CO-CHAIRS
Chaewon Bae
(she/her)
Meet Chaewon Bae from South Korea, a third year student at Brown University majoring in Visual Arts and Computer Science. She is fascinated by the intersection of these fields in UI/UX design and animation, particularly procedural modeling and CG. In her free time, you can find her practicing figure drawing, learning or practicing animation softwares, or miles deep into a YouTube or Art Station rabbit hole.
Tommy Barton
(he/him)
Yvonne Jia
(she/her)
Yvonne is a junior at Brown University studying Applied-Mathematics and Economics. She is passionate about examining how urban renewal projects influence different generations over time, analyzing their economic, social, and cultural effects on communities, as well as how these changes shape opportunities and displacement patterns. Born and raised from the snowy depths of Minnesota, Yvonne enjoys cooking, reading a book under her sunset lamp, and going through her days without having to wear a rain jacket (Yvonne dislikes the Northeast weather). She is a true believer in “phone eats first”, making matcha, and the blue room bagel bar.
Charles Jang
(he/him)
Charles is in his fourth RISD year studying architecture with a focus in nature, culture, and sustainability. He is examining how connection composes the human experience, and where design can intervene to support community, emotional vulnerability, and the natural world. Born in Seoul, but raised in Katy, Texas, he sometimes struggles with the cold and often dreams of brisket moist, all while in pursuit of the next great outdoor excursion. Day to day, music is his therapist while movement is his soothing agent, and companionship is his joy.
Desirae Nyatenya
(she/her)
Trained as a fine artist and debuting as a designer, Desirae Nyatenya is driven by passion and fueled by curiosity. She is an Industrial Design student @ the Rhode Island School of Design focusing on Industrial Design + Graphic Design + CTC. Outside the studio you can find her at a cafe (still working) with a cappuccino, crocheting, watching 90s shows/movies, reading multiple books at the same time, trying new cuisines, laughing with family/friends, or drinking iced tea under the hot Texas sun.
Chahek Bansel
(she/her)
Chahek is a sophomore studying Industrial Design with a concentration in Nature, Culture and Sustainable Studies. She comes from India and studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, focusing on integrating engineering and design to create products that prioritize user experiences. If not found in the Industrial Design building, she is often enjoying a matcha at Carr Haus or scrapbooking from design and architecture books. She loves going on hikes at national parks, thrifting and finding unique jewelry!
Momo Chen
(she/her)
Momo is a freshman at Brown University studying Cognitive Neuroscience. She comes all the way from Shanghai, China, and is super excited to explore human experience at the intersection of the sciences, humanities, and design. When she’s not hunkered down in a library, you can find her chilling on the main green (when it's not iced up), trying the next new thing, or on a late-night trek to Joes with her friends in search of mozzarella.
Amber Zhao
(she/her)
Amber is a Brown University sophomore from sunny Los Angeles, California concentrating in International and Public Affairs and Behavioral Decision Sciences. She is passionate about user-centered design in both the public and private spaces through government, marketing and communications, and graphic design. Her adventures include inspo-pinning on Pinterest, long walks, and even longer binge watching episodes of AD Open Door videos.
Ran Zhao
(she/her)
Ran is a sophomore at Brown University studying Computer Science and Linguistic Anthropology. At the two fields' intersection, she is interested in data journalism and the politics of technology that works with low-resource languages. She enjoys gouache painting, stamp carving, and annotated books as a walk through someone’s mind. In the near future, Ran wishes to own several sweet potatoes and hopefully a bottle of plant food.
CONTENT
SOCIAL EVENTS
Ellie Goldberg
(she/her)
Ellie is a sophomore at RISD, from Los Angeles, California. She’s pursuing a degree in Industrial Design with hopes to pursue sports equipment design or car design. When she's not working in studio, Ellie enjoys watching soccer and F1, playing soccer herself, listening to music and hanging out with friends. If she’s not doing any of those, you’ll probably find her taking a nap.
