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After her performance as Karen Shetty in the movie adaptation of the “Mean Girls” Broadway musical, Avantika Vandanapu is the internet’s newest it-girl.

In the film, released last week in theaters, she takes on the iconic role of Karen, the lovable but spacey member of the “Plastics,” originally played by Amanda Seyfried. Avantika, who goes by her first name alone, says she was excited to finally play a South Asian character that wasn’t reduced to being a stereotype.

“The movie felt like an epitome of everything I wanted to experience but never could, like being glamorous and popular, and being able to talk about boys and what outfit we’re wearing,” she said in an interview with Vogue. “Basically, things that kids at my school would snub as vain.”

The 19-year-old actress started her career in Tamil and Telugu films. She went to a school where smarts were heavily emphasized and competition between students was fierce, she said.

“When I first watched ‘Mean Girls,’ I was being bullied in a rigorous South Asian-dominated school, where kids would break into each other’s lockers to leak their report cards,” she said.

Avantika said she was refreshed to play someone defined by their silliness and popularity for once, despite racist comments on the internet that claimed an Indian girl wasn’t the right choice for the role.

She hopes young South Asian girls who grew up in a similar situations to her can see in Karen Shetty another dimension in themselves — one that’s a little more fun.

Read the full article here

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Early in Dìdi, Chungsing (Joan Chen) tries to get her son, Chris (Izaac Wang), to look at a painting she’s made of their family. Chris, however, is extremely reluctant to turn away from the goofy YouTube video he’s been watching. When he finally does, he’s unmoved by her piece and instead picks a fight about what he describes as her nagging, and what she protests is just “caring.” It’s their relationship in a nutshell, and probably the relationships of lots of adolescent kids and their parents in a nutshell.

But if Chris seems unable or unwilling to see his mother for who she is in the moment, Dìdi, as a semi-autobiographical work by writer-director Sean Wang, feels like an apology come years later. The film is a very solid entry in the annals of coming-of-age films, reminiscent of Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade in both its affection for its young characters and its willingness to meet them on their own terms. But its real secret weapon turns out to be the equal empathy it extends toward Chungsing, whose own journey emerges as a moving complement to her son’s.

Titled after the Mandarin term for “little brother,” Dìdi catches Chris at the tail end of the summer of 2008, a time of Livestrong bracelets, click-wheel iPods and Paramore’s Riot! t-shirts. For Chris, it’s also a time of significant personal change. Not only is his big sister Vivian (Shirley Chen) about to head off to UC San Diego — which, to a 13-year-old in Fremont, California, might as well be the ends of the earth — Chris is about to start high school, and is trying to figure out who he might be…

Read the full article here

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According to Science News Watch, this notable achievement that less than 1% of research scientists get to experience. Being accepted into IPAS is a rare and noteworthy achievement, illustrating a researcher’s competency and dedication to scientific innovation. IPAS is considered an elite research community, responsible for cutting-edge research, discoveries, and inventions, including technologies for national defense applications, communication and tracking technologies, agriculture, atmosphere monitoring, health, medical, and other notable discoveries.

IPAS has made significant contributions to virtually all fields of science and engineering, by bringing together experimental physicists, chemists, material scientists, biologists, experimentally driven theoretical scientists, and medical researchers to create new sensing and measurement technologies. Dr. Richey’s knowledge in the field of quantum physics, applied physics, theoretical physics, and social sciences will be invaluable in developing modern technologies and systems that can address some of the most pressing challenges facing society today. While Dr. Richey’s research focus has not been publicly disclosed, it is evident by his acceptance into the School of Life Information Science and Engineering at Asia Pacific School of Business and IPAS, that seasoned scholars and scientists were impressed with his research proposal and its potential impact, which is required for all doctoral research students before the program will grant an interview.

