YJ (Yongjun) Heo is a designer, entrepreneur, and advisor based in San Francisco and Indianapolis. He founded and manages Midwest Design Lab LLC (MWDL), a web design and product development company and Monitor, a business platform that unifies disparate data sources into an intelligent layer that surfaces key insights for leaders. MWDL has also launched multiple products over the last few years: FLOAT and Publit, which have generated millions of site visitors and users around the world. FLOAT is a moveable home accessory that holds up devices securely through a patented safety lever and an industrial-grade suction system. Publit is an online directory builder and personal website creator designed for organizations, professionals, and students to better market their experiences, resources, and offerings. For more than decade, MWDL has also offered digital design and web development services. From website design for professional athletes and olympians to capturing aerial footage and photography for Oscars events at J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Studios, MWDL provides full service digital support for select clients.

YJ has also been building a dedicated audience of young adults who are transitioning from student to young professional. His TikTok and YouTube videos have generated millions of views, and his advising services have helped students and recent graduates win Rhodes Scholarships, Fulbrights, (among several other highly prestigious awards) along with gaining admittance to the best colleges and graduate programs in the United States.

Before establishing Midwest Design Lab, YJ volunteered and worked at College Track, a national college completion program for underserved communities, where he offered direct support to hundreds of students and helped expand post-graduation services for first generation college students. YJ obtained his undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College, where he double-majored in Biology and Public Policy. At Swarthmore, he was the student body president and a four-year varsity track and field sprinter. After graduation, as a Henry Luce Scholar, he moved to Hanoi, Vietnam, to work at the Institute of Population and Development Studies. During that period, YJ was also awarded a George Mitchell Scholarship to study at University College Dublin for the following year. In these two years abroad, YJ became a self-taught designer, before moving to San Francisco.