My Story

My story begins way before I was born, with my great-grandfather serving as a pastor in southern China during the 1930s and 40s, before Christianity was banned. His dedication to faith and community laid the foundation for our family's values.

A big part of my story is also the story of my grandfather, driven by ambition and faith in possibilities, who left his village to become a rocket engineer in a major Chinese city. Then came the Communist revolution.

For the simple fact that his family owned land, he was torn from his five-year-old son — my father — and imprisoned in a labor camp for six years. Despite the futility, my grandfather became known for his iron will, protesting his unjust imprisonment every chance he got — a testament to unwavering faith in truth and justice.

My parents' determination to provide a better life for themselves and their future children led them to top universities in China and eventually to the United States as graduate students.

My brother was born shortly before the Tiananmen Square massacre, a pivotal moment that transformed our family's status from student visa holders to permanent residents, thanks to the Chinese Student Protection Act supported by Nancy Pelosi and President George H.W. Bush.

I was born in the United States soon after.

Growing up in suburban America, I had the privilege of attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy IMSA, founded by a Nobel laureate.

Beyond academics, I discovered my talent for organizing communities — from coordinating DOTA tournaments across dorm rooms to negotiating sanctioned dance parties with administrators.

As tennis team captain and event organizer, I learned early on how to bring people together around shared interests.

At Duke University, early mentors introduced me to coding in my sophomore year, opening up a new world of possibilities.

The experience was transformative, tied only with the diversity of people I met and my role in the leading dance team. Organizing large dance shows further developed my skills in bringing people together and creating memorable experiences.

I began my career at Google, leading a small team on Google Cloud's frontend. This experience instilled in me the importance of structured thinking, comprehensive design documents, and cross-team coordination.

During this time, I also co-founded Dancing Pineapple, producing 24 concerts and parties across NYC and LA over two years. Through this platform, we helped launch electronic music artists who later performed at major festivals like Coachella and EDC Vegas, while creating transformative experiences that brought diverse communities together.

Amid the social upheaval of 2016-2019, I left Google to co-found Civics Unplugged, a nonprofit focused on civic education and innovation. Our work empowered thousands of young people across 70+ countries to engage meaningfully with democracy and public service.

We gained support from notable partners including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Andrew Yang, Coinbase, and the Ethereum Foundation. This work earned me recognition in the Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 list and was featured in PBS's "Roadtrip Nation" documentary on Changemakers.

My journey then led me into the web3 space, where I was captivated by the potential of permissionless systems.

I contributed to multiple projects through product design, community building, event production, and product marketing, working with various companies in consulting roles.

A highlight was contributing to the early days of Vitalik Buterin's Zuzalu, a pioneering pop-up city community first launched in Montenegro that demonstrated new models of innovation and community living.

Being immersed in the web3 space inspired me to explore all sorts of what I call foundational technologies — solutions that enable hyperlocal resilience, self-sustainability, dynamism, and ecological regeneration. I explore these ideas in my Substack newsletter "America 2.0", where I write about making the acceleration toward humanity's Golden Age an engaging game that everyone wants to play.

In August 2024, discovering Cursor marked a turning point in my relationship with software engineering. The AI revolution has transformed development, creating a golden age for high-agency individuals with big ideas.

I've been coding almost daily since, building AI-first and voice-first personal tools like BlessOut (an ecard platform for sharing moments of gratitude) and Anno (a tool for personal reflection and growth).

Throughout this journey, my faith has been a guiding force, helping me see the miraculous potential in technology to enhance human experience and connection.

I'm now focused on becoming an exceptional AI-first, frontend-leaning full-stack engineer who creates products that help people experience the wonder and miracle of life.

I'm seeking opportunities to build innovative consumer products that enhance creativity, productivity, and human connection. My unique combination of technical skills, educational ability, and community building experience — all grounded in deep faith — positions me perfectly for roles that require taking features and products from zero to one.

If you're hiring for senior roles or looking for a partner to build something amazing, I'd love to chat. 2025 is going to be a year of prolifically building tools that help people feel more alive.

1. Lead with Faith & Wonder — Approach each day as a miracle waiting to unfold

2. Build for Human Flourishing — Create tools and spaces that help people feel more alive

3. Bridge Worlds & Communities — Connect different perspectives, cultures, and possibilities

4. Choose Radical Optimism — See challenges as opportunities for transformation

5. Stay Aggressively Curious — Embrace continuous learning and open-mindedness

6. Pursue Impact Over Comfort — Focus on what matters, not what's easy

7. Foster Joyful Resilience — Face challenges with both determination and lightness

8. Create with Love & Craft — Combine technical excellence with deep care for people