The Asia Pacific School of Business (APSB), which partners with notable institutions like Stanford University, Berkeley University, and others, is championed as a high-quality research university across a vast array of fields. The Asia Pacific School of Business is a member institution accredited and recognized by international academic accreditation bodies such as Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges & Universities (ASIC), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the Association of MBAs & the Business Graduates Association (AMBA&BGA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Quality Matters(QM), the EduTrust Education Quality Accreditation Association (EEQA) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

In addition, the Asia Pacific School of Business has become a member institution of renowned international organizations such as the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO)、United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-CHAIR)、United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)、European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN)、Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU)、Association of Universities of Asia and The Pacific (AUAP) and United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC-UN). The University now has 7 research sub-fields, of which 100% were assessed to be an AISA-Business Class or above, including research in engineering, mathematics, science, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, artificial intelligence, and the arts.

Dr. Richey was selected for this prestigious institute of scientists, who rank at the top of their profession, by the School of Life Information Science and Engineering at APSB. Dr. Richey holds multiple advanced degrees, including three research-based doctoral degrees, completing doctoral studies at Clark Atlanta University in federal policy reform, Ph.D. studies from the Business University of Costa Rica, and fulfilled requirements for his Doctor of Law (LL.D. ) degree in International Law from Azteca University.

Dr. Richey also completed his Master of Science in Applied Physics and Quantum Mechanics from Universidad Empresarial de Costa Rica (Master’s Thesis: “Influence of Quantum Field Theory on the Comprehension of Nature and Consciousness in Ancient Cultures”), a Master of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Pacific (Master’s Thesis: Quantum Physics of Neuroscience Contextualized Through Human Neurological Applications: A Critical Analysis of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Declassified Gateway Process), and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Beulah Heights University.

Black physicists are significantly underrepresented in research professions and academia, with Black quantum physicists being almost nonexistent. After being accepted into the Ph.D. in Quantum Physics program by the School of Life Information Science and Engineering at APSB, Dr. Richey was unwavering when selecting the partner institution, Clark Atlanta University, which serves as the American collegiate program research partner. According to one faculty member, Dr. Richey’s academic achievements are “more than rare” and “demonstrate a deep understanding of complex scientific knowledge and social applications. His ability to apply the discipline of physics to medical, health, and socially conscious endeavors, makes him a valued asset to the scientific community and APSB/IPAS research.”

Being an established social scholar who created the higher education learning model known as Theoretical Application Learning (TAL), Dr. Richey is also credited with the discovery of two quantum physics theories, the Quantum Phantasmagoria Effect (QFE) and the theory of Quantum Neuro-Mechanics (QNM), which are detailed in his theses. While these theories require more scientific research and rigor, many physicists in the quantum field genre are aligned with Dr. Richey’s theories. Notably, Dr. Richey theorizes that QNM is at the center of the phenomenon of quantum entanglement, which he contrastingly describes as ‘quantum-engagement’.

As a Senior Researcher at IPAS through APSB, Dr. Richey will have the opportunity to obtain funding for proposed research projects that align with IPAS research goals, work with some of the most talented scientists and engineers in the world, and be involved in cutting-edge research endeavors aimed at solving some of the most pressing challenges facing the global society today. His appointment and committee approval by noted scientists and scholars to IPAS is not only a recognition of his academic achievements but also a testament to his current scientific prowess and projected scientific research.

IPAS has been at the forefront of research into the applications of photonics in medicine, agriculture, and environmental monitoring. The Institute’s research has led to the development of modern technologies being used in medical diagnostics, such as non-invasive imaging, and in precision agriculture, such as monitoring plant health and optimizing crop yields, which could have a significant impact on developing regions. Some of IPAS’s other notable discoveries include the development of advanced materials for use in energy storage and the creation of ultra-precise clocks that can be used in navigation and satellite communications. The Institute’s research has also led to new insights into the fundamental properties of light and matter, which have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the universe and the natural world.

