Yu Nong Khew's research focuses on zero waste and biodegradable design in the built environment and is cofounder of Cyklr Inc., a cleantech startup that supports urban composting for farmers. The work focuses on decentralization of organic waste by re-examining building systems in the constructed environments to support food security in urban communities. She is also one of the principal investigators of Growery Collective, a group of researchers examining how to design with living organisms such as mycelium and grass.

Her current research and design work range from an interior building compost system, to 100% biodegradable interior and lifestyle products grown from mycelium. She has been exhibited internationally, and was named by Architectural Review as one of ten emerging design voices from around the world. Yu Nong’s work also received the top prize for American Institute of Architects (AIA) Los Angeles Chapter’s 2x8 Verge award. More recently, she was named "Women of Our Time" in Singapore and currently serves as a World Cities Summit Young Leader. Yu Nong has a Master of Architecture from SCI-Arc, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the National University of Singapore.

Yu Nong previously held positions at Parsons The New School for Design, Columbia University GSAPP, Singapore University of Technology and Design, in collaboration with MIT and Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) before joining Wesleyan University's Art and Art History Department where she currently teaches Product Design Studio. Yu Nong has worked with award winning design practices, Zaha Hadid Architects, and served as Project Director at Asymptote Architecture where she directed numerous projects ranging from a line of smart lighting products to a master plan for a new city incorporating interior robotic and smart technologies.