Mx. Asian American

Alyssa San Agustin is a Filipino American, amateur fighter, and boxing trainer. In this episode, we dive into how Alyssa transitioned into focusing solely on boxing and fighting.   Connect with Alyssa: @small_yet_fearlyss   Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Ivy Le is a Vietnamese American comedian, actress, and writer based in Austin, TX. She is the host and creator of the Spotify podcast FOGO: Fear of Going Outside, a nature show by the most reluctant host ever. In this episode, we talk about Ivy’s upbringing, FOGO the podcast, speaking or not to the white audience, and Asian/American representation and lack of structural change.   Connect with Ivy:...

Alex Zhou is the founder and CEO of Yami, an ecommerce website that provides Asian products to those who cannot easily access them. In this episode, we talk about Alex’s beginning in China, his move to the US, and also his notice of the difficulty of access to Asian products in the Midwest. Connect with Alex: yamibuy.com Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Sara Qiu, born in Spain, is an independent Chinese female solo-traveler. She is primarily interested in backpacking and cycling. In this episode, we dive into Sara’s upbringing and her journey with the project Journey From the Road, which is a cycling from Spain towards Asia with no specific destination in mind but focusing on the journey itself. Connect with Sara: journeyfromtheroad.com GoFundMe...

Kevan Mau is the founder of Oooh Mami, a company specializing in interesting and unique flavors of Hawaiian beef jerky. In this episode, we talk about Kevan’s journey into his own business. Connect with Kevan: https://ooohmami808.com/ @ooohmami808 Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Christine Wong-Tai is the founder of Compounding Penny, a company striving to educate and bring financial resources to the general public, and the author of the children’s book The Compound Penny, co-written with her daughter. In this episode, we talk about Christine’s journey into finding her company and writing the book. Connect with Christine: compoundingpenny.com Connect with us: @mxasianameri...

JF Lee is Chinese Singaporean wuxia writer, currently residing in the Cayman Islands. In this episode, we dive into JF’s journey into and out of and then back into writing and the genre of wuxia . Connect with JF: https://jflee.co/ Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Arielle Murata is a travelling photographer who lives in her car. In this episode, we dive into Arielle’s various pursuits in life including a food-truck business, marketing photography, van-life, and now travelling in her car. Connect with Arielle: https://www.dead-air.life @hakunamurata Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Arda Sitiprawet is a first generation Asian American, owner and founder of SugarCube Marshmallows. In this episode, we dive into Arda’s passion for cooking and food service and journey to finding her passion. Connect with Arda: https://sugarcubemarshmallows.com/ @sugarcubemarsh Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

TJ Wey (Zhi/Zir) is your #VeryAsian, non-binary, gluten-and-dairy free money habits and wellness coach. Zhi is the host of the Asian Detox podcast and does some corporate consulting on the side. In this episode, we dive into TJ’s ongoing journey of searching for zir identity within the Asian/American and Asian and American and Asian American (any of the combinations combined) communities. Connect...

Olivia Chen is the CMO of Twrl Milk Tea, bringing organic and artisanal milk tea. In this episode, we dive into the beginnings of Twrl and lots of thought that has been put into every single aspect of the company. Connect with Twrl: @twrlmilktea www.twrlmilktea.com Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Serena Li is a mom-trepreneur who is first and foremost a mother, a marketing agency professional, and the founder of Duck Duck Books. In this episode, we dive into Serena’s immigration journey, postpartum mental health issues, and entrepreneurial journey. Connect with Serena: https://www.duckduckbooks.com/ @duckduckbooks Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Chris Pin is an artist, designer, and founder of Haute Hero Studios. He makes collectible clothing, accessories, and custom figures. His work has been featured on Hypebeast Kicks, Business Insider, and Galileo. In this episode, we dive into Chris’s journey into the fashion industry as he worked for Converse and how he pivoted to starting his own business. Connect with Chris: @haute_hero Connect wi...

