Today we’d like to introduce you to Lai Xu.
Hi Lai, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in China and moved to the U.S. in my junior year of high school, a big leap that taught me to adapt quickly and embrace new opportunities. I started my design career at Cerner Corporation, building it from the ground up over 15 years. Along the way, I learned not just about creating products, but about understanding people, solving problems, and telling stories that make an impact.
Today, I’m a Principal User Experience Designer at Oracle, which is my day job, but I also wear a few other hats. I lead OPAL (Oracle Professional Asian Leadership), Oracle’s largest Employee Resource Group, where I focus on creating spaces for diverse voices and helping others develop their leadership. I also volunteer with NAAAP, mentoring and supporting emerging leaders.
Outside of work, I love storytelling in many forms, photography, film, and even making skits that help people see new perspectives. At the heart of it, my journey has always been about connecting with people, sharing experiences, and finding creative ways to influence and inspire others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, life and career have had their ups and downs, much like a rollercoaster. Moving to a new country as a teenager was challenging, from navigating a new culture to learning a different education system. Early in my career, I had to build my design skills from scratch, often learning through trial and error while figuring out how to make my voice heard in large organizations.
Over the years, I’ve also noticed the subtle challenges faced by quieter voices in the workplace, moments when contributions can be overlooked or underestimated. That experience inspired my Unleash Your Quiet Superpower workshop at NAAAP Leadership Convention 25, where I share strategies for using empathy, storytelling, and authentic influence to stand out without changing who you are.
Through all of it, I’ve learned that struggles are opportunities in disguise. Each challenge taught me resilience, creativity, and the importance of lifting others along the way. Those ups and downs have shaped not only my career but also my approach to leadership and mentoring.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m currently a Principal User Experience Designer at Oracle, where I focus on creating thoughtful, human-centered experiences that solve complex problems across different industries. Beyond my day job, I lead OPAL, Oracle’s largest Employee Resource Group with over 8,000 members globally. Through OPAL, I work to foster inclusion, amplify diverse voices, and create programs that empower employees to lead with confidence.
I’m also passionate about giving back to the local community, volunteering with NAAAP Kansas City. I recently served on the programming committee of Leadership Convention by NAAAP National in Kansas City, August 14-16.
Earlier in my career, I built and ran Bokehstory Photos, a portrait photography business in Kansas City. While I intentionally scaled back in recent years to focus on my family, because time with my kids is priceless. The experience taught me creativity, storytelling, and how to capture moments that matter, skills I continue to apply in my professional and volunteer work.
I’m proud of creating impact through design, leadership, and mentorship, and for helping others find their voice in both professional and community spaces. What sets me apart is my ability to blend creativity, empathy, and strategy to influence outcomes and inspire others, whether through a product experience, a leadership program, or a story.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something that surprises a lot of people who know me today is that I’m naturally pretty quiet in work meetings, but I was actually born an extreme extrovert. Growing up, I loved to perform, sing, and express myself without hesitation. But when I moved from China to the U.S. in high school, I quickly learned that being “different” wasn’t always celebrated. I started holding back and became more reserved in professional settings.
That shift ended up shaping one of my greatest strengths. Over time, I learned to channel quiet observation into empathy and to use storytelling as a way to influence with authenticity. It’s what inspired me to create my workshop along with my OPAL friends, Unleash Your Quiet Superpower, where we share how quieter leaders can thrive without changing who they are.
So while people may see me as calm and soft-spoken today, what they might not know is that my journey actually began with a big, bold voice. In a way, I’ve come full circle—finding ways to blend both sides of myself: the extrovert who loves to connect and the quiet leader who empowers others.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.bokehstory.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurora100/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laixu100/