With an already robust career as a national thought leader, broadcaster, and social science professor, Dr. Richey’s appointment at IPAS through APSB is a significant development that highlights his keen capacity for high-level learning and the Institute’s commitment to advancing scientific knowledge by developing innovative technologies that improve lives. We can expect to see groundbreaking discoveries and innovations coming from Dr. Richey’s Senior Fellow status.

Written By: Amy Lin

The post Asia Pacific School of Business Names Dr. Rashad Richey Sr. Physicist Research Fellow at Institute for Photonics & Advanced Sensing appeared first on The Proud Asian.

Growing up in Georgia, I was literally the only Asian girl in my school. And I never in a million years thought I was going to be part of the entertainment world.
—Agnes Mayasari

Watch it here.

Key moments during the interview:

Crystal Bui:
How difficult has it been as an actress? We barely had anyone until recently, Asian American and winning the Oscars, win Emmys. How has it been for you being in the field?

Agnes Mayasari: 

There were some rough times when I was kind of navigating because no one really taught me. I didn’t have a friend and be like, “Hey, you know, girlfriend, can you teach me how to be a model or an actress?”

So that was very, very difficult because I had to kind of look on YouTube or online or watch movies and see that, wow, there’s very few of us.

And so it was amazing that the entertainment world has come to Georgia and I was basically sucked into it.  I really didn’t have anybody to help me. It’s nice that now people are starting to do acting starting to get into the film industry. It’s nice to be able to see more Asian people coming together and helping each other out.

 

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A post shared by Agnes MayasarI (@agnesmayasari)

Crystal:
It must have been hard, I imagine, in the beginning, because it’s not like you probably had a family that had nepotism, legacy in the industry. Same with me. I didn’t come from a family of TV news reporters. So what kind of got you inspired to do it? And then did you feel like there was a moment that was your big break or kind of your AHA moment with the industry?

Agnes:
I am a person who loves challenges. I love to be different.

I think that’s kind of something that I grew up with as a kid, I never wanted to be like anyone else because I wasn’t like anybody else.

I was the only Asian female in my school. I grew up in Clarkston. So it was like majority African American. And then I moved to North of Lawrenceville, and it was like the majority of Caucasian and Asian. I never felt like I was accepted into a certain crowd.

I was always my own person, I was always independent.

So I felt like this is fun; this is really challenging.

At first, it was just more of like, “Let’s see what I can do. Let’s see, you know how far this can go.”

And as you said, it’s very challenging, because your parents are very traditional. My parents are Vietnamese. They’re like, “I don’t really know what you’re doing, but if you’re having fun, then that’s great.”

My AHA moment was just, I guess falling down and making mistakes.

When I first started eight years ago, I went into the room, I had no idea what I was doing.

I was like, “They think I’m cute, but what am I supposed to do?”

And so I kept just getting better.

It can be scary because sometimes it does take a long time. Every single audition and every single project is different. So I never, ever feel like I 100% know what I’m doing. But I just learned from my experience that you just have to just do your best and that’s all you can do. And once I learned that I was like, “You know what, it’s not that scary, right? Everybody is feeling the same emotions as me. So I might as well do something that I enjoy and have fun doing.”

 

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A post shared by Agnes MayasarI (@agnesmayasari)

Crystal:
I imagine it comes with a lot of auditions, and a lot of rejections. How did you build that resilience or maybe not take something too personally when some auditions didn’t work out?

Agnes:
My first big audition my first year of acting, I actually got a role to audition for X-Men. I was devastated.

I think I didn’t get over it for like, the first year. And I was just beating myself up for it. Because I was like, “Oh, man, you should have gotten this. This role would have been so big and so awesome.”

But in the end, I feel like if it’s not right, for me, it’s not right.

For me, there’s going to be something out there that’s going to fit me, and it’s surprising. I’ve auditioned for numerous roles for something for a casting director or for a company. And I’m like, “Oh, I didn’t get this.” But then soon after, they start noticing me. And then they asked me for something even better.

