An Exclusive Interview with Lindy Li, The Youngest Female Congressional Candidate in U.S. History

Lindy Li, a graduate of Princeton University in 2012 and a first-generation American, is the youngest female Congressional candidate in U.S. history. Beyond that, she carries a myriad of experiences and skill sets under her belt— including serving as the longest consecutive female elected class president in Princeton history, professional working experience in investment banking at Credit Suisse, Merck & Co, and Morgan Stanley, and finally, spearheading fundraising efforts for the American Association for Cancer Research Foundation as the youngest trustee on America’s oldest cancer research organization. Currently, she’s actively involved in the Biden campaign, and has been featured in publications like The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Cosmopolitan. 

Cornell Business Review’s Business team was very fortunate to have the chance to speak with her and gain insight into her career path and future aspirations. 

Could you speak a little about your background and current passions?

I have been involved in public service and politics for what seems like forever, but I suppose it’s only been 5-6 years. It’s been a common thread in my life. In high school, I interned for my Congressman, and right now I’m a political contributor for MSNBC and NBC News. MSNBC is a TV channel, and NBC News publishes news articles online and is also one of the nation’s foremost broadcasting networks. I also help lead Asian-American political and fundraising efforts for the Biden campaign. It’s been crazy lately, as Trump was so scared of Biden that we are now in an impeachment inquiry. A lot has been going on on that front.

As you know, there’s an impeachment hearing today, but I’m also working on a piece about Latino outreach. I know I’m not Hispanic, but I think a lot of Asian-Americans and Latinos share commonalities that are worth sharing. Much of the problem today is that many people see everything as a zero-sum game, meaning that if my group succeeds, then your group doesn’t. However, I sincerely believe that the pie is big enough for everybody, and we shouldn’t be so tribal in America. 

A lot of students are pressured into pursuing a career in finance or consulting traditionally, and we see that you’ve previously worked on Wall Street and you were also, potentially once in our position. What advice would you give to students going through that process?

Well, I’m currently alumni class president at Princeton, and I mentor a lot of current Princeton students as well as high school students all over the United States. Also, my mother owns an education company and finance is a topic that comes up very often among our students. I know there’s a tremendous amount of pressure to go down this route, but it’s important to explore on your own and actually pursue your own interests. I mean, how many of us going to Cornell or other elite schools enter thinking that our dream is to create spreadsheets and PowerPoints for the rest of our life? I’m sorry to reduce it to that, but for the first two years that’s a large part of the job. Our economy and our country would be nowhere without the mechanisms of finance and Wall Street, but it’s important to understand the role before committing to that path. In terms of preparation, using guides like Vault is helpful and important for interviews. 

What was your experience like in the field?

I worked at Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley, and while I was there, I felt that my purpose was not being fulfilled. I worked in the M&A group at Credit Suisse, and the work was intense. I remember implementing a recycling program because I was so heartbroken by the reams of paper from PowerPoint we were throwing away. Each time there was a new iteration, you had to print it out and then the managing director had to go through it line by line, circling even a misplaced comma. We’d waste so much paper printing single-sided, and it was difficult to get people to recycle. Everything was about getting to the end result and the ends justifying the means. What about the negative externalities that come with our work? There’s so much more to GDP than just the pure financial numbers. It doesn’t include environmental impact, nor does it include emotional well-being. These are all important indicators of national health and need to be considered.

What advice do you have for current college students who have career goals or interests that are different from the norm, and are still trying to figure out how to apply their passions to their everyday lives and beyond college? 

First, I would give them a huge hug because that is a brave thing to do. Following your heart, I know it sounds terribly hackneyed, but when you do what you love, the money will come. If you’re constantly miserable at a job, that’s not right. Life is way too short, why waste it?

I’d say to them that they should not be afraid to reach out to alumni and working professionals—it doesn’t have to be people from Cornell either. Adults in the field and leaders are happy to pave the way; I would be nowhere without the people who lent a hand to me and I’ll always be happy to return the favor. I just really encourage people to reach out. There’s nothing wrong with cold-emailing. Just a few days ago, I emailed a random person I had never spoken to on behalf of a friend. What’s the worst that can happen? Literally nothing. You’re not going to lose a leg. There’s only upside, and networking is the key to career success. 

The financial services industry, especially banking, is primarily dominated by men as it is politics. What is it like? What was it like being a woman and a person of color in the different roles that you've held in like finance and in politics?

