5 min read
In 2026, Lexie Chu was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment list for her work with Asians in Animation – a recognition reserved for the next generation shaping their industries.
Two years prior to receiving this prestigious award, Lexie was tossing up whether she should return to studying, or focus on her career full-time.
At the time, she had already graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in film. She was contributing to major animation productions, and her nonprofit was expanding. From the outside, there was no obvious reason to return to the classroom.
However, that wouldn’t hold Lexie back.
“I’d always wanted to study business,” Lexie says. “I wanted to strengthen my decision-making and broaden my global perspective. And studying in London had always been a dream.”
So, with that in mind, Lexie joined LSE Summer School.
*Image on the right: ©Academy Museum Foundation, Photos by: Owen Kolasinski
Building while learning
Lexie enrolled in MG110: The Science and Art of Decision Making and MG106: Strategic Management. Both Summer School courses – intensive, rigorous and international – allowed her to apply theory almost immediately into her work.
“The fact that I was building my nonprofit at the same time as being in Summer School was very beneficial in helping me understand what sorts of strategies I wanted to incorporate within Asians in Animation. I was asking questions like how do I take care of my team? How do we increase longevity and expand the organisation?”
"[Classes] also highlighted that there are various ways of thinking and different ways to do business,” Lexie shares. “I would often be in class jotting down notes but also thinking about how I could apply this to my career now,” she adds.
A global community
If the content sharpened her thinking, the international Summer School cohort expanded it.
“In one session, we'd have someone giving an example from Mexico, one from Italy, one from the States, and we just keep going and keep inspiring each other,” Lexie reflects.
Students arrived from across disciplines – economics, politics, policy, finance, creative industries – each bringing distinct perspectives and lived experience.
“You’re constantly challenged,” she says. “You see how differently people approach leadership and risk depending on where they’re from.”
That global fluency now informs how Asians in Animation operates and the mindset she strengthened in London continues to shape her leadership style today.
Finding like-minded people
Beyond the classroom, Lexie found peers who matched her ambition.
Through her courses and Spark, LSE Summer School’s professional development programme, she connected with students launching ventures, entering public service and pursuing research at the highest levels.
“One of the most meaningful outcomes [of Summer School] was the community,” Lexie reflects. “It gave me a network of people who challenge how I think, which really shows in the way I work and lead today.”
Lexie is still close with many of the people she met at Summer School, taking time to check in with them from across the globe, or catching up with them if they are in the same city.
“It’s just so great that we can help hold each other accountable but also celebrate the big wins all together,” Lexie shares as we discuss the ongoing impact of LSE Summer School.
From visibility to responsibility
Being named in Forbes 30 Under 30 has amplified Lexie’s work and expanded her platform.
“It brings visibility,” she says. “But more importantly, it brings responsibility.”
Looking back, she sees LSE Summer School as part of the foundation that prepared her for this stage of leadership.
“It gave me confidence in how I make decisions,” she says. “And it gave me a global network that continues to shape my thinking.”
Two years before receiving a global award, Lexie chose to learn something new at LSE Summer School. This choice has helped her to grow, make impactful connections, and build something she is proud of.
To future students arriving in London for LSE Summer School, this is what Lexie wants to leave you with:
“Lean fully into what excites you. The more I doubled down on my passions, the easier it became to find equally passionate, globally minded peers who are now close confidants as I build my career.”