It all started with one woman's passion to create breathtaking spaces. Mandy Li was born in Chongqing City, China and grew up in Beijing. From a young age, she was inspired by beautiful and sophisticated interior spaces around the globe. She spent some time in Germany, and soon after moved to the United States on her own to focus on her education.

While living in a small one-bedroom apartment, not only did she teach herself how to speak English, but she put herself through nursing school. By working year-round in restaurants, at school libraries, babysitting, she paid her own tuition, never taking a weekend to rest. In the beginning, her studies were mainly focused on nursing, but after pursuing this for two years, she decided to follow her true passion and start her own business instead. Mandy began manufacturing stone in China and having it shipped to the states. She learned all about the business world and began gradually experimenting with designing and manufacturing furniture.

As her passion for giving people the inspiring emotion and energy of a jaw-dropping space continued to grow, so did her interest in business and entrepreneurship. Mandy studied the arts and graduated from Harvard Business School with an EMBA. As she strove to combine her passions for art, hospitality, and business, she was propelled further into the world of interior design.

In 1997, she launched her own company, Mandy Li Collection, which manufactures high-end furniture and upholstery seating. She began working with world famous designers and clients in the hospitality industry all around the world, and her company soon became recognized as a top-tier provider for custom furniture and fixtures. Clients included luxury properties such as JW Marriott, Waldorf Astoria, Four Season, Mandarin Oriental, and Cosmopolitan.

In 2015, she was nominated to the NEWH Leadership Conference Panel where they featured her life story in an expose entitled “From Cinderella to CEO”. Then, in 2016, she was nominated to the NEWH Women Business Owners’ Panel, where prominent female business owners discussed unique stories, challenges, and rewards in running companies as strong, independent, and creative women from different backgrounds. Mandy not only has a passion for her work, but also for inspiring others to pursue their dreams.

In 2019, Mandy launched BlvdEight to bring 5-star design to the consumer market. Her vision was to take her years of experience working with talented designers to create luxury, high-quality, and fashionable residential pieces. With BlvdEight pieces, you can bring your own vision and passion to life within your home.