And I’m like, “Wow, so I shouldn’t be so sad.”

In Hollywood, there’s always going to be something new coming out. If I miss one opportunity, just like in life you miss one opportunity, there’s going to be another. Everyone has life challenges. Everyone has things that they have to do. So once I feel like things are going well, it will it will come.
—Agnes Mayasari

Crystal:
So I think I saw some photos of you doing was it the Powerpuff Girls? Can you talk me about some different auditions that maybe must have been groundbreaking? When I watched stuff like The Powerpuff Girls, obviously, it wasn’t an Asian lead. So tell me a little bit about that role, and then other roles that you feel like you broke the glass ceiling for as an Asian woman being able to be cast in that role?

Agnes:
I was super excited. A casting director recommended me.  I was actually able to cover for someone who got COVID. And they called me last minute.

I didn’t even know about this project until like, probably nine hours before. And then I had to learn 10 pages.

Luckily, I did a big project before so I was just like, “Okay, 10 pages and isn’t anything compared to like a big movie with like 90 pages.”

So when they contacted me and said, “We’re looking for an Asian Powerpuff Girl; we want Buttercup to be Asian.”

I think it’d be great. And they’re going to show it to CW and all these big production companies.

So I was like, “This is my niche. I have a background in martial arts. I’ve done Godzilla. I’ve done stunts.”

At that moment in my career, I really wanted to do an amazing lead role that had to do with action. So I was excited.

Because it was a pilot, I felt like I had a voice. Of course, everyone grew up watching Cartoon Network and The Powerpuff Girls. I was just like, this is amazing. I can’t imagine being able to be a child superhero. My dream was to be an action star. That’s why I tried out for X-Men and did movies like Godzilla.

I felt like that was kind of a step up in my career.

And a little bit about other projects that I’ve done: I did a time-traveling movie called “Time Boys 2.” They also cast me as an Asian lead with a Caucasian and an African American, both amazing people.

It was amazing to be able to represent. I feel like now Hollywood is pushing the boundary for Asian Americans and want us to be seen. And I’m very happy and proud to be that person.
—Agnes Mayasari

Crystal:
When you were growing up, you mentioned a little bit earlier about being the only Asian woman Asian girl in school. Were you bullied? What was that experience? Like if you can tell me a little bit about it?

Agnes:
When I was growing up in elementary school, I used to be called many names and one of them was “c—-.”

Of course everyone you know, assumes that all Asians were whatever type of Asian that they thought. I also growing up had guys come up to me like, I guess the Asian fetish, and it felt dehumanizing.

Because I was like, what you see on the internet is not who I am. I’m American. I’m Asian, of course, but I grew up in Georgia since I was two years old.

So part of me and my culture is, very much similar to my classmates, more than they know.

And so for them to kind of separate me into a different category, it made me feel less confident in myself.

Growing up in elementary school, I was always shy, or I always felt like I couldn’t say anything because no one wanted to hear my voice. So it’s nice that now that I’m part of the entertainment world, people are listening to me.

Hopefully, I can make a difference for the people who felt the same way, or is currently feeling the same way, that they don’t have a voice because people were are separating them from the group. —Agnes Mayasari

Crystal:
What did it take for you to find that confidence and to begin feeling proud to be Asian after feeling like, there was so much discrimination growing up?

Agnes:
I just kind of was at the point where you can’t fight them. So you might as well just accept it, and make the best of it.

I kind of accepted that I was always going to be different.

People are always going to tell me, “Oh, you don’t deserve this, and that you don’t deserve your accomplishment because you’re already smart. Because you’re Asian.”

Everyone kind of made me feel like I never deserved anything that I’ve worked for. And I just shut that out. I just shut the noise.

