Meet Sophia Lei | Digital Creator & Technical Program Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sophia Lei and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sophia, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It’s natural to look back and compare how ‘easy’ things felt in the past, but one of the gifts of maturity is recognizing that balance is about embracing life’s ebbs and flows. I approach balance by categorizing my energy into four buckets: personal, career, family, and relationships. Instead of lumping everything into ‘work’ and ‘life,’ these categories help me see which areas are full and which could use attention.

Over the past year, my career bucket has been the most full, but balance, for me, means ensuring the other buckets don’t stay empty. I try to fill them intentionally whenever I have space—solo camping trips to reignite creativity, dinner parties with friends to reconnect, or calling family when they’re on my mind.

Even the smallest actions are like drops in the bucket, and over time, those drops create the balance I need.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Growing up in a first-generation immigrant family as the eldest child came with a unique set of responsibilities. I was a translator, IT technician, accountant, and caretaker for my sister and grandparents—you name it. My family relied on me to solve problems of all kinds, which naturally led me to pursue engineering. I’ve always loved figuring out how things work, finding ways to improve them, and seeing tangible results.

After college, I spent seven years in aerospace, refining and enhancing military aircraft components. Toward the latter part of that career, I began improving myself as well by pursuing an MBA. This combination of technical expertise and business knowledge propelled me into my current role as a technical program manager—a “people engineer.” Now, I focus on streamlining processes and enabling teams to perform at their best.

The transition from being a hands-on engineer to a program manager wasn’t easy. It required a shift in mindset, but it also allowed me to find the perfect balance between my technical skills and my passion for improving systems. Today, this journey feels incredibly fulfilling as I continue to enhance the world around me.

While my improvement mindset defines much of my professional life, I find balance by exploring the outdoors. Nature, in its near-perfect state, requires no improvement—it’s something I can simply enjoy. It serves as a source of inspiration and a reminder of the beauty in things as they are, creating a continuous cycle of growth and reflection.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love cooking (from produce found at Pearl St Market) and hosting at home so there would definitely be a few nights of that in the week, but a few spots that are musts are Hop Alley, the Post Chicken, and a day trip up to Cloud Nine Alpine in Aspen.
If there’s a concert at Red Rocks that evening, a ritual for me is to eat at Hungry Goat beforehand and post concert at Now Pho.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m deeply grateful to my friends and partner for their support. They inspire my creativity, embrace my free spirit, and thoughtfully point out when one of my buckets are overfilling.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesophialei

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sophialei/