Aloha, I'm Hailey
I’m a product designer at Benchling, where I build enterprise tools for research scientists and lead zero-to-one initiatives. I love diving into complex domains, facilitating workshops that drive alignment, and turning ambiguous problem spaces into thoughtful, tangible systems.
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi in a big family where thinking about others came first. Growing up in a place rooted in community shaped how I see the world, and how I design for it. In college at UCLA, I studied molecular biology before serendipitously finding my way into design. Science trained me to think rigorously. Design gave me a medium to build with that rigor.
Today, I blend both worlds — building tools that help scientists move faster, think clearer, and push discovery forward. I also moonlight as a design consultant for Volo Earth Ventures, contributing to a brighter, greener energy economy.
Outside of design, I devote my time to...
Basketball - I continue to play in occasional leagues and pick-up games. As a fan, I am loyal to the Portland Trailblazers and the UCLA Bruins
Yoga - After finishing my 200-hour training, I began teaching heated classes at CorePower twice a week. It’s my reset button and a ritual I look forward to daily
Reading - I’ll try almost any genre, but science fiction, historical fiction, and young adult are my favorites. They’re the stories that stay with me long after the last page
Game design - I tend to turn gatherings into games. From baby showers to bachelorettes to original card concepts, I love crafting the rules and seeing how people play
Baking - I specialize in shopping mall classics: cinnamon rolls and pretzels. I may not outdo Auntie Anne’s or Cinnabon (yet), but I’m working on it
Traveling - 19 countries down, many more to go. I’ve lived in 5 cities so far, which means I’ve mastered the art of building community from scratch
