The story so far.
The beginning to the present.
Chapter 01
The artist
I almost pursued art. I haven’t drawn in years, but the craft was never just about the pencil. It was about making something where nothing existed before. Over time, I realized creativity doesn't have to stay on paper: building companies and bringing people together scratches the exact same itch.
That creative restlessness started long before I ever built my first organization. To understand where it came from, you have to go back to childhood.
Artist's studio.
Chapter 02
Family roots
Growing up, life was defined by movement. I was born in Boston, moved constantly as a kid, and eventually settled in Sharon, Massachusetts. My parents left Guangzhou after the Cultural Revolution, having never had the chance to pursue higher education themselves.
Visiting China every summer gave me a deep appreciation for what they gave up so I could have a future. It instilled a deep sense of family responsibility, and taught me early on that access to education was a privilege earned through their sacrifice.
I wrote about it here: Welcome to America.
Boston Harbor at dusk.
Chapter 03
Building community and purpose
In 2021, I started School Simplified. Over the next two years, it grew into something far bigger than anything I had imagined: a global community of more than 200,000 students, an operational team of 500 volunteers, and support from companies like Google, Microsoft, AWS, Atlassian, and Canva. Together, we hosted two of the largest student-led hackathons of the pandemic era and supported over 150,000 students in their academics, careers, and journeys.
This experience completely rewired me. It unlocked an obsession with building. I wasn't just interested in design anymore; I was obsessed with the entire process: how a brand makes people feel, how businesses design themselves to design, and how you create something that inspires thousands of people to follow.
Watching thousands of people show up for something that had only existed in my head a few months earlier changed everything. Once you experience that kind of momentum, you never look at work the same way again.
Becoming the world's largest student run nonprofit, we sunsetted in May 2023 and distributed our resources to other nonprofits. Shortly after, I spent some time helping other nonprofits grow.
Building School Simplified.
Chapter 04
Campus and community
When School Simplified ended, I found myself looking for that spark everywhere I went. I had fallen in love with community, and I needed to keep building spaces where people could connect.
At Bentley, I poured that energy into the Asian Students Association and Alpha Kappa Psi, putting on events that brought hundreds of people together. That quickly spilled over into the broader tech scene: organizing hackathons, working with NAAAP Boston, and partnering with brands and startups on activations.
What hooked me was the human element. There is nothing quite like taking a room full of strangers and creating an experience people love.
Asian Culture Gala.
Chapter 05
Learning by failure
People always talk about finding your passion. I never truly found one. I found an anti-vision: a clear picture of everything I refused to become and hated doing.
Early on, that just looked like reckless hustle. I tried everything: dropshipping, e-commerce, day trading, and at one point, even joining an MLM. I fell for the hype, lost money, and had to swallow my pride over and over again. But surviving those mistakes rewired how I learn. I realized you don't need a syllabus when you're willing to touch the stove and figure things out in real time.
From there, the hustle turned into building. I threw myself into whatever I could launch: joining accelerators, building consumer apps that flopped, writing a newsletter, landing my first UGC deals, and watching early startup attempts fail. Every failure taught me more than school.
I carried that exact mindset into everything I did next. I spent time exploring spaces like esports, prediction markets, and crypto, before spending the majority of my college years working full-time in fintech. At Shift Markets, I led global marketing and helped drive a seven-figure pipeline, learning more from live execution than any lecture hall could ever teach me.
At the start of 2026, I walked away from the most stable job I had for the next chapter.
Fueled by Red Bull.
Chapter 06
The present
Today, my life is split between building and learning.
At Pinetree Research, we are building Solari, working on the infrastructure layer that connects AI agents to the world. At the same time, I am pursuing my MBA at Babson College, surrounded by founders and operators.
Alongside building, a huge part of what drives me is helping other people find their footing. Whether it is advising early-stage startups, supporting student-led nonprofits, or teaching through content, my goal is to inspire others to dream big.
Late nights.
Beyond work
Outside of that, I like music, films, cooking, baking, skiing, Formula 1, and creative building. I've switched from traditional artwork to brand building.
Life is too short to live with regrets, so do it all.