Venni Yu is Building Towards Something Greater

Profile by Marcelle Santos. Header photo by Ruby Wallau for Northeastern University.

Venni Yu always knew that there was more to life than her immediate reality.

As a teenager, she knew that her world was tiny compared to the vastness of the universe; so she learned about stars, planets, and galaxies, and devoured Cixin Liu’s Three-Body Problem “at least three times.” 

She knew that there was more to discover than what her teachers quizzed her on at school, so she read science books and scientists’ biographies and fantasized about traveling to faraway places.

Finally, she knew that she could be more than what others thought she could be, so she dreamed of making an impact and contributing meaningful knowledge to the world.

Today, she’s on the path to making that and other dreams real. She’s doubled down on academics, as a graduate student both on the ground at Northeastern in Silicon Valley in the MS in Information Systems Bridge program, and online at Georgia Tech for an MS in Computer Science. And with her new technical skills, she’s landed an internship at iQIYI, one of the largest streaming entertainment platforms. 

“I always wanted to be an entrepreneur” 

Venni struggled as a young person growing up in China to find her place in the world.

Although she was a budding astronomer, a voracious reader, and excelled at sports, she was never considered an outstanding student by local educational standards, and there was even a question of whether or not she should pursue a higher educational degree. 

“My interests were not typically academic,” she said. “I was a nerd for science books and mystery novels, I was creative, I played volleyball for my school, but none of those things got me high academic scores.”

Despite her love of adventure and her natural leadership abilities, she was encouraged by teachers and family members to stay close to home and strive for jobs “suitable for women” such as translator or secretary. “But I always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” she said. 

And so, from the age of 18, she self-financed her education. It was not the traditional path that her family expected for her, but she had her own vision for her future.

An emerging tech leader

Venni set about building experience that would support her future plans. She worked as a Senior Operations Manager and later as a Project Lead at Huawei.

In the latter position, she managed a team of eight and led the overseas launches of two high-profile projects which, she said, led to “an 80% brand awareness surge” and “a 200% sales revenue boost” for the telecommunications company. 

“She was a role model, bringing energy to the team and helping other colleagues grow,” her former manager wrote about her on LinkedIn.

In addition to taking her to destinations she’d dreamed of as a teenager, her work at Huawei ignited her curiosity about the technology behind the devices she promoted.

“My experience in Huawei was a good bridge for me,” she said. “What I was doing was non-tech; it was Operations. But it got me thinking, what is the most basic, foundational knowledge I could get of the tech world?” 

A refreshed perspective

By the time she began to consider a career change, she had been working nonstop for years, including two years at Huawei. It was time for a break. “I’m a career-driven woman, but I’m also an explorer. I love to explore the world and the things I don’t know,” she said.   

In 2022, she traveled to South America, where she volunteered as a language teacher to disadvantaged children in low-income communities and assisted with conservation efforts in the Peruvian jungle. 

Venni during her time as a conservation and education volunteer in Peru

The experience made her realize how much her world had shrunk in recent years, and how much more she wanted to see and do. “I knew I had to change my life,” she said. The following month, she enrolled at Northeastern.

“I’m an initiator. When a task arises, I get the ball rolling.”

Now, when she’s not deep into her computer science studies — or organizing inspiring events for tech-minded people — you can usually find Venni outside. (She runs a hiking group that currently boasts 800 members.)

Hiking helps her tap into that sense of awe and wonder she’s had since she was a child, and makes her grateful, she said, for having a “beating heart” and the energy to go after her dreams. 

It’s energy that she’s putting to use. Along with her studies and her internship, she’s also an ambassador for Google’s Women Techmakers program, and a machine learning researcher at Northeastern.  

“I want to be a successful woman in tech, to make a meaningful contribution in some area,” she said. “The area is still ambiguous for me because I’m a beginner, but slowly, I’ll find my direction, and go from there.”

Venni hiking at Machu Picchu, Peru