UCLA Samueli Newsroom
When Lilie Kulber talks about balance, she’s not just describing her stance on a surfboard. The fourth-year UCLA bioengineering student and professional surfer has spent her college years learning how to navigate both rigorous coursework and a demanding athletic schedule.
Kulber, who is also pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, didn’t begin her college career in engineering. She entered UCLA as a business economics student but soon found her interests lay at the intersection of science, health and human performance. Changing her major to bioengineering, she said, has been her best decision. Kulber credits her family, especially her brother, now an MD-Ph.D. student at Columbia University, for sparking her interest in science. Growing up in Southern California, time spent exploring forests and beaches also shaped her compassion for living things and her connection to nature.
At the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, Kulber has learned to think both as a scientist and an innovator, using her technical training to tackle challenges in regenerative medicine and wearable health technologies. She said this blend of rigor and creativity aligns with her entrepreneurial mindset and her drive to create real-world impact.
“Follow your dreams, do what makes you feel alive, and never let anyone tell you something isn’t possible,” said Lilie Kulber.
That drive to push boundaries carries over into another part of Kulber’s life. Surfing has been a guiding force long before UCLA, where she is now co-captain of the surf team. In 2018, she represented the USA National Olympic Junior Surf Team and placed third in the world. As a Bruin, Kulber won the 2023 National College Women’s Surf Champion title. Surfing, she says, remains her greatest teacher.
“The ocean has taught me almost everything I know. It’s unpredictable, and in that uncertainty, I’ve learned patience, intuition and trust,” she said. “Surfing taught me that to reach your best self, you have to let go of the outcome and be fully present in the moment.”
Kulber relies on time-blocking and a short list of core values to guide her priorities, and she has learned the importance of turning down opportunities that don’t align.
“What I’ve learned is that saying no isn’t about limitation, it’s about alignment. Every time you say no to something that doesn’t serve you, you create space for what truly matters,” she said.
As president of Clean Consulting at UCLA, a student-run organization that helps businesses adopt more sustainable practices, Kulber has drawn on her love of the ocean to fuel her drive for meaningful impact.
Under her leadership, Clean Consulting has quantified emissions reductions from using smart glasses for surgical training, developed a sustainable growth plan for fitness studios and partnered with Cedars-Sinai on a study of operating room emissions. Seeing companies act on the team’s recommendations has been one of Kulber’s proudest achievements.
Kulber’s love for the ocean also inspired her to start UCLA’s Surfrider Foundation Club. What started with a handful of friends has grown into a network of more than 50 members dedicated to protecting coastal ecosystems.
“Movements start with community,” said Kulber. “When people feel included, supported and connected to a larger purpose, growth happens organically.”
Photo by: Kevin Kielty
Over the past several years, Kulber has built a diverse portfolio of internships spanning environmental consulting, social impact and venture capital. She has worked with Dudek, Givewith and WSL PURE, the sustainability arm of the World Surf League. Most recently, she completed a fellowship researching biowearable technology with Halogen Ventures.
Kulber views internships as opportunities for self-discovery rather than stepping stones toward a single career path. Some experiences revealed her passions, she said, while others clarified what she didn’t want to pursue. She attributes her success in landing internships not to a perfect résumé but to persistence and authenticity. Rather than chasing checkboxes, she focused on telling her story — her commitment to sustainability, her background as a surfer and her eagerness to learn.
On path to graduate in June, Kulber is looking forward to merging her passions for health, sustainability and entrepreneurship into a venture focused on supporting both environmental and human well-being. She is also considering taking a gap year after graduation to continue pursuing professional surfing. Ultimately, she says she hopes her work will uplift entire communities while making health and sustainability more accessible.
Reflecting on her time at UCLA, Kulber points to three pivotal moments: taking the leap to switch into bioengineering, winning her first national surfing title and leading her first Clean Consulting project. Each required courage and believing in herself, lessons she now tries to pass on to others. Her message to fellow Bruins is to embrace the unconventional.
“Follow the sparks of curiosity, even if they don’t fit neatly into one box,” Kulber said. “Follow your dreams, do what makes you feel alive, and never let anyone tell you something isn’t possible.”