Public Speaker + Event Organizer
In 2016 Heatherlee spoke at Minneapolis Ignite which captured the attention of many, helping her launch the MSP OpenIDEO Chapter, and minting her as a professional public speaker with something to say!

Check out her talks, Free UI, Making ZeroUI More Human from 2016 and Biomimicry: Designing Like the Natural World from 2017 to learn more about what motivates and inspires Heatherlee.

The Expecting App:
2015: After experiencing hard truths about our healthcare system and birthing in America Heatherlee became passionate about training to become a doula, and set off to develop an empowering app for pregnant women who seek something different in materinty care (such as finding a Midwife vs. an OB, having an out of hospital birth, or pursuing a VBAC). In 2017 she presented at Twin Cities Startup Week and though she never followed through with the app, hopes to get plugged back into the birthing community one day!

Her role as a mother continues to drive her and reveal new pathways in her professional life.

Metta Messaging:
After witnessing the disparities in online schooling during the pandemic at her kids’ multi-cultured school, Heatherlee got curious. She wanted to help school staff get efficiently translated communications to non-English speaking families in a better way, with smartphones or not. She won 1st place at the 2020 Hack the Gap hackathon for the concept she originally presented as “Translate Direct.” [See winning concept for Metta Messaging here.] After months of research, she decided not to pursue this idea, but people still ask her about it to this day!

Heatherlee continues to work for this school, where she is learning Spanish due to many of her students’ parents not speaking English. And now, facing bigger challenges under our current (2025) administration.

Co-Creating Black Ignite + Community Organizing
Black Designers Ignite is a grassroots virtual speaking event celebrating Black Excellence in Design. In 2020 after attending Where Are The Black Designers with thousands of others online, Heatherlee found a unique and impactful way to use her voice and platform to uplift Black Designers and fellow creatives. Remixing the typical ignite event (where event organizers make all the profit) speakers made 100% of the ticket sales, sparking a movement and igniting more conversation around representation, diversity in design, and paid speaking gigs. In the first year, they made a stamp on history paying every speaker $736 for their 5-minute talk.

Black Ignite continues to be a force, as Heatherlee has deepened her commitment to bringing change locally in Minneapolis and St.Paul through this work. Visit blackignite.com to collaborate with this nationwide team.

Think Olive Creative
In 2020 Heatherlee founded Think Olive Creative, her creative family business, through which she teaches Art After School at a St. Paul charter school. What started as a cool school hoodie design, turned into an annual fundraiser/giveaway, in which Heatherlee leverages her network to raise money to give 20 students a free school hoodie. She plans to collaborate with more schools and Twin Cities youth to keep the spirit of creative entrepreneurship alive & well in the minds & hearts of school-aged kids everywhere.

Art After School Teacher + Youth Role Model
Now in her 5th year teaching, Heatherlee continues to support youth art clubs for students in grades 3-8th grade. She takes her role as a school community member to heart, always finding ways to gift kids art supplies and put on school-wide art shows. She’s passionate about helping kids develop and maintain their creative genius, get comfortable and confident speaking about and presenting their work, and ultimately, believe in their own unique ability to change the world through their art.

Workshopping @ Apple
In 2024 Heatherlee traveled to Infinite Loop! She led a series of workshops with product and engineering leads during her 2-year role with Apple.

A career highlight, Heatherlee worked on critical backend tools that powered the world, such as Apple’s supply chain software and global partners network, launching new features like Ask Apple and the AI network platform.

Yoga Teacher in Training
In 2023 Heatherlee will have obtained her Yoga Teacher license through CorePower Yoga as a BIPOC scholar. Her growing passion for body health, mental wellness, and community through movement is coming to fruition with her new: Virtual Life or Death Yoga Sessions.

Heatherlee is always seeking ways to combine ALL of her passions: art, youth empowerment, yoga, and design, and creating experiences and opportunities to get the whole work group, or family involved! Get in touch if you have any creative ideas for your community.

Launching Village Back at a local “Shark Tank” event
In July of 2025 Heatherlee won a 90-second pitch in Minneapolis at the Strangers Meeting Strangers event. This kicked off her 6-month research study, and the ongoing development of the Village Back platform (coming 2026!)

Read more about this on her blog at villageback.com.

Combining Black Ignite x Think Olive in 1 event!
On August 1, 2025 Heatherlee hosted “Kids Corner”, at the Family Reunion event by Orisun Soul Sessions. She loved combining the work of her two orgs Black Ignite + Think Olive. Together, family members created posters about topics they care about, and raised money for the Indigenous Roots Cafe in St. Paul, MN.

Content Day! @ Toast Studios
In November of 2025 Heatherlee Nguyen and Jolanta Young Photography hosted their first “Content Day,” a creative meetupd day for models, fashion designers, photographers, and creatives.

It was a big hit! Heatherlee debuted not just as organizer but as Behind The Scenes Photographer, getting back to one of her earliest passions, of capturing moments.

She helped models make creative, Tik-Tok worthy transition content, and fashion designers get 100s of photos and video footage for their socials! It was a wonderful collaboration with St. Paul, MN professional studio: Toast Studios 🥂