Lucia Kim
(she/her)
Lucia is a sophomore at Brown concentrating in Economics. She is compelled by design for its innovation potential in sustainability and technology. Lucia is a native New Yorker and passionate cat mom. In her free time, she likes taking long walks, playing the piano, and trying new coffee shops around Providence!
Kareem El Naggar
(he/him)
Kareem is a freshman at Brown studying Electrical Engineering from Cairo, Egypt, and Lexington, Virginia. As a lover of bleeps, bloops, clinks, clanks, booms, bangs, etc., he is interested in the building and design of audio electronics that blend analog and digital technology to provide unconventional pathways when working with sound. When he isn’t listening to or making music, he enjoys climbing trees, messing around on After Effects, hosting his radio show on BSR, biting into a juicy pear, working on a project at the Brown Design Workshop, and scribbling with crayons.
Nick Bouffard
(he/him)
Nick is a sophomore at RISD currently pursuing a degree in Industrial Design. He is concentrating in Nature, Culture, and Sustainability Studies with the hope of making the world of design more eco-conscious as a whole. Whether this is through experimental biomaterials or reuse systems, he’s definitely interested. When his eyes glaze over staring at Solidworks, you can bet he’s thinking about hiking, going to the beach, or making jewelry. If you can’t find him, he’s probably five plates deep at the Met.
Ava Maghsoodlou
(she/her)
Ava is a sophomore at RISD studying Industrial Design with a concentration in Nature, Culture, and Sustainability studies. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she’s fascinated by the circular economy, systems thinking, ethical labor and materials sourcing, and design after capitalism. When she isn’t working in the shops, you can find her outdoors cataloguing different types of mosses, fungi, and trees. She loves moshing to live music and cooking for her friends—hit her up for a bowl of hot soup!
Richard Zhang
(he/him)
Richard is a freshman at Brown University studying Computer Science and Design Engineering. Proudly calling New Zealand’s natural beauty his home, his appreciation for nature fuels his love for photography and inspires his approach to design. Passionate about Human-computer interaction and education, he is driven by the potential of technology to create human-centered experiences that promote accessibility and learning. Besides design, Richard loves backpacking, looking at furniture on the Facebook marketplace, and getting a mango smoothie at the Ivy Room.
OPERATIONS
Ellen Zhang
(she/her)
Ellen is a freshman at Brown University pursuing a degree in Physics and Visual Arts. With a deep curiosity about the fundamental functions of the universe, she is passionate about finding the answer to the “big questions” that define the natural world. She is also excited to explore the intersection of science and visual art and hopes to create installation pieces in the future. In her free time, Ellen is a newbie chef with an obsession for cooking noodles in leftover hot-pot tomato soup.
Ellis Picuri
(he/him)
Ellis is a freshman at Brown University who’s currently undecided on his specific course of study. Coming from the Hudson Valley Region in New York, he is passionate about sustainable sourcing initiatives, acoustical engineering, and encouraging collaboration that promotes creativity and innovation. He’s a lover of black tea, exploring abandoned buildings, and East Side Pockets. Catch him around College Hill wearing his bright neon colored backpack or hanging on the fourth floor of the SciLi.
Noreen Chen
(she/her)
Noreen Chen is a sophomore from Long Island, New York studying Environmental Science and Computer Science at Brown. She’s excited about exploring how geovisualization, sustainable design, and data science can contribute to impactful, community-focused initiatives. In her free time, she loves to swim, make handmade stickers, and savor sweet treats.
FINANCE
Katie Kim
(she/her)
Katie is a Sophomore at RISD studying Industrial Design with a concentration in Nature, Culture, and Sustainability Studies. She comes from Northern Virginia (right outside of D.C.) and believes in the power of play, experimentation, and thoughtful communication to create meaningful and innovative solutions. Her work focuses on designing products and experiences that are not only functional but also resonate deeply with users–helping them feel heard and understood. In her free time you can catch her yapping with friends, watching true crime documentaries, and buying overpriced cappuccinos.