I’m like, “You know what? If I keep trying to impress people, or convince people of how hard working I am or how deserving I am, it’s never going to end. I might as well just do me do what makes me happy. And in that way can inspire a little girl to do the same thing. And you know, in not like, feel like insecure about herself and that that’s a win for me.
—Agnes Mayasari

You can follow Agnes Mayasari:

• www.AgnesMayasari.com
• Instagram
• Youtube
• IMDB

The post Agnes Mayasari: Hollywood Action Star appeared first on The Proud Asian.

The story is about Ingrid Yung who is a first-generation Chinese American and the first lawyer in her family. Ingrid is the first minority woman to make partner at Parsons Valentine & Hunt, an old law firm with a boys’ club corporate culture.

A racially-insensitive and offensive incident happens at the law firm and Ingrid is tasked with doing damage control, despite being treated like an outsider.

Helen lives in New York state. She has written for The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, and CNN. She is currently working on another book while also serving as a diversity and inclusion consultant, among other big projects.

I can’t believe my subway scribblings from 20 yrs ago will soon be a new @Netflix TV show, premiering a week from today. That’s me, blinking back tears, gazing up at a giant Times Square billboard showing @arden_cho & the rest of this amazing #PartnerTrack cast! I NY. pic.twitter.com/NJnrWQUawH

— Helen Wan (@helenwan1) August 19, 2022

Here is the 10-minute interview with The Proud Asian:

Watch it here.

Key moments during the interview:

Crystal Bui:
The nuances. They’re really important and I know that you brought in some of those nuances in the show. Like, it’s no secret [Ingrid Yung, played by Arden Cho] is Asian and she’s in a very male-dominated world. [The men] have advantages. There’s a boys club. Clearly, there are backdoor dealings. It’s almost like some of it isn’t merited, but because they’re white men, there is nepotism, almost because of race.

How did you navigate that sort of nuance and that script in your writing or if Netflix consulted you at all on how to play that out in a sensitive but empowering manner at the same time?

Helen Wan:
I’ve been very fortunate in that when I, myself, binge-watched the show up over one weekend, I was really impressed by how sensitively and thoughtfully Netflix treated the issues of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in the corporate workplace.

I was impressed with the way that they updated it.

Because as I mentioned, the book was originally published in 2011, that it makes sense to have some updates to the story. They added some characters and they added some backstory to my existing characters. I was just really honestly pretty pleased with the end result. I thought it was it was both a sensitive treatment of those kinds of issues and themes that I was trying to tackle.

But also, frankly, I thought it was an entertaining show. It wasn’t just about being Asian and for being a color or being a woman lawyer or what have you.

Crystal:
Growing up, I did not see many people on TV who were Asian.

It was a part of the reason why I first went in and was a TV news reporter. I wanted young girls to see something different or to see themselves, quite frankly.

Did you get emotional seeing it on the screen? Or what was it like seeing the pages that you wrote come to life to know that people would have to physically see the characters that you created?

Helen:
It was amazing.

On the premiere night, in Los Angeles, it was like Cinderella at the ball moment for me, because there’s artists, there’s Georgia Lee, there’s Julie Anne Robinson [director of Netflix’s Bridgerton] was sitting next to me. I was just like, “Wow, this is my character from when I was a first-year law associate are up on the screen.”

If you had told me that anything like that would have happened to me and to those characters, that began as my subway scribblings… I just wouldn’t have believed it.

Crystal:
Since I was so obsessed with the show and binge-watched it, this is a selfish question, but I would love to know: what is next for you?

Are you working on something? What can you share?

Helen:
I’m trying very hard to put the finishing touches on the ending of a new book. It’s been fun diving into a new project.

It’s not a sequel to The Partner Track, although it touches on similar themes that I’m interested in about how family backgrounds, race, gender, socio-economic, class, privilege, whether or not you’re a first generation in your family, or to go to college… I certainly was the first to go to law school in my family… and how all of these factors just impact our decisions about personal and professional decisions, and also ambition.

Crystal:
Growing up, I was really ashamed to be Asian because I was picked on.

