about annieMy real name is Yahang Wang.
My real name is Yahang Wang.
Everyone calls me Annie.
Yahang [Ya-Hong] — “beyond Asia” — the name my parents gave me as a promise.
I was born in a rural village in Yunnan, China, and immigrated to Fairfax, Virginia at age 7 with two parents who believed in possibility. I’m a first-generation college graduate. Technology strategy consultant. Coach. Content creator. Connector.
I’ve rebuilt my life from scratch in 9 cities across 3 countries — and I’m not done yet.
Michigan Ross BBA '23Summa Cum LaudeChicago Booth MBA (deferred)5+ years coaching
what I believeA few things I know
A few things I know
to be true.
Everyone deserves access to the tools that help them grow.
Most well-being content is either too vague to act on or locked behind expensive programs. I think that's worth changing. Good information, freely shared, compounds.
You don't need to fit in one box to make your life make sense.
The pressure to “pick a lane” is real. I've never believed in it. A full life is multidimensional by design — the goal is to hold all of it with intention, not to shrink.
Growth is intentional, not indiscriminate.
More isn't always better. The question isn't “how do I optimize everything?” — it's “what actually deserves my energy right now?” That discernment is the skill.
When humans grow, humanity glows.
I genuinely believe that individual growth compounds into something larger. When you show up better for yourself, you show up better for everyone around you. That ripple matters.
in their wordsHow would you describe Annie
How would you describe Annie
to someone who doesn’t know her?
Instead of telling you about myself, I asked the people who know me best — my community.
the journeyWhere I’ve been.
Where I’ve been.
How I got here.
■
2001 — HeQing, Yunnan, China
Born in a village my parents would eventually leave behind.
My parents named me Yahang — “beyond Asia” — a hope they planted before I could walk. I grew up in a rural farming community in southern China, surrounded by mountains and a family that believed the world was bigger than what we could see from where we stood.
■
2008 — Fairfax, Virginia
Immigrated to America at age 7. Learned English through rap music.
I arrived not knowing the language, struggled through ESOL classes, and found my way in through hip-hop. Memorizing lyrics gave me vocabulary. Writing my own gave me a voice. I'd eventually perform an original rap in front of hundreds — but that comes later.
first-gen immigrantenglish as a second language
■
2018 — Virginia Girls State
Performed an original rap in front of hundreds. Faked a mic drop.
After years of being afraid to speak, I took the stage at Virginia Girls State and performed. The crowd erupted. I had spent years loathing my accent — and I walked off that stage knowing I had found my voice, and what I wanted to do with it.
public speakingperformance
■
2019 — Ann Arbor, Michigan
First-generation college student at Michigan Ross. Joined 180 Degrees Consulting.
I started my first semester at the Ross School of Business and immediately joined 180 Degrees Consulting, the premier pro-bono college consulting club. I went on to serve four years, ultimately as Project Manager and Officer. I also performed at the Ross Story Lab Showcase in Robertson Auditorium — telling my immigration story to hundreds for the first time on a university stage.
first-genconsulting
read the post on LinkedIn ↗■
Summer 2021 — Dallas, Texas
Goldman Sachs HCM Intern. Named MVP by peers.
My first major corporate internship, at Goldman Sachs in the Human Capital Management division. At the end of the summer, my peers nominated me MVP — a reflection of how I show up for the people around me, not just the work.
financeMVP nomination
read the post on LinkedIn ↗■
Junior Year — The Tipping Point
5 jobs. 16 credits. 3 leadership roles. One burnout. One framework.
Working five part-time jobs simultaneously — career coach, peer mentor, writing coach, consulting advisor, course assistant — while holding leadership positions and saving for study abroad in Seoul. I kept saying yes until everything was too much. That breakdown led me to discover the 8 Dimensions of Well-Being framework. The rest is in8D.
origin of in8Dburnout → framework
■
Summer 2022 — San Francisco
Strategy & Consulting Intern at a Big 4 firm. Seoul study abroad.
I interned in the Private Equity Value Creation division in San Francisco. After years of working to save for it, I finally made it to Seoul for my study abroad semester — the goal that had driven so much of my junior year hustle.
strategy consultingSeoul ✦
■
2023 — Ann Arbor, Michigan
Graduated summa cum laude. Founded the Ross First Gen Network. MLK Spirit Award.
I graduated with a 3.9 GPA, James B. Angell Scholar distinction, and summa cum laude honors. I founded the Ross First Gen Network — a community for first-gen and under-resourced Ross students — and organized a fireside chat with Dean Sharon Matusik. I won the 2023 MLK Spirit Award for social justice activism, took 2nd place at the National Diversity Case Competition (best Ross result ever, $5,000 prize), and competed in my first USA Powerlifting meet: 1st place, Women's Raw Open 60kg, 235kg total.
summa cum laudeRoss First Gen NetworkMLK Spirit AwardUSA Powerlifting
read the post on LinkedIn ↗■
2023–Present — New York City ✦
Technology strategy consultant. Coach. Creator. Still growing.