Hannah Ahn
(she/her)
Hannah is a sophomore at the Brown University studying Economics. She is passionate about advancing accessible and inclusive design through creative problem-solving and user-centered approaches that drive innovative solutions. Being born and raised in sunny Florida, her simple pleasures include watching the sunrise/sunset, eating good food, and driving aimlessly around town with friends.
GRAPHICS
William He
(he/him)
William is a sophomore in Industrial Design at RISD. Outside of designing for the Betterworld, he likes to spend time pondering about the local striped bass and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and composites manufacturing :’) .
Lea Seo
(she/her)
Lea is a junior at RISD majoring in Graphic Design with a concentration in Computation, Technology, and Culture. Born in South Korea and raised in the Bay Area, she loves soaking up the sunlight and being surrounded by greenery. She’s all about gym sessions, home-cooked meals, river walks, and cafe hopping. If you’re up early (or out late), you might just catch her running across the PVD bridge at 7 AM, speed-dropping Amazon returns at Whole Foods by 8 AM, or squeezing in a late-night grind at the RISD gym :D
Joyce Kim
(she/her)
Joyce is a junior at RISD studying Graphic Design, passionate about UX/UI design, motion graphics, and visual storytelling. She enjoys exploring how design can create meaningful interactions and shape user experiences. Outside of design, she loves playing Valorant, League of Legends, and Minecraft, traveling, shopping, and going to the gym ᵕ̈
Jennie Kwon
(she/her)
Jennie is a Freshman at RISD planning to major in Graphic Design with a concentration in Computation, Technology, and Culture. She’s passionate about creating user-centered and informative designs through visual language. Born in Southern California but raised in South Korea, Jennie enjoys sleeping in, cafe/restaurant hopping with friends, taking photos, going out on runs, and visiting museums.
Anushka Parikh
(she/her)
Anushka is a freshman at RISD intending to major in Graphic Design with a concentration in Computation, Technology, & Culture. She is fascinated by the realms of interaction design as she builds interfaces, brand identities, and designs products. When not in the studio, Anushka enjoys exploring new spots with photography, listening to absurd music, wearing all-black outfits, and adding to her jewelry collection.
Paula Romero
(she/her)
Paula is a first year student from Miami, Florida, concentrating in Design Engineering and Computer Science at Brown. She’s passionate about graphic design, product design, UX/UI, and how they all intersect with making early childhood education accessible. Outside of Better World, Paula loves experimenting with motion graphics on After Effects and designing posters on Illustrator. You can find her rotting at her friends’ dorm lounge, eating yogurt bowls from Andrews and Trader Joe’s snacks, scrolling through Pinterest, watching slime videos, or listening to One Direction!
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Serena Saxena
(she/her)
Serena is a sophomore at Brown studying Behavioral Decision Sciences and International & Public Affairs. She is especially passionate about the intersection of data & narrative, understanding consumer behavior, and leveraging design as a tool to amplify the voices of others. Born and raised in San Francisco, CA, Serena sees design and technology as powerful lenses for problem-solving and inclusive innovation. If she isn’t on a flight to somewhere warmer, you can find her exploring cities (in hopes of finding the best matcha), eating (follow her on Beli), reading one of the many books on her tbr, or watching basketball.
Chamonix Han
(she/her)
Chamonix is a Jersey girl studying Industrial Design @ RISD. She is interested in user-interactive design and ambient interface, as her work consists of connecting fine art and technology to interact with the users. You can find her in a local acai bowl shop scrolling through pinterest boards for outfit ideas or cute cafes in NYC.
Angela Xu
(she/her)
Angela is a second year student at Brown studying Design Engineering and Urban Studies. Hailing from New Jersey, she’s interested in how art, design, and technology is used to augment human experience in public spaces. Things she loves: lived experiences, storytelling, wayfinding, participatory planning, and urban exploration. She hopes to design and build experiential spaces for a living. You can usually find her making stamps, eating an egg tart, or planning her next backpacking trip.