About Me

Thanks for visiting! A little about me: born in China, grew up in Colorado, went to UC Berkeley. I love adventure, learning, and building. I can’t meditate, but I’ll relax my mind by playing piano, cello, or violin. Willing to go to extremes to make my friends laugh! And always able to find time to volunteer.

To see what I’m up to, follow me on Instagram @nanxiLiu or on Twitter @nanxi_liu.

Companies that I’m involved with

Enplug: Rapidly-growing tech company that’s built the leading open software for managing and distributing content on digital displays. Enplug’s software is used by corporate offices, manufacturing facilities, retail spaces, banks, and universities to show dashboards, social media feeds, videos, news, and other visual communication on their screens.

Nanoly Bioscience: Founded this VC-backed biotech company in college. We’ve developed polymers that enable vaccines to survive without refrigeration. Won Airbus’s 2015 Materials and Manufacturing Award.

XFactor Ventures: We’re a group of CEOs and founders that invest in extraordinary startups with woman founders. We write $150K seed-stage checks to companies with billion dollar potential. So far, we’ve invested in 53 companies including Chief and one of the fastest-growing kitchenware companies, Our Place.

Non-profits that I serve on the boards of

National Foster Youth Institute: Founded by US Congresswoman Karen Bass, NFYI is a leader in transforming the child welfare system and improving the outcomes of foster youth and their families.

After-School All-Stars: Founded by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the organization provides free after school programs to 92,000 students each year.

Yes2Jobs: We help and train high school and college students from South Los Angeles to obtain top internships and jobs.

Random things I built in college

RickRemoval Chrome Extension: A funny spam blocker my friends and I made for the Yahoo University Hacking Competition. (We identify when you’re about to get Rickrolled and warn you!

CrimeFighter An Android app I built with friends to help report crime on college campuses. We won UC Berkeley’s “Big Ideas for Improving Student Life.”

RootMusic My friends and I created the first Root Music Facebook app back in the day. With our app, you could upload and post up to 2 hours of music on your friends’ Facebook wall.

119 responses to “About Me”

  2. You may be too young to remember a commercial that had a familiar jingle to it; something along the lines of, “You’ve come along way Baby, to get where you’ve got to be!” I was more about feminism that traveling a long distance.
    Congratulations on your continued successes. I too am on LinkedIn, but it doesn’t even come close to yours.
    Keep smiling Nanxi. You have much to smile about.

  10. Hello Nanxiliu,
    I am certainly happy you enjoyed my blog and hope you become a “frequent flyer”. I just took a look at your linked in site and see that you are an investment banker. That takes a great deal of hard work. I am a mechanical engineer and work in the southeastern United States. I will be following your posts from now on. Take care. Have a great weekend.

    Bob J.

  12. Hello,
    Thanks for reading my blog post “On Using Grooveshark to “Playlist” Your Day.” I love that I have a few readers from outside of my small teaching community. Makes me feel welcomed since I am new to wordpress. Your site is lovely… keep it up!

    http://blamobooks.wordpress.com

    • Good question! I think there may be a video or two on YouTube where I am playing piano. I will be sure to post some videos of my piano performances up when I get around to it haha

  16. Hi Nancy,

    Thank you very much for your kind support of my blog. Would like to see how we might be able to collaborate on some topics or do some guest blogging. Let me know if you would like to pursue.

    Steve

  24. thanks for going thru my blog.ur blog is cool.ur a hard wrking n abitious lady..may all ur derams come true..God bless u today n always.
    zedie/ dreammerchant/chandan

    email:dreammerchant.xxx@gmail.com
    wud love to know ur profession .do keep in touch.hapy reading.

  27. Is it true? Nuclear engineering and business administration? is that even possible? lol. That’s madness, I’m taking a major in business adminsitration right now, couldn’t imagine taking nuclear engineering at the same time lol.

  35. Hi,
    Thanks for visiting my blog. I’m glad you enjoyed the post about the role of CEOs.

    I have noticed that you keep yourself quite busy with all those cool goals that you got. Pretty impressive to see your progress on them. Good luck with your startup – it’s important.

    Hope to have you visiting my blog again soon.

  36. Nanxi Liu, thank you for looking at my blog. I admire a person who rises above their origins. You’ve got more ahead of you than what you’ve already accomplished and if that’s a picture of you that I see then I’m really looking at a beautiful young lady.

  39. Found my way onto your blog through your ‘like’ on mine; thank you for reading!

    I am from the Providence, RI area and there’s another company you may want to check out with similar goals to yours. Maternova is trying to place technologies into the hands of doctors around the world to improve the childbirthing process. Maybe you’ll find something of use to you. Good luck in all your endeavors.

