By: Kelvin Yu

On a quiet weekday morning in Los Angeles, designer-turned-founder Kellie Sun sits across from me with a cup of warm fruit brew in her hands. She speaks with the calm precision of someone who has spent years observing how people move through systems—digital and physical alike.

Today, Sun splits her time between co-leading Erbal, the wellness brand she founded with her partner, Choosh Yu, and her role at TikTok’s Global Monetization Product & Technology (GMPT) division, where she works on data and measurement tools used by businesses across the country.

But long before big-tech systems and design frameworks, Sun’s relationship with small businesses started in a more intimate setting.

Small Businesses Feel Everything First

Sun’s understanding of small merchants comes from years of hands-on design work, supporting many local shops across the United States early in her career. Florists, bakeries, cafés, family-run service providers, and individuals deeply skilled in their craft are often left out of conversations about technology.

“I remember sitting beside a florist who apologized because she couldn’t find a button,” Sun recalls. “She thought something was wrong with her. But the problem was the system—she was doing everything right.”

She pauses, thoughtful.

“These people hold together entire communities. They’re resourceful, resilient, but they don’t have time to decode poorly designed tools.”

This perspective follows Sun into her current work at TikTok GMPT, where she continues to design systems intended to help businesses interpret data, configure events, and navigate increasingly complex digital advertising environments.

“What I see on the platform is the same thing I saw in small shops,” she says.

“If the system isn’t clear, people feel overwhelmed. Clarity isn’t cosmetic—it affects confidence, accuracy, and decision-making.”

Complexity Has a Cost

Sun talks about complexity in a way that sounds almost personal.

“For a small business, a confusing flow doesn’t just waste time—it creates stress,” she explains. “It leads to misconfigured settings, duplicated data, or decisions made in uncertainty.”

In her view, design isn’t a layer added at the end—it’s part of the foundation.

When workflows are ambiguous, it ripples across the entire ecosystem.

“Design is quiet infrastructure,” she says. “When it’s weak, everything shakes.”

This belief guides her work both at TikTok and in her entrepreneurial journey: reducing friction preserves human energy—and for small businesses, that energy is everything.

Efficiency is a Kind of Sustainability

When the conversation shifts to sustainability, Sun doesn’t start with packaging or materials. Instead, she talks about the digital world.

“If a process takes ten steps instead of three, that’s energy,” she says.

“If someone repeats work because the system wasn’t clear, that’s energy.”

She smiles gently.

“We don’t always call it sustainability, but it is. Systems that respect people’s time are part of a healthier ecosystem.”

It’s a quiet, thoughtful definition—one that reframes sustainability not only as an environmental value, but as a human one.

Erbal Reminded Me Why the Human Side Matters

When Sun co-founded Erbal with Yu, she didn’t expect it to reconnect her to the emotional core of her work. But at community markets, listening to people talk openly about stress, digestion, hydration, or simply wanting moments of calm, she found herself tuning into the same subtle signals that guided her design career.

“Design makes you attentive,” she says. “You start noticing small gestures, how someone holds a cup, how their eyes soften when they smell something familiar.”

Yu’s upbringing in a household where his mother practiced traditional Chinese medicine brought an additional layer of grounding, warm herbal brews, comfort, balance, and memories that now subtly shape Erbal’s identity.

“It’s not about trends,” Sun says. “It’s about what feels honest.”

America’s Digital Future Depends on Empathy

Before I leave, I ask Sun what she thinks American small businesses need most as they navigate increasingly complex digital systems.

She doesn’t mention technology. Or scale. Or automation. She simply says: “Empathy.”

“Small businesses carry enormous weight,” she explains. “If we want them to thrive—whether through digital tools, wellness rituals, or community spaces—we have to design with empathy. That’s what gives people confidence.”

She swirls the fruit in her cup, watching it settle.

“Good design is quiet,” she says softly. “But when it’s missing, you feel it everywhere.”

ABOUT THE FOUNDERS

About Kellie Sun

Kellie Sun is a designer and co-founder whose work bridges technology, community wellness, and small-business experience. She works on data and measurement systems within TikTok’s Global Monetization Product & Technology division, creating tools that help businesses navigate digital complexity with clarity and confidence. Her earlier work designing for many independent companies shaped her belief that design is a form of infrastructure—one that quietly supports people in their everyday lives. Check out the website at www.kelliesun.design

About Choosh Yu

Choosh Yu is a creative entrepreneur and filmmaker with multiple ventures behind him. Growing up with a mother who practiced traditional Chinese medicine, Yu was surrounded by warm brews, herbal ingredients, and nature-based wellness from an early age. These memories inform the grounding, human-centered identity at the core of Erbal. Checkout the website at https://www.yuqiushi.com/

About Erbal

Erbal is a California-based wellness brand founded by Kellie Sun and Choosh Yu. Inspired by their personal health experiences and rooted in nature-centered traditions, Erbal offers whole-fruit brews designed to make hydration simple, comforting, and sustainable. With deep connections to community markets and everyday rituals, Erbal reflects a return to slow, calming routines, one cup at a time. Check out the website at www.erbalbrews.com

Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have about a health condition or before starting any new wellness routine or product.