Raised in Montclair, New Jersey, Cai is drawn to the ways our public spaces shape our perceptions, experiences, identities, and relationships, with both space and one other, through design. At MVVA's Brooklyn office, Cai contributes to project research and office administration.

Cai earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies from Vassar College, where they worked as a teaching assistant for architectural design courses and served as the Urban Studies department intern. Before joining MVVA, Cai interned with Gordon Kahn & Associates, a New York City–based firm specializing in high-end residential design.