  40. Hi Nancy, I’m not sure how you ended up finding my Cycle Path blog, but I’m sure glad you did. I’m grateful for your support and offer the same to you. I’m intrigued by you blog and all the wonderful profile info and beautiful images you share there. I’m sure you get lots of compliments all the time so I won’t go on too much for now. I will say this…It seems we have a few things in common, including being adventurous spirits who appreciate unconventional perspectives. Also, I love music and motorcycles. I’m a drummer, a motorcycle rider, a Martial Artist, writer and creator in my own right. If you ever need a bicycle tech in your neck of the woods, please let me know! I love to travel. If you’re interested in knowing a little more about me please feel free to check out my other blog…

    https://shadowfury1331.wordpress.com/

    I hope you’re happy and well and I look froward to hearing back from you sometime! Thanks again Nancy!

    Take care,

    Shadow

    • Thanks so much for taking the time to drop a note! I will definitely take you up on your offer about getting advice motorcycle riding 🙂

      • My pleasure and thank you for the kind and encouraging response. Send me an email sometime and we can continue our correspondence directly. Sound good? shadowfury1331@yahoo.ca
        Hope to hear from you soon!

  42. Thanks for “liking” my latest book review. Your site is pretty awesome as well. I’m now pretty much retired so, although I’m on Linkedin, I don’t really bother with it much now. Best of luck in your career.

  44. Thank you for reading SCC Library’s blog! You are an inspiration by all you do and want to accomplish! Best of wishes for the future! I will RSS your blog! Have a great day!

  45. I have passed word of Nanoly, which I saw linked in your “About Me”, posting to an organization that provides emergency response services to extremely remote areas. For example, during the flooding in Pakistan a couple of years ago, these people went in to the most rugged areas and treated many dehydration cases from waterborne illnesses. They have also done work in South Sudan, Haiti, and Chile. They generally go in after major disasters when conventional NGOs can not access an area. Most are former military special operations medical personnel who are now doctors and EMTs or are medical personnel with experience in extreme adventuring skills who can survive without much infrastructure. Team Rubicon is their name.

    • What a small world! I actually met the president and co-founder of Team Rubicon, Jake, at a conference last November in New York. We were both attending a conference targeted at social innovation projects hosted by Mobilize.org. Thanks for dropping this note and sending them a message about Nanoly!

  46. Impressive About. If only you could bottle that drive and entrepreneurial spirit–you’d be a multimillionaire by 25. At the rate you’re going, that’s a distinct possibility. Good luck–and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. 🙂

  47. Hi! I just stopped by to say thanks for “liking” my blog post. So nice to have people I don’t know read my writing (as opposed to my usual family and friends). You look like you have an amazing future ahead (that seems to have already started from what I’ve read so far). Congratulations on all of it, and thanks again for stopping by!

  48. Hi Nancy. Thanks for liking my blog. Wow! I envy you 🙂 you’ve accomplished a lot in a young age. It’s an inspiration for me to look forward that even your a mom and you got your hands full, you can still do something for yourself and enjoy. 🙂 Kudos to you! 🙂

  50. Thank you for liking my blog. I wish you well in all of your activities. You’re getting the most out of the the opportunities available to you, and that is very nice to see. I hope your startup goes well. It’s clearly a very worthy cause. My friend Varsha says you are inspiring and she would mention you to her daughters as what can be achieved at such a young age.
    Good luck
    Suleman

  51. Glad to see Nanoly continues to progress on its path to success. Very inspiring to see you and your team making it. Will be back to read more, soon.

  52. I believe I have ran into the most accomplished person ever! 😀 Thanks for liking one of my poems & keep up the accomplishments.

  57. Thanks for the like. Look forward to following your journey of accomplishments. By the way, I have an interesting app idea that I would like your feedback on.

  60. Yeah, if only you were good at something …
    I bet your folks are just a little bit chuffed. I’m guessing they’re gonna write a book about parenting, right? I’d buy it. In fact, I’ll buy one for my own folks and ask them if we could try again.

    • haha thanks shelley for the kind words. the truth is, i was probably the most rebellious kid growing up! i spent the beginning part of my childhood living without my parents because they were abroad. as a result, i was very independent and never listened to my parents so much so that they were basically forced to give me lots of freedom. nonetheless, they were very supportive of all the random things i wanted to try. maybe that’s the key? just let your kid run loose? haha

  62. My, you are a busy beaver. I commend you on the many ventures you have innovated. I admire you for your creative, technical, and innovative accomplishments.

  65. My heavens, girl, do you ever sleep with all the projects and activities you’re into?! I appreciate you stopping by my blog and liking my humble little world. You are an inspiration for all young people and I admire your successes with the Nanoly project. Your talents seem limitless!

  68. You sound like a genius who has her feet on the ground. Friends and ingenuity… a powerful concept and all I can say is you go girl! Not to be sexist, but I am humbled 😉
    Look forward to following you and thanks so much for stopping by my little blog. pdd

  75. *Thank you* for the “like” at my blog:) I also love your philosophy “live so once is enough.” Wonderful! (I look forward to following your adventures here:)

  78. Hi Nancy. Thanks for visiting and liking my blog. Browsing yours has been fascinating, particularly given I’m in the process of setting up my first startup business. I was browsing the Fast Company’s ‘League of Extraordinary Women’ this morning – perhaps if I go back to it I might notice your name??

