Proudly Asian

“So…what exactly do you do?” - Many people find it hard to provide a straightforward answer about their careers. The hot take? Most career journeys that are actually interesting are messy, non-linear, and would probably confuse LinkedIn algorithms! On this episode, Isabel is joined by journalist-turned-startup COO Isaac Cheung to talk about their career pivots, professional identity shifts, and wh...

Mui Thomas is the world’s first athlete living with Harlequin Ichthyosis. Born in Hong Kong but abandoned at birth, Mui is the fourth oldest survivor of the rare genetic skin condition with an incidence rate of 1 in 300,000 births. She joins Proudly Asian to share her journey growing up with a visible difference, learning to embrace her visibility, and finding strength in the very things that once...

May is Lupus Awareness Month and as a platform that highlights voices often overlooked or misrepresented, we want to shine a light on communities that live with invisible illnesses. For this week’s episode, Sapphire Shen, a Hong Kong makeup artist and creative director, joins us to talk about her experience living with Lupus and raising awareness about the long-term autoimmune disease through the...

Ali Nuraly and Xeniya Tregubenko, the Kazakh founders of Central Asian restaurant Yurt , join Proudly Asian to talk about opening Hong Kong’s first Central Asian restaurant and bringing ingredients such as horse meat to Hong Kong. Born and raised in Kazakhstan, Ali and Xeniya are on a mission to put Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan on the table and widen the region's cultural representat...

Washam Limbu, a Nepalese award-winning mixologist based in Hong Kong, joins Proudly Asian to talk about making a name for himself in the competitive mixology scene and the creative process behind crafting cocktails. Born in Nepal and raised in Hong Kong, Washam has spent nine years building his career in the F&B industry. In 2025, he was named Hong Kong’s Young Mixologist of the Year. But for...

Heinok Fan, a Sydney-based and Hong Kong trained dentist and yoga instructor, joins Proudly Asian to talk about mental health support access through an Asian cultural lens, where these conversations are often delayed, softened, or avoided altogether. Having worked as the Move Partners Lead at The New Normal Hong Kong and a Mind HK Ambassador, Heinok also reflects on recent tragedies, including the...

Proudly Asian turned four!! 🎉 This anniversary episode is a moment to reflect and look back on what Proudly Asian has taught us over the past four years. From conversations about self-love, identity, and chosen family, to discussions around cultural in-betweenness and mental health, this episode brings together seven lessons that stayed with us long after the microphones were turned off. You’ll h...

Happy 2026 and welcome to Season 7 of Proudly Asian! Carina Wong, a graphic designer from Hong Kong and creator of Carbi the Rice Ball, joins Proudly Asian to talk about her creative career, the journey creating her rice ball characters that got the attention of Pop Mart, and how she keeps ideas coming. Follow Carina: http://instagram.com/carina.illustrations Proudly Asian Playlist: https://open.s...

October is a big month for mental health and neurodiversity - it’s World Mental Health Day, Dyslexia Awareness Month, and ADHD Awareness Month. Satomi Ogata, a Japanese HR leader and neuroinclusion advocate with over 15 years of global HR experience across the United Nations and US tech companies, was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in adulthood. In this episode, Satomi talks about her lived expe...

Imán Daniels, a Cape Malay teacher born and raised in Cape Town, grew up between multiple cultures before moving across the world to South Korea and Hong Kong. She talks to us about growing up in South Africa, the nuances of being Cape Malay, and what it means to navigate the world when few people truly understand her background.  Proudly Asian Playlist: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1hmol1g...

From identity to purpose: In this episode, we hear from an Indian-born and Vietnam-bred sustainability professional Shruthe Kirupakaran. Having spent most of her life in Ho Chi Minh City, she reflects on what it was like to grow up Indian in Vietnam, the ways her upbringing shaped her worldview, and how she eventually pursued a career in sustainability in Hong Kong. Along the way, she shares why h...

Born and raised in and around Vancouver, Jason Born - a descendant of Indigenous Taiwanese (Amis, Sakizaya) with German and Japanese ancestry - recently took a big step in reconnecting with his roots by gaining Taiwanese citizenship and legal recognition of his Indigenous identity. In this episode, Jason opens up about the highs and hurdles of speaking out about who he is, the connections he’s bui...

