First Generation Burden

Isaiah Steinfeld is a tech executive who started his creative journey in the punk and hardcore scene. Also, he’s is a first gen Filipino, on the national board at AIGA, and a Global Head of Startups at Amazon AWS . We get into his early days at #LYFT , #GenerativeAI , and what it takes to excel at large organizations like #Nike and #Amazon . Also, we talk about what inclusion in the tech world mea...

*Season Finale* Alvin Cailan is a chef, author, and host of The Burger Show on First We Feast . Alvin grew up in a Chicano section of LA as an AMBOY (American raised Filipino), and trained as a world-class chef with Thomas Keller before striking out on his own as founder of the now iconic breakfast brand Eggslut . Alvin and Rich Tu sit down and talk about his early days as a "tournat", how grind c...

Rashad Rastam grew up as a skate kid in Philadelphia who went on to found the brand Dahsar. He cut his teeth as a BMX streetwear buyer, designer, digital producer, visual producer at a non-profit, and a brand consultant, all in one. In addition Rashad hosts the podcast Wear Many Hats, where his guests reveal their side hustle. Rich Tu met Rashad at an event promoting his collaboration with Commerc...

Beatriz Lozano is a designer, typographer, and educator who's work pushes the intersection of creativity and technology and was recently inducted into the prestigious Young Guns 20 class. Beatriz has worked with clients like Planned Parenthood , Target , NPR , and ESPN where she designed the ESPN 50 identity in 2022. She sits down with Rich Tu to talk about growing up in Detroit, Michigan, how soc...

Eva Zar is a director and photographer who’s mission is to show diversity across all spectrums in her work. Within a short amount of time Eva's built an impressive client list including Fenty , Olay , MTV , and Pinterest . Eva and Rich Tu have a thoughtful and funny conversation about growing up as a Third Culture Kid in Austria and Israel, beginning her creative journey during the Syrian refugee...

Lauren Tamaki is an illustrator and artist with a new book out titled Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration. Lauren and Rich Tu have a hilariously emotional conversation about growing up in a talented family, her journey to authorship, and how glamour connects to Star Trek and drag . Also, Lauren discusse...

Haruko Hayakawa  is a CG artist and creative director who talk herself 3D when she was 13 years old. She recently took the leap as an independent artist and has worked with clients like Tom Ford , 88Rising , SKKN , and Bon Appétit . Haruko and Rich Tu talk about how her Japanese culture and food styling influence her work, the challenges of going independent, entering Web3, and how she l...

Mamadi Doumbouya is a photographer from Guinea, West Africa. He has photographed icons like Spike Lee, Tom Hanks, and Neil Degrasse Tyson, and was recently honored as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 . Rich Tu and Mamadi sit down for an exuberant conversation that covers his life in Guinea, how he found NYCSalt to jumpstart his career, how family obligation informs who he is today, and what it means to f...

Before Jeffstaple (born Jeffrey Ng) built a creative empire he was sneaking into Parsons' silkscreening lab to hand print his first Staple tees. As the founder and creative director of Staple and Reed Art Department , Jeff's prolific work encompasses graphic design, fashion design, footwear design, and brand marketing for a range of from startup brands to Fortune 500 companies. Jeff and Rich Tu ,...

Danica Tan Lijun is a Singaporean art and animation director with a multidisciplinary background in design, animation and film. She was recently inducted into the global class of ADC Youngs Guns 20 and won the second annual COLORFUL Awards with the OneClub. Danica and Rich Tu have a conversation about her upbringing in Singapore, the creative path that brought her to LA, her recent experience at S...

Gabriela Namie is a designer and art director who's been recognized by the global creative industry and uses design to amplify messages she believes in. Currently she's an art director for Google YouTube Music platform, after being at &Walsh and founding Estúdio Barca in her native Brazil. Gabriela and Rich Tu chat about the unique shared culture, growing up Brazilian Japanese, what it means t...

Walt Geer is the Chief Experience Design Officer of VMLY&R and was named the Change Creator of the Year by Adweek , but took the path less traveled to get there. In recent years, Walt has become a vocal advocate for inclusion in the creative space, and talks about how a viral post on LinkedIn and asking for accountability has helped build his platform today. Also, Walt and Rich Tu talk about t...

