Weirong Li (MSQM ’25), the student commencement speaker at her NYU Stern graduation, shares how she turned her multicultural background into a communication asset to help drive international business excellence, her career advice for Gen Z, and how she is committed to staying connected to the Stern alumni community. 

For much of her early life, Weirong Li wrestled with a sense of in-betweenness. Her parents are Chinese, but she grew up in Budapest, Hungary, and attended American international schools with kids from all over the world. But as a child, she struggled with a sense of cultural identity—a feeling that can come from being what is known as a “third culture kid.” But over time, Li turned her multicultural background into a strength: the ability to communicate across cultures. She now sees her cross-cultural identity as an asset, one that propelled her to launch a business venture, Raw Culture, which helped earn her a spot on the Forbes Austria 30-Under-30 list. 

As the CEO and founder of Raw Culture, a media company that focuses on leadership and business excellence, Li works with companies in Europe and often does speaking engagements. Her professional path is guided by her pursuit of international business leadership, and looking back, she sees that “there was a thread of being involved with organizations that are global-facing.” A few years ago, while living in Vienna, where she had studied Mass Media and Communication Science at the University of Vienna, she became involved with the Global Shapers Community, an initiative by the World Economic Forum that brings together like-minded young leaders to work together to focus on solving the world’s biggest issues. Later, her work with SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research) deepened her expertise in cross-cultural communication. She brought all that experience into Raw Culture.

Advancing Her Skills at NYU Stern

But as a business owner, Li felt she needed to sharpen her business acumen and knew immediately where she wanted to go. “Stern was on my vision board—it was my dream school,” Li says, a message she shared during the MS Convocation ceremony. She could connect with students all over the world while continuing to live in Europe. 

Taking advantage of the global cohort, Li participated in study sessions and didn’t hesitate to reach out to classmates. “I made a point of building relationships that I am now maintaining,” said Li. “Whenever I pass through a city where one of my classmates lives, I reach out.”  

Weirong Li (MSQM ’25), CEO and founder of Raw Culture, focuses on international business leadership and cross-cultural communication excellence. Photo credit: Jaimin Gandhi

Beyond her business ventures, Li serves as a board member at World Information Transfer, a United Nations nongovernmental organization with consultative status at the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Her recent acceptance into the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Fellowship and her nomination for "Ecosystem Hero of the Year" at the Central European Startup Awards demonstrate sustained recognition of her abilities in media and communications.

After graduating from Stern, she relocated to New York City and recently joined +Body by Julia Haart as the chief of staff. “This role is a great opportunity to work with someone who has drive, ambition, vision, and at the same time compassion. I am learning a lot,” said Li.

Staying Engaged with the NYU Stern Community

As a new graduate, Li has continued to stay involved with the NYU community. This summer, she led a workshop for the NYU Mid-Career Alumni Network on communication and emotional intelligence for modern leadership, and she plans to deepen her involvement with Stern alumni programming. “I want to stay connected to the network that has given me so much,” she says.

Li invests in building connections. Growing up in a tech-saturated world and losing critical years of in-person interaction during the pandemic, she believes that the epidemic of loneliness is real, particularly affecting Gen Z. Her advice: be intentional about creating opportunities for in-person connection. “Go to events, join communities, put yourself out there. Relationships are the foundation of happiness and success,” she said.

With that mindset, Li spends a lot of her evenings meeting people by attending community and networking events, or just catching up with a friend. But she also leaves time for one of her favorite activities—running along the Hudson River. “Running or walking clears my head—I get my best ideas that way,” she notes. 

Li was quoted on CNBC.com about her take on how Gen Z is reshaping workplace cultures.