Proudly Asian European Special Series: Khoulap - host of German podcast Khouliconnects - was born and raised in Dortmund, Germany. Growing up, Khoulap had to navigate the intersection of her Lao heritage and European upbringing through moments that often raised questions about identity and belonging. She joins us to talk about growing up in Germany with Lao parents, Asian representation in Europe,...

Proudly Asian European Special Series: Yashna Manglani is an Indian postgraduate student and owner of the candle brand MY Casa Decor . Born in Switzerland, raised in the Netherlands, and now based in Hong Kong, she carries Indian roots, a European upbringing, and a deep connection to Hong Kong. In this episode, Yashna shares her experience of navigating life across continents, reflects on what it...

Proudly Asian European Series: Anisha Thai Anisha Thai, a French Afro-Asian artist and content creator joins us to talk about how she’s rewriting the rules and celebrating her cultures loudly through dance.  Born and raised in Paris, Anisha takes us through her whirlwind journey of identity, movement, and major career plot twists. From growing up in a Vietnamese-Comorian household to ditching the...

Proudly Asian European Special Series: In our first episode of this brand new special series, we speak with Elin Fu, a Norwegian-Chinese entrepreneur and the content creator behind the Instagram page @always.elin. Elin talks about growing up in an immigrant family in Harmar, Norway, and how she celebrates her multicultural upbringing through food by turning that passion into a F&B journey in H...

May marks the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich histories and diverse voices that make up the AANHPI community in the US. But this year feels different, with the Trump administration’s policy agenda reshaping the socioeconomic landscape for AAPI communities across the country. For our AAPI Month special, we are joined by Gia Vang - Emmy Award-winning...

We are dropping our longest, most laugh-filled episode yet - with Hong Kong born and bred Pakistani creatives Adam and Zaref Khan. For those craving the ultimate hangout sesh with a bunch of friends who just won’t stop yapping, this one’s for you🎙️🔥 Adam and Zaref might have grown up in the same Hong Kong-Pakistani family, but their respective journeys making sense of their own identities were qu...

A brand new Season 6 dropping just in time for International Women’s Day🎧🔥 We’re kicking things off with a woman who knows all about making bold moves: Sarah Vee, founder of Women of Hong Kong. From growing up as a Filipino-Hong Konger and battling insecurities to building a 13,000-strong network of powerhouse women, Sarah spills on what it takes to create a space where women uplift each other a...

Hey Friends of Proudly Asian, it’s been a minute... but did you really think we’d leave you hanging? After a little beauty sleep, Proudly Asian is BACK, just in time for our 100th episode. We’re serving up a very special celebration of everything that’s made this podcast your go-to for unapologetic, authentic, and proudly Asian stories. And the best part? A brand-new season is just around the corn...

Christine Wong, Hong Kong-American cookbook author and founder of Conscious Cooking, is an active member in New York Chinatown and a champion of sustainable living. Born in the US and raised in Cincinnati, the New York-based plant-based cook joins us to talk about her culinary journey and newest vegan Cantonese cookbook. Find Christine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conscious_cooking Chec...

Kitty Wong, the Hong Kong-Canadian award-winning illustrator whose playful depictions of Hong Kong’s culture and food have captured the hearts of many locals and Asian diasporas, joins Proudly Asian to share her journey growing up in Canada, her career as a full-time illustrator, and how she seamlessly weaves egg tarts and cheeky Cantonese phrases into her work. Find Kitty on Instagram: https://ww...

Diagnosed with ADHD and autistic spectrum disorder at the age of 37, Jonathan Mok is a neurodiversity advocate based in Hong Kong who has been playing an active role in educating the public and private sector about neurodiversity.  He joins us to break down what neurodiversity really means, how he navigates daily life as a neurodivergent, and what you should know about neurodiversity. Find Jonatha...

Whether you are a parent, parent-to-be, or even a son or daughter of Asian parents, traditional Asian parenting can at times give us all the heebie-jeebies. Why did our parents parent the way they did? How careful do new parents need to be without becoming overprotective? We take a fun and juicy dive into modern parenting with Singaporean parenting coach Kelly Tay who dishes out the parenting hack...

Joy de Jesus is a Filipino-American marriage and family therapist who works for the LA Chinatown Service Center. After being a full-time mum for decades, Joy took a leap of faith going back to school to become a therapist in her 50s. She joins Proudly Asian to talk about her work helping AAPI immigrants settle in the US and why cultural and language representation in counseling is so important. Fi...