Betsy Ming-Lai Lam (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, writer, and technologist.
Self-taught, she’s been a web developer for nearly 20 years. She’s been invited to speak on several design & tech panels, lending a unique perspective on being a woman in tech. Currently, she is the Director of Development at Legion Collective, a boutique marketing agency in Chicago.
She holds a BA in Journalism and a BFA in Painting from the University of Iowa, and an MFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute.
Her personal essay, “How to Soften a Fall: On Brokenness & Recovery,” was accepted by Roxane Gay for publication in the now-shuttered, The Toast. After its closure, The Toast was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in its web archives in January 2018.
Her artwork appears in The New York Times Bestseller, “Soul Pancake,” co-edited by Rainn Wilson. She’s exhibited artwork in Chicago, Iowa City and San Francisco. She identifies as a neurospicy, multiracial, second-generation immigrant, and a queer, single mother - and much of her creative work explores these evolving identities.
She was a competitive gymnast for nearly 15 years, including her college years at the University of Iowa, and she carries this indelible history — the good & the bad — with her still. She was an avid rock climber for more than a decade, and enjoyed traveling across the United States and abroad to do so.
Betsy lives in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood with her 12-year-old son and their cats, Mochi & Shabu. She loves Scrabble, soup and mayo.
