About
"Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi
Tashi delek! I am a Tibetan-Canadian conceptual artist, a technology inventor, a birth worker, and a community builder. I have founded 3 organizations, and my hope is to help transform the world through innovation, advocacy, and entrepreneurship:
- I serve as the CEO and Founder of Flutter Care. Our mission is to promote joy and connection during the perinatal period and ultimately, improve health outcomes.
- I advocate for improved perinatal loss education and care as a Co-Founder of the Canadian Collaborative for Stillbirth Prevention. Our work helped to reform national guidelines on antenatal fetal health surveillance.
- I started the Creative Visionaries Fund and the Activism Through Technology and Art (ATTA) Society to mobilize the next generation of artistic activism.
My artistic work has been exhibited internationally in the Kunsthal Museum (“Art and Technology” exhibit) and Dutch Design Week (“Tilt-Shift: Reframing Futures” exhibit) and featured by media outlets such as Daily Hive and Vancouver is Awesome.
Experience
Education
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Activities and Societies: Activism Through Technology and Art (Founder/Director) | Women in Engineering (Chair/Director) | 14 Not Forgotten Memorial Ceremony (Lead Organizer/Writer/Speaker) | Engineers Without Borders | eng•cite | Engineering Co-op | Work Learn Program | entrepreneurship@UBC Lean LaunchPad | Biomedical Engineering Graduate Association Mentorship Program
Overview:
• Completed 170 course credits across 9 engineering disciplines
• Invented 8 hardware technologies and founded 2 organizations
• Managed a full course load while working two part-time jobs (20 hours/week), multiple volunteer positions, and a long commute each day between school and home :)
Related Achievements:
▸Engineers Canada Gold Medal Student Award
▸EGBC Innovation Magazine Feature
▸UBC Faculty of Applied Science Rising Star
▸APSC Design and…Overview:
• Completed 170 course credits across 9 engineering disciplines
• Invented 8 hardware technologies and founded 2 organizations
• Managed a full course load while working two part-time jobs (20 hours/week), multiple volunteer positions, and a long commute each day between school and home :)
Related Achievements:
▸Engineers Canada Gold Medal Student Award
▸EGBC Innovation Magazine Feature
▸UBC Faculty of Applied Science Rising Star
▸APSC Design and Innovation Day Capstone Project Industry Award
▸Innovation UBC Startup Idea Competition People's Choice Award
▸Rosemary Speirs Leadership Grant Recipient
▸Mechanical Engineering Magazine Feature
▸American Society of Mechanical Engineers Featured Student
▸Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation Ambassador Award
▸Edward JC Hossie Leadership Award Nominee
▸Medical Device Development Center Principal Award
▸Royal Bank of Canada Get Seeded Award
▸UBC Faculty of Medicine Catalyst Award
▸UBC Faculty of Applied Science Innovation Award -
Activities and Societies: YES!Delft Student Entrepreneurship Program | Advanced Modern Dance Group | Art, Empathy & Ethics | idStudioLab (design research)
Major Highlights (1 Term):
▸International Experience Award
▸YES!Delft Student Entrepreneurship Program
▸1st Place, Startup of Holland Pitch Competition
▸Co-created an interactive art installation exhibited in the Kunsthal Museum
▸Contributed to the redesign of The Aula (Dutch national monument)
▸Volunteered for the Hague Peace Projects (NGO) and Border Sessions (tech culture festival)
▸Completed a design internship with Dr. Stella Boess (Design for…Major Highlights (1 Term):
▸International Experience Award
▸YES!Delft Student Entrepreneurship Program
▸1st Place, Startup of Holland Pitch Competition
▸Co-created an interactive art installation exhibited in the Kunsthal Museum
▸Contributed to the redesign of The Aula (Dutch national monument)
▸Volunteered for the Hague Peace Projects (NGO) and Border Sessions (tech culture festival)
▸Completed a design internship with Dr. Stella Boess (Design for Interaction)
▸Co-designed a rehabilitation device featured at Dutch Design Week 2019
▸Travelled 10 countries solo -
Licenses & Certifications
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NCCP: Gymnastics Foundations I & II, Coaching Theory and Ethics
Coaching Association of Canada
IssuedCredential ID NCCP #6050071
Honors & Awards
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Diana Award
The Diana Award
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.