  81. Hi! how did you make the panel “technology” just display articles that are categorized in the technology category?
    Thanks!

  83. Pingback: UnGrounded’s Female Founders to Watch | NEOMUJER·

  85. Wow, what a life at such a young age! Thanks for dropping by my blog! Look forward to reading more on yours. Cheers, Mrs. J

  87. Hi Nanxi!
    First of all, congratulations for an amazing blog and a more than amazing life

    I would like to contact you because I do think Enplug will suceed in Barcelona and I’m really willing to participate in a project like this. Barcelona is a culinary hub for foodies, it’s a fashion capital, it holds the Mobile World Congress and millions of tourists visit the city every year. It has the liking for technology, food&bevarage and newness needed to make Enplug work. And so do I!

    On the other hand, it will be a good chance to improve your Spanish

    If you think the idea is worth further consideration don’t hesitate to contact me (es.linkedin.com/in/azpeleta)

    Cheers

    Luisa

  88. hey nancy, can u make a mobile application that can save people from brain cancer. Mobile usage itself cause cancer. Mobile app should restrict the usage which is otherwise very much unrestricted. Most affected people are women.

  90. Hi Nanxi, It was an absolute pleasure to hear you speak last night at the Athlete’s Touch meeting. Congrats on everything going so well. I’m going to try and find you some big clients for your Enplug business. Cheers, Terry Dunn (I was the guy asking you about your hobbies, where you see yourself in 6 mos., and stuff like how it feels when everything in the Universe aligns to make your goals and vision manifest.)

  91. The Techcrunch article for Enplug led me to your Linkedin profile than to your personal site. All I can say is WOW. I have three young daughters and I hope they can accomplish just a fraction of what you have done at such a young age. I’m guessing you lead the business development as well. I love your story and the Enplug story. Let me know if there is anything I can ever help you with.

    • Thank you so much! I am sure your daughters will be very accomplished. The most important thing I learned was to surround myself with people that I admire and can always learn from.

      • You know I’m sorry I did not reply here right away. It’s been really busy with work and family. However, I’ve been thinking about Enplug, since I found your company. Wisdom comes with age and maybe you could learn from me. I’d like you to mentor my daughters someday? Here’s the thing, I cannot pay you but if I do something for you, maybe you’d be inclined. I am a firm believer that you always have to “give first” to “get”. I want to give first and here’s how. I am extremely confident about offering wisdom on your business development front. I’m certain your growth has exceeded expectations and I see from David Zhu’s profile, he is the CFO and also in charge of spear heading New Business Development. Let him know that I am very impressed with his bio and I believe we have a lot in common, even though I am old enough to be his father. Please ask him to contact me at charly.yoo@eca-mfg.com. I want to give first and this could be a game changer. Let him know that I play Poker and this is not a bluff. I got “the nuts”

  94. Hi Nanxi,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
    Wow you’ve done so well! Good luck with everything you do!

  95. Hi Nanxi!

    The books you read always look so fascinating – how do you come across them? I always want to read something that gives me working knowledge of a little bit of everything, but I’m not sure where to start.

  96. Hey Nanxi!
    I actually have a friend who’s also named Nanxi, and she almost looks like you! She just hasn’t built her own company from scratch. And what you have accomplished, I give much respect. Must have taken you so much effort to manage your own company. How do you have the time to come up with fun activities for your team? (love that LAN party idea) 🙂

    • I want to meet this other Nanxi! She sounds cool 🙂 our team comes up with all the different activities and suggest it. We also have a Community Manager that organizes the events.

  97. G’day Nanxi
    Unexpectedly I finding myself overseas with limited PC time, means it being what it is 🙂 … do I post, read or comment? … albeit I do thank you for your visit and like, both very much appreciated, once I return to Aus I will start doing the rounds to catch upon everyone’s page

  98. Wow Nanxi!! you are so down to earth. How do you even do it? So many wonderful creations in such varied fields. Could you please tell me what you have studied? You are so amazing, I would like to be like you too. Please guide me.

  101. Interesting posts by you Nanxi, I admire your candor and of course your abilities – GREAT stuff. We briefly met at CES and enjoyed watching your company reach a certain level of success. We have a great model that we believe could quickly move your product forward in the industries we represent at Event City. As we ramp up for our Live Launch we would like to bring along some partners to enjoy the ride with us while introducing these products and/or services to our members, eager to learn about new technologies and how they can enhance and improve their business models.

    Let’s see how Event City can help Enplug grow and vice versa.

    Wonderful regards,
    Nolan Apostle
    Founder & CEO
    Event City

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