I imagine with the nuances of your show and your book, it was probably not easy for people to realize, “I’m not part of this white boys’ club.”

Did you feel the same way growing up? And then what inspired you to kind of reclaim that and own that and put that in your book?

Helen:
While I was born in California, my family moved to the East Coast when I was quite young. I mostly grew up in the DC suburbs, which was a fairly white area. I was one of perhaps, two, or maybe, three Asian American students in my public elementary school. And I certainly felt it and the playground teasing, and the eyes [teasing], and things like that.

I certainly felt it. 

It does take a certain thick skin, which I don’t naturally have, to write about such experiences. And it took me a long time to do so.

But I started doing so in those journal entries. Those things did make their way into the novel. And I’m really glad I did, because a lot of people will point to some of those scenes, and readers will say, “That happened to me. That playground taunting did happen to me too.”

It’s very important to see some of those perspectives and stories represented.

I hope that people enjoy the book, enjoy the show, and can take away something meaningful from them. And I really, really appreciate everything that has happened and all the people who take the time to reach out to me or to any of the creators of the show, or other writers who are out there telling their similar, authentic stories that they don’t see out there, so they write the book themselves.

It means a lot when people say they have taken something away from your work, so thank you.

The post Helen Wan: Author behind the Netflix series “The Partner Track” appeared first on The Proud Asian.

In 2019, Elena Ledoux was named the SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year in Nevada and Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners for Southern Nevada for turning Superbmaids from a start-up to a million-dollar company in a short amount of time. Superbmaids in Las Vegas has nearly 5,000 clients. 

Through Boss Security Screens, Elena Ledoux has also made it her mission to keep people safe in their homes and offices. The company creates heavy-duty stainless steel security screens which act as a property crime deterrent and the first line of defense against intruders. The screens are installed on the outside of windows and doors, and Boss Security Screens designs were vetted by law enforcement experts for quality control and safety standards.

I believe that entrepreneurship is one of the best things you can do for yourself, for developing yourself as a person realizing your full potential. And culturally, we as women, especially Asian women, are placed in this position of being almost discouraged to take a chance, take a risk.

We have a very specific role that was supposed to be a supportive, supporting role, not the main character: very docile. And I think this is just wrong. That’s a waste of our potential. So go for it.

— Elena Ledoux

Watch her interview with The Proud Asian here.

Crystal Bui:
Tell me a little bit about your childhood. Where did you grow up? What’s your ethnicity?

Elena Ledoux:
I have a little bit of a strange background. Ethnically, I’m Korean. But I was born in the former Soviet Union before it all fell apart. And I moved to the U.S. when I was 21.

Crystal:
What prompted your move to America?

Elena:
I always felt like I was born in the wrong place. There are not a lot of opportunities for women, especially minority women [in the former Soviet Union]. There was a very, very specific role that was dedicated to you. And that was very suffocating. The United States is a much better environment for realizing your potential as a person.

Crystal:
When you came over to America, what did you pursue?

Elena:
I went to law school. And afterward, I practice law for 11 years in litigation.

Crystal:
What was that like? Traditionally, especially in litigation, it’s very male-dominated, white, male-dominated, and older, male-dominated. What was it like for you to be in that space? What was the culture like, and then how did you navigate that?

Elena:
In the beginning, it was a little bit intimidating, because I was a lot of times the youngest, the strangest person in the room. And a lot of times that was underestimated, which turned out to be actually an advantage, because litigation is about battling. So if you believe that your opponent is weaker than you are, or less capable than you are, then you’re not going to pay as much attention and you’re gonna lose your case.

Crystal:
Did you feel like when people looked at you, you were younger, you’re a woman, you’re Asian, people just thought they would beat you right away? So they didn’t have to prepare?

Elena:
Yes, they were a lot more relaxed about it. They paid more attention to what I was wearing to my shoes, or how I carry myself, as [opposed] to what I’m going to do to their clients in that case. And so after the first case [that I won] everything shifted into more professional, and then [them] paying attention.