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Glory Professional - Canada's 30 Under 30
Glory Professional (formerly Bay Street Bull)
1 of 30 individuals under the age of 30 selected from across Canada for the 30X30 guide showcasing "young Canadian leaders who are redefining the way we do business, championing their communities, and shaking up the status quo." The list is industry-agnostic, spanning technology, healthcare, athletics, and more.
https://gloryprofessional.com/glory-professional-30x30-2023/ -
The Globe and Mail - Top 50 Canadian Business Changemakers
The Globe and Mail
Recognized as one of Canada's top emerging leaders reinventing how Canada does business. Finalists were evaluated based on their ideas, accomplishments and impact.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-50-emerging-canadian-business-leaders/ -
UBC Alumni Changemaker
The University of British Columbia
Featured as one of two UBC graduates "defining the future" for the Fall 2022 issue of the Changemaker series.
https://magazine.alumni.ubc.ca/2022/fall-2022/changemakers/community-health-technology/mother-invention -
Canadian Youth Impact Challenge Awards
Youth Impact Challenge
Placed 2nd ($7500 for an interactive art project) and 4th ($2500 for a new project started in July 2022) with two different initiatives I am leading, in the finals of a nationwide impact innovation challenge with 300 applicants between the ages of 16-25.
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BCBusiness Women of the Year Winner - Innovator
BCBusiness
Awarded for demonstrating exceptional ingenuity. Examples include leading the development of an innovative product or service, tapping a significant new market and introducing new ways of working that improve productivity and/or profitability.
Youngest winner/finalist of this award category to date. Selected for the cover of the May/June 2022 issue of BCBusiness Magazine.
https://www.bcbusiness.ca/The-2022-Women-of-the-Year-Awards -
Top 20 FemTech Leaders (North America) & Top 50 FemTech Leaders (Global) for Pregnancy & Nursing
FemTech Analytics
Youngest individual & sole Canadian company founder in both categories.
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National Impact Innovation Challenge - Top 3 (Growth Category)
League of Innovators
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Top 36 Global FemTech Leaders - Pregnancy & Nursing
FemTech Analytics
Youngest individual named by FemTech Analytics (big data analytics platform) as one of the Top 36 Global FemTech Leaders in the category of 'Pregnancy and Nursing.'
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RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award Nominee (2021, 2022, 2024)
Women of Influence
The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards (CWEA) are the pre-eminent national business awards recognizing the country’s leading female entrepreneurs. The awards are an initiative of Women of Influence, an organization dedicated to advancing women globally.
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1st Place, Startup Impact: Sustainable Development Goals Pitch Competition (Gender Equality)
Startup Canada
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The Startup Impact: SDG Pitch Competition received hundreds of applications from businesses across Canada that are making a real impact on our world. The two pitch competitions were held on November 24th and November 26th with the aim of highlighting and…The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The Startup Impact: SDG Pitch Competition received hundreds of applications from businesses across Canada that are making a real impact on our world. The two pitch competitions were held on November 24th and November 26th with the aim of highlighting and encouraging Canadian entrepreneurs prioritizing positive social impact in their businesses. The top 4 pitchers from each SDG category were selected to pitch to a panel of judges and an audience who determined the winners based on their inspiring devotion to sustainability and fulfillment of one of the following 4 SDG’s:
SDG 1: Poverty Reduction
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
SDG 13: Climate Action
https://www.startupcan.ca/2020/11/startup-impact-sdg-pitch-competition-winners-announced/ -
Innovation Magazine Feature
Engineers and Geoscientists BC
Featured in the August 2020 issue of EGBC's Innovation Magazine.
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Innovation UBC Startup Idea Competition - 2nd Place & People’s Choice Award
Innovation UBC
The Innovation UBC Startup Idea Competition was delivered by the University Industry Liaison Office (UILO), entrepreneurship@UBC, and the Innovation Partnerships team, who along with UBC's Knowledge Exchange Unit represent Innovation UBC.
Flutter Wear was selected as 1 of 6 teams to pitch, virtually, to over 80 UBC community members, industry guests and esteemed judges across Vancouver's life science innovation ecosystem ($1000 cash prize; additional vouchers for legal fees and patent…The Innovation UBC Startup Idea Competition was delivered by the University Industry Liaison Office (UILO), entrepreneurship@UBC, and the Innovation Partnerships team, who along with UBC's Knowledge Exchange Unit represent Innovation UBC.
Flutter Wear was selected as 1 of 6 teams to pitch, virtually, to over 80 UBC community members, industry guests and esteemed judges across Vancouver's life science innovation ecosystem ($1000 cash prize; additional vouchers for legal fees and patent services valued at $10,500).
https://innovation.ubc.ca/about/news/inspiring-ubc-innovators-pitch-win -
APSC Design and Innovation Day Industry Award
UBC Faculty of Applied Science
Judged by faculty and industry members as the top Integrated Engineering final year "Advanced Engineering Design" capstone project (Freedom Cushion) based on design and innovation, communication, and overall impact.
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Best Capstone Design Project
The University of British Columbia
The Freedom Cushion was voted as the top Integrated Engineering "Advanced Engineering Design" capstone design project by the student body.
