that chess had more to offer, and more to gain, if it was willing to evolve.
She started streaming on Twitch not just to play, but to teach, to collaborate, and to open up a process that had always been treated like a private club. Her content is low-flash, high-focus. Whether she’s breaking down her moves in real time, chatting with viewers mid-blitz, or playing poker hands with the same clarity she brought to the board, the tone stays the same: thoughtful, calm, and completely open.
She’s also making moves across disciplines. Poker, in particular, has become a new arena. She’s studied it seriously, streamed it publicly, and already claimed her first tournament win at the Canadian Poker Tour Invitational. To her, the games are different, but the mindset is the same.
This isn’t a pivot. It’s a build.
Nemo walked away from the University of Toronto to do this full time. Not as a creator chasing trends, but as a strategist identifying white space. She saw that the intersection of competitive gaming, education, and live entertainment was wide open. So she claimed it. And then she invited everyone in.
Three Things We Like About Nemo Zhou
Makes mastery feel human: Nemo streams in real time, breaks down her decisions as they happen, and never hides behind expertise. Her content gives you access to high-level thinking without ever talking down.
Treating content like conversation: Her streams feel like a hangout, not a broadcast. Whether she’s playing blitz, answering questions, or walking through a poker hand, she’s building connection, not just putting on a show.
Bridges formats without losing focus: From Twitch to YouTube to live pop-ups, Nemo moves between platforms without diluting her voice. She knows how to meet people where they are and still bring them into the game.