I'm Chen-Yu "Thomas" Kao
|
based in Los Angeles 🌴

I love designing delightful, growth-focused products β€” especially the kind that make people go "aha!" when they use them. These days, I'm shaping the next wave of life insurance experiences at Ladder.

If you're exploring new ideas or opportunities, I'm all ears β€” let's connect.

8+
Years of experience
I hope this doesn't show my age 🐀
40+
Projects launched
It's been a journey πŸš€
0
L of β˜• consumed
Sheesh...that's a lot of coffee πŸ˜…
2023

Misrepresentation

Reduced misrepresentation in life insurance applications by designing a unified, high‑risk disclosure framework that clarified questions, aligned underwriting and compliance, and improved data quality without adding friction.

12.9% ↑
Improved answer accuracy
10.5% ↑
Policies issued
View case study β†’
Misrepresentation project
2024

Agent Assisted Applications

Unlocked a new distribution channel by designing Ladder's first agent assisted application experience, giving agents control over high-intent flows, improving conversion quality, and establishing a scalable foundation for partner growth.

26.9%
E2e conversion
65%
Offer rate
View case study β†’
Agent project
2025

Prudential API

Enabled real-time underwriting decisions by designing API driven application flows with Prudential, reducing time to offer, improving qualification rates, and creating a reusable integration model for future carrier partnerships.

0 β†’ 1
API partner integration
Scalable
Multi-carrier ready
View case study β†’
Pru API project