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Engineers Canada Gold Medal Student Award
Engineers Canada
The Gold Medal Student Award bestows distinction on outstanding undergraduate engineering students and recognizes exceptional contributions to societal issues through community involvement,
outstanding achievements, leadership in the profession, and impact on the image of the engineering profession in Canada.
Valued at $10,000 and awarded to 1 engineering student in Canada each year.
https://engineerscanada.ca/awards2020 -
Commencement Address Student Speaker Nominee (Declined)
The University of British Columbia
Nominated by the Dean of UBC's Faculty of Applied Science for "outstanding achievements which exemplify the UBC student experience at its best" to be the undergraduate student speaker for UBC Vancouver's Class of 2020.
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Cansbridge Fellowship Award
The Cansbridge Fellowship
1 of 18 students selected (<2.5% acceptance rate) to receive a $6000 scholarship to support self-organized work initiatives in Asia, attend a week-long entrepreneurial bootcamp in the Silicon Valley, and join the Cansbridge community.
The program is designed to help individuals build the skills, experiences and network needed early-on in order to effectively build businesses and technologies beyond the Canadian border. -
Canadian Medical Association Joule Innovation Grant
Canadian Medical Association
1 of 8 ventures selected out of 182 applications across Canada to receive a $5000 innovation grant from Joule Inc, a subsidiary of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Rosemary Speirs Leadership Grant
Government of Canada, Department for Women and Gender Equality
Successfully proposed the creation of a collective focused on using art and technology as a medium for activism. This collective is based out of Vancouver, Canada.
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Mechanical Engineering Magazine: Featured Student
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Featured in the July 2019 issue of the Mechanical Engineering Magazine, the monthly flagship publication of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
https://efests.asme.org/news/april-2019/young-engineer-inspires-hundreds-more-women-to-eng -
1st Place, Startup of Holland Pitch Competition
YES!Delft Students
Independently pitched over 4 rounds and 5 hours of competition. Participants were required to quickly apply feedback given to them by entrepreneurial experts in each round.
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International Experience Award
The University of British Columbia
Scholarship to attend Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
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RESNA Student Design Competition Semi-finalist
Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America
Selected as a semi-finalist (top 12) for the international assistive technology student design competition. Invited to present our design, Medispenser, at the RESNA 2018 Annual Conference Developer's Showcase in Washington, D.C.
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Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation Ambassador Award for British Columbia
Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation
Judged as "one of the most promising female undergraduate engineering students in Canada" by members of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation and Engineers Canada.
Five $5,000 annual scholarships are awarded to Canadian women in engineering at the undergraduate level who self-identify as female, are proven leaders, active volunteers in their communities and mentors to other young women to encourage them to follow an engineering path.
Faces of the Future:…Judged as "one of the most promising female undergraduate engineering students in Canada" by members of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation and Engineers Canada.
Five $5,000 annual scholarships are awarded to Canadian women in engineering at the undergraduate level who self-identify as female, are proven leaders, active volunteers in their communities and mentors to other young women to encourage them to follow an engineering path.
Faces of the Future: https://www.cemf.ca/PageTurning/2018FacesBrochure/index.html -
1st Place, MDDC Principal Award for Excellence in Biomedical Engineering Student Design & Innovation
Medical Device Development Centre (MDDC)
Awarded the top-prize for the student or student team who distinguish themselves as leaders in innovation through the originality of their idea, the alignment of their solution with existing needs, the attention to detail and progress in the development of the technology, and the consideration of economic and social impacts ($5000)
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Edward JC Hossie Leadership Award Nominee
The University of British Columbia
Nominated in recognition of my sustained involvement and valuable contributions to the UBC Vancouver campus community.
Nominees have:
• Inspired other students to get involved
• Contributed consistently to the success of their program and demonstrated sustained involvement
• Excelled as ambassadors of their program and UBC
• Spearheaded new initiatives or created innovative programs -
RBC Seed Funding Award
Royal Bank of Canada
Received seed funding for a 90s pitch I delivered with my teammate at the RBC and AMS eHub Get Seeded Pitch Competition (audience vote).
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UBC Faculty of Medicine Catalyst Award
UBC Faculty of Medicine
Best solution showcasing interdisciplinary collaboration at the Great Hatch 2018.
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UBC Faculty of Applied Science Innovation Award
UBC Faculty of Applied Science
Best innovation at The Great Hatch 2017 for our project "LocoMobility."
https://apsc.ubc.ca/news/2017/03/congratulations-on-another-great-hatch for LocoMobility. -
Neil Squire Society Spirit Award
The Neil Squire Society
Awarded for demonstrating the most perseverance, dedication, and hard work throughout the Vancouver Access Makeathon.
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