Lian earned her B.A. and M.A. from Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a professor and core faculty member in the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium. During this tenure, she was twice honored by students as Professor of the Year. She also served as a psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, providing for veterans and elite athletes, including the San Francisco 49ers. She was an operational advisor to health tech startups for more than a decade.

Lian now exclusively practices as an executive coach. She helps founders and executive teams optimize performance and outcomes across all stages in the entrepreneurial lifecycle. As the social impact arm of her work, she co-founded Coaching Bold to support leaders in the nonprofit space.

She is a partner in Roundabout Ventures. Lian is also a Certified Specialist of Wine.