👋 About Uju Shep

Hey there,

I’m Uju aka Shep aka Chris. I have a lot of different names.

This is my personal site. I’ve tried the tech startup thing, I still do design, product strategy, and coaching, and these days I’m working on a few side projects that are a mix of travel, design, and community — mostly things I wish existed.

This site is where I share what I’m working on and thinking about. Just a place to build in public, write occasionally, and connect with people who might resonate with the same ideas.

If you want the longer version, keep reading.

Given Name: Chris Shepard
Other Names: Uju 우주 (Korean name), Shep (nickname)
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cushepard

I was born in Korea and adopted to the US as an infant. Grew up outside of Worcester, MA. Went to school for Industrial Engineering at UMass (Pixies, Marcus Camby, Rick Pitino). Landed in design kinda by accident and did the typical corporate career ladder: UX designer → Design lead → Head of design.

I spent over 10 years designing software for enterprise SaaS companies. Helped grow teams, ship new products, launch redesigns, get companies to their next phase. I’ve worked at places like ADP, Pega, Tulip, Smartsheet, and Ellevation. Started a no-code UI startup (Wisiwig) in 2022, raised a small pre-seed round, got some traction, and eventually shut it down. It was an incredibly fun and fulfilling experience, despite not having the success we originally hoped for.

Right now, I run a solo business called The Design Co, a support hub for product designers that offers career coaching, digital tools, and community to help them land new jobs and grow faster in their roles. I’m also building Hello Uju — a Korea travel and culture platform helping Korean adoptees, diaspora, and first-time travelers connect with Korea through meaningful experiences, community stories, and travel resources.

On the side, I volunteer for the largest national Korean adoptee conference (KAAN), help organize community events, play poker recreationally, and try to relearn Korean (again).

I live in Cambridge, MA and make a mean Google Map.

A few more notes:

• Why Uju Shep? It’s a mix of my Korean name and my childhood nickname. Uju 우주 which means "universe". Others have called me Shep because Chris is such a common name — for example, my group of friends has 3 people with the name Chris.
• I was fortunate enough to reunite with my Korean birth mother in 2020. Virtually for the first 3 years, and finally in-person in 2023. She was the one who gave me the name, Uju 우주.
• I was almost forced to drop out of college in 2009 because my financial aid was pulled, and I had no means of paying for school — thanks housing crisis of 2008. I was able to still finish school, but at the expense of 6-figures of student debt. And yes, I went to an in-state public university.
• I believe in the power of human connection—through personal stories, shared experiences, and community. Especially with the rise of AI, I think we need this more than ever. That’s the thread running through most of what I’m building now.
• I think I've always had the entrepreneurial bug, the desire to work for myself and build something useful. I don't think I've fully seen that through yet, but I'm still determined to keep trying.
• I like helping people who want to be helped. If you’re a designer, founder, or KAD trying to figure something out, I’m usually down to chat.

That’s it for now. You can reach me via LinkedIn or just email me.