BIO
Na Li, MCNE is a licensed real estate advisor and consultant in the Houston area. She was born in the Jilin province in China, where she lived for 17 years before moving to Houston, Texas for schooling. As a child, she often spent time accompanying her mother to the market where she worked managing her own clothing business. She had completed high school in China and got into law school, but moved to the United States by the decision of her parents. After arriving in Houston, she first attended a language school, then HCC and finally completed her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Houston. Throughout her schooling, she worked at numerous restaurants to support herself financially. She also worked with New York Life Insurance Company, before moving on to marketing for ecommerce.
Na Li graduated during a time of economic turmoil, as computer science jobs were extremely scarce; after graduating, she found herself in a diverse mix of jobs – the first being working at a startup selling granite countertops, then New York Life Insurance Company, and currently as a real estate agent. She is heavily involved in Asian nonprofit & cultural organizations in Texas, including Asia Society, the Houston Symphony, the Houston Ballet hosting her own Chinese food show, and previously teaching at the Teo-Chew temple. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and spirituality, practicing fortune telling and astrology in her free time.
In this interview, Na Li provides a broad overview of her life moving from China to Houston and the lessons that she has learned as a result. She speaks on the difficulties that she endured as a student newly immigrated to the U.S. and how she remains true to her passions and life goals throughout her professional career. She also discusses various aspects of mentorship, spirituality, and community-building. For instance, Li is significantly involved with the Asia Society, which stems from her early involvement with NAAAP.
Finally, Na Li concludes the interview by describing her values of independence, communication, and resilience.