*Season Premiere* Kim Pham is the child of Vietnamese refugees and the co-founder of the Asian food brand OMSOM . Kim and Rich Tu sit down and talk about a range of topics like food shame, the importance of community, her founders' journey, and how OMSOM is fighting stigmatization of the ethnic food aisle. Also, they discuss what it means to be "chronically online and made on the internet", and ho...

Esteban Serrano is a creator, television producer, and contributor to Hip Hop and pop culture for close to 20 years at places like MTV and FUSE. Over the course of his career, he has worked on iconic properties like TRL and had a hand in giving artists like A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar their first TV appearances. Rich Tu and Esteban sit down and talk about his upbringing in West Philad...

Bobby Hundreds and Ben Hundreds met in law school and founded the iconic streetwear brand The Hundreds in 2003. They sit down with Rich Tu to talk about the early days of streetwear, their humble beginnings merging influences of hip hop, punk and hardcore, and why being the children of immigrants creates a sense of urgency and survival. Also, they go in-depth into how The Hundreds has always been...

Melody Ehsani is a celebrated fashion designer based in Los Angeles and the Women's Creative Director for the global brand Foot Locker . Melody and Rich Tu have a refreshing conversation about how she turned a passion for justice into a creative journey through self-discovery and spirituality. They cover a range of topics, including growing up in L.A. in a first generation Iranian home, finding Go...

REO is a music producer and dynamic futurist poised to change the way the world views digital art. His work in both music and digital art have lead him to into the metaverse with high-ticket NFTs , and collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and Kanye West . REO opens up about finding his true identity as an artist, discovering his West African roots , and how he hacked the educational system. Al...

Walshy Fire is a Jamaican American DJ, MC and record producer who is a part of the Grammy-nominated dancehall reggae-influenced group Major Lazer. In this special episode, Walshy talks to Rich Tu about how he quit a corporate day job at IBM to pursue his dream in the music industry, becoming a part of the Black Chiney sound system, and later on the joining Major Lazer. They also talk about hi...

Anna Park is quickly gaining notoriety as one of the most exciting new artists to emerge in the past few years with her large scale charcoal drawings that simultaneously equals parts hedonism and Americana. A recent grad, she has shown in major galleries around the world, and gained the attention of the likes of KAWS and Billy Eilish. Anna and Rich Tu talk about her artistic process, what it was l...

*Season 8 Premiere*  We're back! Daniel Buezo is a designer and co-founder of LA-based streetwear upstart Kids of Immigrants and the perfect guest to kick off the new season. Daniel sits down with host Rich Tu to talk about his early days growing up on the East Coast in a first gen Honduran family, being acutely aware of the sacrifices his parents made, and how he avoided trouble to pursue a...

* Season Finale * Cris Ramos Greene is a Spanish-American writer and author of the memoir Embrace That Girl . Her writing has also been featured in Thought Catalog, The New Tropic, and BuzzFeed. Rich and Cris discuss her debut book, which tells the heartfelt and humorous story of navigating adulthood and searching for meaning and love in Miami. They talk about the creative process and the importan...

Dometi Pongo is a correspondent for MTV News and the host of True Life Crime . He is also the son of Ghanaian immigrants and a Chicago native, who has used his love of music and thirst for knowledge to walk the line between journalism, activism, and pop culture. Rich and Dometi talk about his pre-MTV days as a rapper-turned-radio host in Chicago (as well as a veritable handbook of useful tips for...

Alexandra Cuerdo is an award-winning director and writer recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women In the World. Her feature directorial debut ULAM: Main Dish is the first Filipino food documentary to achieve worldwide distribution and she recently released a book with Eggslut founder Alvin Cailan, titled AMBOY: Recipes From the Filipino-American Dream . Rich and Allie have a l...

Michael Coveto is a rising star in the Latin music scene and also the last in-person interview for First Gen Burden before all hell broke loose in 2020. Michael and Rich sat down to talk about growing in a Mexican American household, how he dropped out of SVA to pursue music full time, and why it was important for him to go bi-lingual and embrace his Latin roots for his latest album All Or Nothing...

Juan Villanueva has made a name for himself as a designer and activist who uses his craft to diversify the classroom, decolonize the industry, and speak truth to power. Juan and Rich delve into his Peruvian heritage, his education at Cooper Union and how he landed a full-time gig at the prestigious type foundry Monotype . They discuss his recent exit from the Type Directors Club, and how his BIPOC...