Harvard-born Made for Understanding

Lei Zhang is a Co-founder of Aurora & Lei Press and has completed advanced professional training at Harvard Medical School Executive Education, specializing in Lifestyle Medicine and Sustainable Nutrition. She is a lifetime member of Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs and actively engages with the Harvard Innovation Labs. Lei holds a Certificate in Book Publishing and is a member of both IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) and IPNE (Independent Publishers of New England).

With over 20 years of experience leading education and nonprofit initiatives in China and the United States—and more than six years of service as an advocate for older adults and domestic violence survivors—Lei brings a profound cross-cultural vision and purpose to Aurora & Lei Press. Having witnessed how unhealthy lifestyles and language barriers isolate older adults and immigrants from essential resources, she co-founded the press to help bridge these gaps. Furthermore, she aims to foster collaboration between entrepreneurs in China, the United States, and around the world. A devoted mother of two, she is dedicated to building this nonprofit multilingual press so that understanding and real connection become more attainable for future generations.

Aurora Castner is a Co-founder of Aurora & Lei Press and is a current undergraduate student at Harvard College, concentrating in Psychology. At Harvard, Aurora serves as a Project Lead for both the Global Research and Consulting Group and the Clean Energy Group’s Equity Department, where she works on sustainable and equity-driven initiatives. Aurora is also an active participant in the Harvard Innovation Labs, where she has dedicated her time to focusing on social impact opportunities. This would also be seen in her extensive experience working with children in both her hometown and in Boston —serving in childcare, daycare centers, and youth enrichment programs. At Aurora & Lei Press, a nonprofit multilingual publisher, she brings youthful vision, creativity, and empathy to every project, helping bridge generations and communities through multilingual storytelling and addressing language barriers

Dr. Douglas Winslow Cooper is a former professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the founder of Douglas Winslow Cooper, Ph.D., LLC. He has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles. As an experienced author, editor, and writing mentor, he has contributed to the publication of more than 50 books, including Ting and I (2011), Write Your Book with Me (2016), and How to Manage Nursing Care at Home (2017). Dr. Cooper brings a lifetime of academic excellence to Aurora & Lei Press, serving as a key mentor and collaborator within our Harvard Innovation Labs (i-lab) venture. His guidance helps advance our mission as a nonprofit multilingual publisher committed to breaking down language barriers.

Andy Ming Tian is an investor and entrepreneur with over 20 years of high-impact experience in corporate investment, management, and operations across North America and China. A graduate of Columbia University, he began investing as a teenager and has since focused on medical devices and frontier technologies such as LiDAR. Andy has led multiple successful startup investments, including projects that have achieved outsized (up to 100×) returns and helped companies grow from seed stage to industry leaders.

As an active investor in ventures supported by Harvard Innovation Labs and as an advisor to Aurora & Lei Press, Andy provides strategic guidance, shares his experience in building and scaling ventures, and helps connect Aurora & Lei Press with entrepreneurs and cross-border networks in China and North America—supporting our mission as a nonprofit multilingual publisher working across language barriers.