Chang was born at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit.She was raised with her older sister, Josephina, in Canton, Michigan and is the daughter of parents who emigrated from Taiwanto pursue work in the auto industry. Chang and her husband, Sean Gray, live in Detroit.

In 2005, Chang graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies. In May 2014, she received a master’s in public policy and a master’s in social work at the University of Michigan.While at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, Chang was a David Bohnett Leadership Fellow, interning at the Detroit mayor's office, as a paid intern via the David Bohnett Foundation.

Before her election, Chang worked for "about a decade" as a community organizer in Detroit.During that time, she worked for NextGen Climate Michigan as the state director, Center for Progressive Leadership in Michigan as the alumni engagement and evaluation coordinator, the James and Grace Lee Boggs School as the community engagement coordinator, the Campaign for Justice as deputy director, Michigan United/One United Michigan as an organizer, and as an assistant to Grace Lee Boggs.She is also a co-founder and past president of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote-Michigan and previously a mentor with the Detroit Asian Youth Project.