Laura Meng Email & Phone Number

My goal is to confront systemic inequities through innovative, human-centered design.I was born in Xingtang, China, a rural county identified by the government as needing poverty alleviation. Growing up in a place where resources were scarce, I developed an early drive for something more. By the age of seven, I had set my sights on an affluent life.This ambition propelled me through school and into college, where I pursued every milestone with unwavering focus. Math awards, high SAT scores, business fraternities, finance courses, investment banking internships—I checked every box. Soon, I found myself living on the 18th floor, working on the 47th, and dining on the 118th. I had, by all external measures, climbed to the top.Yet, something fundamental was missing. The life I was living felt disconnected from who I truly was. I realized I had been distancing myself from the very experiences that had shaped me. Although I felt adrift, I believed there was a reason behind it all. So I began to trace my steps back to the beginning.By acknowledging my roots, I uncovered a part of myself I had long neglected: a profound empathy for those who are marginalized. With this realization came the understanding that I now had both the platform and the resources to turn this empathy into action. It was then that my purpose became clear.Over the next four years, I committed myself to acquiring the skills needed to address the complex social challenges I had witnessed growing up. My defining moment came when I enrolled at Design Lab’s UX Academy, where I discovered the transformative potential of Design Thinking—an approach that marries creativity with empathy to solve real-world problems.I believe that systemic inequities are often sustained by unexamined narratives that have become ingrained in society. However, I also believe that human-centered, innovative design has the capacity to challenge and reshape these narratives, driving meaningful and lasting change.

Listed skills include Data Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Valuation, Research, and 8 others.

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  University Of California, Berkeley

  Gpa: 3.7