Olive is determined to design user-centric products that empower individuals of all ages and abilities.

Olive Ren is pursuing a bachelor of science in information at the University of Michigan, where she specializes in user experience design and minors in business. During her education, Olive has developed a deep-seated commitment to bridging the gap between technology and its users. Her vision is to create digital products that prioritize accessibility and inclusivity to make technology accessible to all, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities.

Growing up, Olive witnessed her mother’s struggles with technology and became her “24/7 customer service.” Olive began to explore solutions to help her mother. Driven by this motivation, Olive is determined to design user-centric products that empower individuals of all ages and abilities. Her commitment to accessible technology is informed by thought leaders like professor of user-experience design Don Norman, who advocates for products that cater to diverse needs.

Olive’s academic path has not been without challenges. Following high school graduation, she faced a two-year educational gap due to familial obligations, including financial support for her brother’s education and caring for her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease. During this period, she demonstrated remarkable perseverance by contributing to her family’s income through tutoring and crafting, while also taking on leadership roles in a nonprofit youth group. These experiences have honed her leadership skills and shaped her understanding of community needs.

Olive has excelled at U-M, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while actively participating in campus activities. She has served as a human-computer interaction engineer at Long Teknik, where she conducted competitive analyses and developed strategic product features. Additionally, Olive founded a project aimed at addressing housing issues in Ann Arbor, reflecting her commitment to community improvement.

CEW+ commends Olive’s dedication to inclusive technology and names her an Irma M. Wyman Scholar.