ábi is a rising Korean American pop/r&b artist with mixed heritage. Inspired by her dual identity, she strives to represent the aapi and multicultural community in the music. In her songwriting, she incorporates personal experiences of navigating racial trauma and anxiety. She is currently based in Nashville, TN. In this episode, we dive into her mixed heritage and her journey towards her arti...

Jenkin Au is the co-founder of Knead Furniture, making spaces feel great for small and medium-sized companies and organizations. In this episode, we dive into Jenkin’s early years in entrepreneurship, his experiences in the furniture industry, and then now his management of Knead. Connect with Jenkin: kneadfurniture.com @kneadfurniture Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Dr. Jacob Chacko (he/him) is the director of the Asian American Cultural Center at Rutgers University. In this episode, we dive into Jacob’s few moments of transformation, including his queer awakening, racial awakening, and the realization of the intersection of his identities, specifically his South Asian racial identity, his queerness in a predominantly white and Catholic environment, and his n...

Kitty Wu is a holistic health coach, helping high achieving women of color transform their lives. In this episode, we talk a about Kitty’s journey into corporate and transition into her current career path. Connect with Kitty: @kittywucoaching Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Shin Yu Pai is a Seattle-based writer and author of 11 books of poetry, an interdisciplinary artist spanning across visual work, photography, music, performance art, and most recently, podcasting, and others. In this episode, we talk about Shin Yu’s approach to poetry and interdisciplinary art, the difficulties of being an Asian women in the industry, and most recently, her experiences with podcas...

Show Notes: Roren Choi is a Korean American co-founder and chef of Magpie and the Tiger in the DC area. In this episode, we dive into her experiences growing up in the church, going to seminary, hustling in the food/restaurant industry in DC, and now finally with her own restaurant. @magpieandthetigerdc mxasianamerican@gmail.com @mxasianamerican

Brian Cuyno is a Filipino, American veteran, who resettled into America when he was 28. In this episode, we dive into his life, talking about his younger years in the Philippines, his experience in the US military, and his most recent experience with fostering and adopting a daughter. Connect with Brian: Brian Cuyno @ LinkedIn Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Rebecca Jiang and Misha Lau are two recent graduates living in Los Angeles, California. The two met in college and quickly became close friends, connecting through their shared diasporic experiences. As daughters of immigrants, they often felt distant to their parents. In this episode, we dive into their journey in the creation of Unspoken Words, a card game aimed to help facilitate conversation b...

Bianca Trinidad-Lam is a Filipino, founder of Filiflavors, a snackbox curating Filipino culture and flavors. Filiflavors also donates a portion of its earnings to non-profits working with Autism and special-needs communities. Connect with Bianca: https://filiflavors.com/ @filiflavors on IG and Facebook Connect with us: @mxasianamerican mxasianamerican@gmail.com

Ashley Xie and Hedy Yu are co-founders, childhood friends, and daughters of immigrants who work together on Rooted Fare. Rooted Fare works to link local immigrant chefs with the national public, in which flavors and recipes are bottled into jars to share with others. Their number one best-seller is the black sesame butter, as Asian and American fusion of black sesame and peanut butter. Listen to t...

Roger Vasak is the owner of Scalp SGV (San Gabriel Valley), a company that uses scalp micropigmentation (hair tattoos) to help people who are balding or want to see a full head of hair. In this episode, we dive into Roger’s adolescent life, growing up near lots of gangs, getting shot, moving to Korea, coming back to the states to do sales, and finally pivoting careers to become an entrepreneur. Co...

Bob Chao started Boba Fit tangentially during his time in college when he went through a depressing slump. To get back into shape but also to help empower the Asian/American community through a protein-filled version of milk tea (or a milk-tea filled version of protein powder). Listen to this episode to learn more about Bob’s journey. Connect with Bob: https://boba.fit/ Connect with us: @mxasianam...