About Me
Welcome to my tiny space!
I’m Ann Yang. An engineer, violinist, dancer, builder, dreamer, adventurer, and founder of a healing-tech startup born from personal reinvention. My story began in the beautiful water town of Jinan, China, where I spent 17 years excelling at everything I was “supposed” to: being the perfect student, obedient daughter, and multi-talented kid who played violin, painted, danced, and collected awards like souvenirs. On paper, it looked like my life was perfectly set, but inside, I longed for something more real: freedom, identity, and truth.
That longing carried me across the world. I studied Computer Science with a Business Minor at the University of Waterloo, one of the top engineering schools globally, where I completed five internships before moving to Silicon Valley to join LinkedIn full-time. Over the next nine years, I built distributed systems, led teams, earned patents, and spoke at conferences, growing not only as an engineer but also as a leader. Eventually, I felt the need to pause. I took a sabbatical to re-anchor my identity and reconnect with who I am at my core: deeply driven, ambitious, and curious, with both a sharp mind and a sensitive heart. Out of that period came Vowrd, a healing-tech startup designed to help people move through burnout, heartbreak, and identity shifts using emotional intelligence and technology. Vowrd’s story isn’t over, it will always be part of my journey, no matter what else I build in life.
Today, I’m back to the corporate world working on cutting-edge technology that speeds up information retrieval by combining data systems with AI. Every day I’m learning new skills, solving complex problems, and collaborating with brilliant engineers who challenge me to grow. The pace is fast, the problems are deep, and the impact is massive: shaping how the world accesses and uses information. What excites me most isn’t just the technology itself, but the growth it sparks in me: the chance to stay curious, push boundaries, and build systems that matter.
Outside of work, I live wide. I dance. I play violin and keyboard. I’ve taught myself to DJ because I believe music is one of the fastest ways to shift emotion and energy. I lift weights and chase sunlight. I once dreamed of being a bird, so I took up paragliding. I did equestrian jumping on my favorite horses, Roman and Leo. I’ve solo-traveled through Europe, Asia, Hawaii, Caribbean Islands, and many corners of the U.S., meeting kind strangers and collecting stories. Adventure and freedom fuel me, and I thrive in the uncertainty that comes with stepping into the unknown. At the same time, I’m deeply curious, about people, about healing, about what it means to come home to yourself. When I need grounding, I turn to service. I’ve volunteered with the homeless in LA through Food on Foot, and I continue to seek ways to stay connected to purpose.
I also have a beautiful Finnish Spitz named Skoll, a name that means both “cheers!” and “the wolf that chases the sun.” He’s playful, loyal, and full of spirit. Just like the version of me I fought to become.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for stepping into my world. I believe the most beautiful transformations don’t happen when life goes as planned; they happen when we choose to rise from the rubble with intention and courage. Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you know this: it’s not too late to begin again. Let’s connect! I use Instagram as a journal, and I’d love to hear your story too.
