I tell stories through strategy and image.
Hi, I'm Michelle Chen.
I'm a brand strategist and visual storyteller based in New York.
With a background in Media, Culture, Communication and Economics from New York University, I'm drawn to communication for one reason: it's one of the few crafts with the power to genuinely change how people see the world.
Think about the best meal you've ever had. It's never just about the food. The dish you still talk about, the one you can almost taste every time you describe it, was rarely the most technically impressive thing you've eaten. It was the table, the people, the conversation, the memories surrounding it. What stayed with you wasn't the product itself, but the meaning attached to it.
That's what the best advertising does. It doesn't simply communicate. It creates meaning. It builds worlds people want to belong to and experiences they carry with them long after the interaction is over. The strongest brands become more than products; they become symbols of aspiration, identity, and connection.
My background spans brand strategy, photography, and data analysis, all centered on understanding how people make decisions, create meaning, and form connections, and how brands earn a place in the stories they tell about themselves.
My Work
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My Work *
A selection of past projects I’m proud of, plus Substack writing, research papers, and coursework that reflect my voice and curiosity.
A series of visual stories. Photography have always been a passion of mine. I love exploring emotion and storytelling through images and objects.
About Me
Nice to Meet You!
I was born in Beijing and have lived in Hong Kong, California, London, Boston, and now New York. I’ve been creating art since I was three; starting with fine art and installation, and now primarily focusing on photography. I still love spending weekends wandering through galleries and writing about art on my personal Substack, Strokes and Sips.
Beyond art, I’m part of the Young Members Wine Society, where I serve on the media committee. Outside of wine, I’m a passionate foodie—my Google reviews have accumulated over 2.5 million views.
My academic journey began with research — I conducted my first college-level project in high school and fell in love with the process of investigation, analysis, and insight-building. While researching AI search engines between China and the U.S. at Stanford with professor Shin, I became fascinated by the intersection of technology and society. That curiosity eventually led me to Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU, where I discovered how storytelling and strategy could drive real impact.
Today, I’m an aspiring marketer and strategist who hopes to use creativity, data, and empathy to shape meaningful narratives and inspire change.