# Li Chen

> Li Haslett Chen is the founder and CEO of Howl, a New York creator-commerce platform that has driven more than $1.1 billion in creator-led sales and paid over $100 million to roughly 23,000 creators since 2022. A former biochemical engineer, Vogue intern, McKinsey analyst, and Moda Operandi marketer, she previously founded the editorial-commerce company Narrativ. She has been named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer, a Financial Times retail disruptor, and an Ad Age 40-Under-40, and served on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Howl
- **Organizations:** Howl, Narrativ, Moda Operandi, McKinsey & Company, Warner Bros. Discovery (board, 2022-2024)
- **From:** China
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, Columbia University, High school, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
- **Known for:** Founder and CEO of Howl, which has driven $1.1B+ in creator-led sales and paid $100M+ to ~23,000 creators, Raised a $27M Series A led by Highland Capital Partners (also backed by Act One Ventures); ~$39M total funding, World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer

## Career timeline

- **2010** — Joined McKinsey & Company as a Business Analyst
- **2012** — Became Head/Director of Marketing at Moda Operandi, helping scale revenue from about $4M to $45M
- **2015** — Founded Narrativ, building commerce infrastructure for editorial content and honest recommendations
- **2022** — Stepped away from Narrativ and founded Howl, a creator-commerce marketplace; named to the Warner Bros. Discovery board
- **2024** — Resigned from the Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors
- **2025** — Howl surpassed $1.1 billion in creator-led commerce and $100M paid to creators

## Achievements

- Founder and CEO of Howl, which has driven $1.1B+ in creator-led sales and paid $100M+ to ~23,000 creators
- Raised a $27M Series A led by Highland Capital Partners (also backed by Act One Ventures); ~$39M total funding
- World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer
- Named a retail disruptor by the Financial Times
- Ad Age 40-Under-40
- Narrativ recognized by Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and Forbes AI 50
- Independent director on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery (2022-2024)

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Howl announced it had surpassed $1.1 billion in creator-led commerce and $100M in creator payouts, with focus on gaming, tech, and wellness creators.
- **2024** — Resigned from the Warner Bros. Discovery board of directors.

## Links

- Website: https://howl.link
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lihaslettchen
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lihaslettchen/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/li-chen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-03