L Sam Zhang is the author and illustrator of the self-published picture book series The First Chinese Festivals. She is a 2023-24 National Leaders of Color Fellow, and a finalist for the 2024 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship. She was born in Shanghai and grew up in Buffalo, NY. After getting a BS in Biology from Cornell and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan, she spent a decade on the West Coast doing marketing and design for startups, research institutes, and nonprofits. Sam now lives in Michigan and is the Executive Director of the Kalamazoo Chinese Academy, a nonprofit organization that provides Chinese language, arts, and cultural experiences to youth from all backgrounds. She hopes to share her interest in Chinese culture and mythology with everyone. To learn more, visit LSamZhang.com or follow her on Instagram @LSamZhang.