I joined a Big 4 consulting firm full-time in their technology strategy practice for Private Equity, kept coaching on Leland (5.0 stars, 100+ people coached), and joined the Ascend Emerging Leaders Council and the Corporate Leadership Board at Gratitude Network. I started building in8D and was admitted to the University of Chicago Booth MBA (deferred). Still hosting parties. Still lifting.
NYCtech strategyAscend ELCGratitude Networkin8D ✦
■
2025 — Ascend National Leadership Convention
Performed “Name Drop” for 2,000+ Asian American professionals and allies.
My biggest stage to date. An original motivational rap dedicated to the younger version of me who resented my given name and felt shame in my origin — and the first time I shared my given name on a stage that big.
AscendName Drop 🎤
read the post on LinkedIn ↗■
July 2026 — Promoted to Senior Associate
Promoted within 2.5 years. Dedicated to my parents.
Promoted to Senior Associate at my Big 4 consulting firm within 2.5 years on my team — a generally accelerated promotion cycle, and one I dedicate to my parents.
promotionfor my parents ✦
read the post on LinkedIn ↗the moment that changed thingsFrom afraid to speak
From afraid to speak
to rapping on stage.
I arrived in America at 7 not knowing English. I struggled through ESOL. I was afraid of my accent and afraid to speak up.
Then I found rap music. I started memorizing lyrics to learn the language — and then started writing my own. For years, it stayed private. Until 2018, when I decided to perform an original rap at Virginia Girls State in front of hundreds of people.
“As the beat started, I took a deep breath and began to rap. The atmosphere was electric. After my final verse, I faked a mic drop and bowed with a beaming smile. The crowd erupted. The shy little girl who had loathed her accent had become someone who used her voice to move people.”
That moment didn’t just mark a milestone. It made a vow: to use my voice to advocate for communities that don’t always get one. Every piece of content, every coaching session, every stage I’ve stood on since — it all traces back to that beat drop in 2018.
My biggest performance to date came at the 2025 Ascend National Leadership Convention, where I performed an original motivational rap called “Name Drop” — dedicated to the younger version of me who resented my given name and felt shame in my origin. It was an epic moment: the first time I shared my given name on a stage that big, in front of 2,000+ Asian American professionals and allies.
notable achievementsThings I’m
Things I’m
particularly proud of.
🎓
First-Generation College Graduate
Michigan Ross BBA '23. 3.9 GPA. Summa cum laude. James B. Angell Scholar. Started a legacy for my family.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗📱
LinkedIn Next Gen Creator · Lifestyle, Wellness & Mindset Content Creator
Officially recognized by LinkedIn as a Next Gen Creator. 20k+ followers across socials (Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Meta), generating 2M+ organic views per month.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗🎧
Host & Producer of in perspective
Created, hosts, and produces in perspective, in8D's storytelling series — short-form interviews and a podcast of real stories from people navigating life in their own ways.
📈
Promoted to Senior Associate
An accelerated promotion within 2.5 years at a Big 4 consulting firm (July 2026). Dedicated to my parents.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗🎙️
2x Ross Story Lab Speaker
Shared my story on stage — and dropped an original motivational rap after each one.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗🎤
Ascend National Convention Performer
Performed my original rap “Name Drop” for 2,000+ Asian American professionals and allies at the 2025 Ascend National Leadership Convention.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗🌱
Ross First Gen Network Founder
Founded a community for first-gen and under-resourced Ross students. Organized a fireside chat with Dean Sharon Matusik.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗✊
MLK Spirit Award
2023 recipient. Recognized for social justice activism and contributions to the University of Michigan community.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗🏆
National Diversity Case Competition
2nd place out of 30+ schools nationwide. Best result Ross has ever achieved. $5,000 prize.
🏋️
USA Powerlifting — 1st Place
Wolverine Classic Meet. 6/9 lifts. 235kg total (518 lbs). Women's Raw Open 60kg. All-time personal records across all three lifts.
🎤
LCC Executive Presence Award
Selected out of hundreds for excellence in public speaking, confidence, and poise under pressure. 2023 Leadership Crisis Challenge.
⭐
Goldman Sachs — MVP
Named MVP at the end of my HCM internship — nominated by my peers, not my managers. A reflection of how I show up for people.
read the post on LinkedIn ↗☮️
Fairfax County Student Peace Award
Received in high school for substantial contributions to peacemaking, understanding, and conflict resolution.
💪
10 Consecutive Unassisted Pull Ups
Three years of consistent training later. Not the flashiest achievement on this list. But one I earned with my own body, rep by rep.
now it’s your turnWork with Annie
Work with Annie
to build confidence and clarity around your life.
If you’re truly ready to see your life transform by evolving in 8 dimensions, set up a free intro call with Annie to see if you’re a good match. She doesn’t take on every client — only the ones with real desire and curiosity for change.