I’m in my 20s, and in politics, it’s like being a baby. I don’t think it has been easy. I know that Wall Street has been better about elevating women, for example at Morgan Stanley specifically, they have a Women’s Empowerment Program and other networking events available. They’ve definitely made strides in recent years, but certainly not enough, especially as you get to the top. Very few managing directors are women. However, one of my friends from Princeton is Global Head of Research at J.P. Morgan. It is possible, but our current efforts are not enough.

Why did you choose to run for Congress?

I don't think it was a choice. I think I've always wanted to do it. I'm an immigrant; English is my second language. I came here when I was five years old, and America is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I've always wanted to serve in some capacity; I just didn't realize I would be running for Congress at age 25.

What instigated me initially was Sandy Hook. It was devastating for me. It was December 14, 2012, my birthday. After it occurred, I adopted reducing gun violence as my mission. And that's the reason why I chose to work for former Vice President Biden. He's extremely strong on this issue. And I think people, all Americans should be allowed to walk down the streets without worrying about getting shot. I think that's just a basic human liberty. And the fact that that's not the case is just such a shame. Our country can do so much better than that. Even in terms of other issues, like the $1.3 trillion dollars in college loan debt that we have right now, it's just not acceptable. We should be incentivizing students to get an education rather than burdening them with mountains of debt. As someone who is young and close to that, I think it's important to have a voice at the table because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu.

Do you think that there should be more representation of the financial industry in government or more regulation by the government of the financial industry?

I think it’s not helpful to villainize the financial services industry. It’s important to strike a compromise instead of calling the other side a monster. I’m not so keen on Elizabeth Warren’s way of doing things; I believe it should be a collaborative effort from both parties. I think dismantling Dodd-Frank and relaxing restrictions isn’t a good idea. We are quick to forget the pain of the 2008-2009 financial crisis. When I graduated from college, America was still recovering from that. I remember that banks like Goldman Sachs all cut back on hiring; many of them didn’t come to campus during that time. Our prosperity would be lengthened if we had proper guardrails in place. 

What was your five-year plan upon graduating from Princeton and how has it panned out since then?

The quick answer is no. In your 20s and 30s, changes happen so quickly that having a five-year plan seems pollyannaish. You don't know if you're going to fall in love. You don't know if you’ll get married or have kids. You just don't know. I think people should be open to these possibilities. At our age, we’re the most flexible. We don’t have kids or as many responsibilities. When I graduated, I knew that I wanted to run for Congress, though I did not imagine that I would so in fewer than five years. Within two years, I was already at it. It's just been a remarkable journey. It's made me stronger, but I’ve also been tested and refined by life. It hasn't been easy, but I don't think I would be as strong today had it not been for the various challenges. 

In what ways is your experiences at Princeton and shape your decision to go into to pursue your goals after college? 

I ran for class president when I was 17 and ended up winning every year. I was the first woman to be elected all four years, and I think that really gave me the confidence moving forward. I don’t think that I would’ve run for anything had I not done so at Princeton. 

My senior thesis was on the ethics of climate change legislation. These are issues that I'm still working on and still resonate with me. While in college, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Cornell on Save the Children, a human rights organization. There, I was lucky enough to work with students outside of Princeton, many of whom ended up being some of my lifelong friends. A dear friend of mine served as President of Cornell’s Class of 2012. 

What’s your favorite book?

Oh, my goodness. One of my favorite lines from Anna Karenina is: “He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.” It’s one of my favorite quotes because it just embodies the oceanic magnitude of love. Russian literature is phenomenal and breathtaking, it’s the height of human civilization, I’m absolutely convinced. There’s so much suffering in Russian Literature, and as someone who has suffered it really hits me hard.

I’m currently rereading The Brothers Karamazov. There’s a lot of business knowledge you can extract from fiction. Harvard Business Review came out with an article a few years ago about how fiction can be valuable when maneuvering office politics. 

What’s the most significant piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Someone once told me that a man looks into a mirror and thinks he’s a senator, while a woman looks in the mirror and sees all the pimples and blemishes. And that's so true. We're still so hypercritical of ourselves. Sometimes even today, I'm like that. And I just have to remind myself that it's a distortion of ourselves.

I think an important thing to remember is that a lot of people who are less qualified than you are already doing what you're dreaming of, only because they believed in themselves and you didn’t. You're never going to feel fully ready for anything—so just go for it.