LaunchMe Spotlight: Yanrong (Alice) Xu + Elizabeth Doerr
When Alice Xu moved from Australia to New York to study at Columbia University, she knew she was stepping into a completely new chapter personally and professionally. Alongside adjusting to a new country and environment, she was also trying to better understand where she fit within the finance industry and what kind of career path she wanted to pursue.
That search for clarity and connection led her to LaunchMe.
“One of my main goals in joining LaunchMe was to build completely new connections and relationships,” Alice shared. “I was especially eager to meet like minded young women who share similar goals and are on comparable career paths.”
Through the program, Alice was paired with Elizabeth Doerr, Vice President within Capital Partners Data Consultancy at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., whose own career has spanned multiple departments across asset and wealth management over more than a decade.
Elizabeth joined LaunchMe because of the impact mentors had on her own career journey and her belief in creating more access to honest, experienced guidance for the next generation of women entering finance.
“I’ve been fortunate to have strong mentors throughout my career,” Elizabeth shared. “LaunchMe felt like the natural way to pay that forward.”
For Alice, one of the most meaningful aspects of the program was the opportunity to attend monthly 100 Women in Finance events and continue conversations with her mentor afterward. Those experiences helped create structure around career exploration while also building a sense of community and belonging.
“These events foster a strong sense of community and provide meaningful topics that naturally guide the conversations between my mentor and me,” Alice explained.
As their mentorship progressed, Alice began thinking more critically about the wide range of opportunities available within finance and what truly aligned with her interests and long term goals.
“One goal where I’ve seen the most impact is exploring my true passions and gaining a clearer understanding of the different roles available within the industry,” Alice shared.
Through conversations with Elizabeth, she was able to challenge some of her original assumptions about career progression and better evaluate what kind of professional environment and path would be the right fit for her.
“She has given me valuable insight into the trade offs between pursuing a traditional corporate ladder versus focusing on more technical, specialized roles,” Alice explained.
For Elizabeth, the mentorship became a reminder of how differently early career professionals experience and evaluate the industry today.
“The questions she asks and how she thinks about her next steps has made me pause and reconsider things I stopped questioning years ago,” Elizabeth reflected.
Their conversations reinforced the idea that mentorship is rarely one directional. While Alice gained perspective and career clarity, Elizabeth gained fresh insight into the evolving priorities and perspectives of the next generation entering finance.
One lesson Elizabeth hopes mentees carry with them is the importance of staying open to unexpected opportunities.
“Don’t be discouraged if your path doesn’t look linear,” she advised. “The experience you build along the way can shape how you think and work in ways a straight path never would.”
Through LaunchMe, Alice gained more than professional guidance. She found community, perspective, and a clearer understanding of how her own ambitions and interests could take shape within the finance industry.