Discovering a passion for worker safety & entrepreneurship
Vy’s interest in workplace and public safety was sparked during hot evenings working with her mom in a tofu factory that has since been shut down due to safety violations. As a UW undergraduate, she focused on industrial hygiene. She interned at an oil refinery monitoring hazardous chemicals and researched workplace stress and safety topics alongside Dr. Noah Seixas. After graduation, Vy was an intern with Google X’s Research Safety Team, supporting projects such as Google’s Driverless Cars and Google Glass. She eventually became a safety consultant and then safety manager for several large biotech companies.
Vy's career trajectory changed when her neighbor was killed in a random mugging next to her house. Wanting peace of mind for her family, Vy founded her own company, Wonder Hoodie, to provide affordable, high-quality bulletproof clothing to the masses. Vy has since taken part in numerous conversations around gun and public safety in schools across the nation. She was named to the 2020 Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list of top young entrepreneurs.
Affiliations: Founder, Wonder Hoodie