Lilian Chen

Co-Founder of The New Meta, Creator of Smash Sisters, Staff Product Designer at Netflix & League of Legends Champion

Lilian Chen’s Biography:

Lilian Chen is a former professional gamer, product designer and leading advocate for women in esports. Known in the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee scene by her alias Milktea, Lilian has used her personal experiences of gender inequality in gaming to drive meaningful change in the industry. She is best known for founding initiatives that support women in competitive gaming and for her powerful voice on diversity, representation and inclusion in esports. Her blend of lived experience, design leadership and community building makes her a compelling speaker on equity in digital spaces and the future of gaming culture.

Lilian began playing Super Smash Bros. in 2004 and quickly became an active competitor, travelling across the United States to take part in tournaments. As one of the few women competing in the scene at the time, she encountered significant barriers and exclusion. Rather than stepping away, she channelled those experiences into advocacy and community building. In 2014, she co-founded The New Meta, a panel bringing together leading women in esports to address representation and industry change. She later created Smash Sisters, a tournament series designed to provide safer and more inclusive competitive spaces for women, with the first event held at Genesis 3 in 2016.

Alongside her work in esports advocacy, Lilian built a successful career in product and interaction design. She worked as a designer at TED Conferences before becoming Product Design Lead and Manager at Google, where she led design initiatives on large-scale digital products. Her career continued through senior roles at Discord and later Netflix, where she works as a Staff Product Designer. Across these organisations, she has focused on creating thoughtful, user-centred digital experiences for global audiences.

Her advocacy has gained international recognition, and she remains dedicated to creating pathways for women and underrepresented groups in esports and technology. Lilian continues to use her platform to promote safer, more inclusive communities while bridging the gap between gaming culture and technology leadership.

Why Hire Lilian Chen?

Lilian is hired as a speaker for her powerful combination of personal experience, community leadership and professional design expertise. As both a former competitive gamer and a senior product designer, she offers rare insight into how digital spaces are built and how they can be made more inclusive. Her TEDYouth talk on gender inequality in gaming highlighted the urgent need for representation and safer competitive environments, and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

She speaks with authenticity and clarity about the challenges women face in gaming and technology, while also offering hopeful, practical pathways for change. Audiences leave with a deeper understanding of representation in digital culture and concrete ideas for building more inclusive communities and products.

Lilian Chen’s Career Highlights:

Here are some of the key milestones that define Lilian Chen’s inspirational career:

• 2025 – Appointed Staff Product Designer at Netflix, contributing to large-scale digital product experiences for global audiences.
• 2023 – Served as Staff Product Designer at Discord, helping shape user experience within one of the world’s largest online community platforms.
• 2016 – Founded Smash Sisters, a women-focused Super Smash Bros. tournament series promoting inclusion in esports.
• 2015 – Became Product Design Lead and Manager at Google, leading design strategy across major digital initiatives.
• 2014 – Co-founded The New Meta, a panel of leading women in esports advocating for industry diversity.
• 2014 – Delivered a TEDYouth talk addressing gender inequality in gaming and representation in esports.
• 2013 – Featured in the Super Smash Bros. documentary, highlighting her role in the competitive scene.
• 2011 – Worked as a designer at TED Conferences, specialising in interaction and experience design.
• 2010 – Worked as a web and graphic designer at the Design Centre at the University of Connecticut.
• 2004 – Began competing in Super Smash Bros. Melee under the alias Milktea, travelling nationally for tournaments.