Crystal:
So you probably surprise them. And I imagine then you started intimidating some of these men and realizing that you were a true competitor.

Elena:
In the beginning, I was treated very dismissively. And even in writings and legal writing, I was referred to as “that woman,”  or, “She just should go to wherever she’s from, that’s how they do things.” Similar things, disparaging things like that, but it never affected me. But you know, as soon as I beat them, then all of a sudden, I was “Ms. Ledoux.”

Crystal:
After you did litigation, what did you do next?

Elena:
I actually took a couple of years off. And I took a sabbatical with my family in Europe. We brought two of our kids and my parents, and we lived in France, Spain, and Ireland; it was fantastic. So I was a mom and played the role of a mom for a couple of years.

Crystal:
After you were able to spend time with your family, how did you get into the business?

Elena:
My best childhood friend from Uzbekistan actually won the Green Card Lottery. She was coming to the U.S. with her family. And because she didn’t speak any English, and she didn’t drive a car, she didn’t have any money. We started a cleaning company just so we can make some money to pay her bills.

Crystal:
[The original goal was $2,000 a month] So after that, did your company grow? Did you achieve what you wanted to?

Elena:
Definitely, made $2,000, and then some. It grew really, really well. And it was voted best of Las Vegas within the first year of business by the readers of Las Vegas Review-Journal. And we grew tremendously since then. We won a bunch of awards, including SBA’s Small Business of the Year by the state of Nevada.

Crystal:
Wow.  then so There was some sort of ceremony you were able to go to in DC talk to me about what that was.

Elena:
Yes, this was a surreal, incredible experience. Every winner from every state gets invited to DC. And it was this really beautiful space that usually hosts ambassadors and dignitaries. And so here, were me and my partner and our kids. We kept looking at each other. And there are all these other very esteemed entrepreneurs, very titled entrepreneurs from all over the country. It was an incredible experience.

Crystal
Was this just women or men and women?

Elena:
Men and women, of course, because it’s a business world, the business field. There are a lot more men, of course. A lot of companies were larger and more established, or in business for decades, kind of those behemoths, even though it’s called “small business” which was anything under 500 employees.

Crystal:
Talk to me about finances.

Elena:
By the second year in business, were grossing over a million dollars a year.

Crystal:
What was that like? What do you feel set your company apart? I imagine the cleaning industry or even the hospitality industry, it’s so competitive, right? There are so many people saturated in that field. So how did you build it into a million-dollar company? And why do you think you were able to do that?

Elena:
As women, I believe, and especially as immigrants, we are more resilient. I feel like women are generally more resilient, and more adaptable. And that’s what it takes to succeed in business. And this business is a very tough business; it’s fiercely competitive.

Crystal:
So you’re also operating other businesses right now, as an entrepreneur? Tell me a little bit more about some of your other endeavors.

Elena:
I’m the Chief Operating Officer of Boss Security Screens. We protect people in their own homes, by preventing burglars and all the bad guys from coming into your home. We are currently in three states and expanding a few more. And then we have American Security Screens, which we just started. This is going to be licensing arm. We’re going to open our representations all over the United States. I’m very excited about that.

Crystal:
What is Boss Security Screens, and how does it keep homeowners secure?

Elena:
Sure, if you can imagine, a regular bug screen, but it’s made out of ultra-tough materials, stainless steel and aluminum, aircraft-grade aluminum that’s encasing it. And it gets bolted into the frame, the actual structure of your home, outside of every window and then outside of the door. Of course, you can release it easily from the inside, but from the outside, you cannot get through.

Crystal:
So it’s like normal homes have that like mesh screen? And then instead of the mesh screen that is easy for people to cut through and break into your product is different. And you said it was steel, or how is it much tougher than what people have?

Elena:
It’s actually a mesh, but it’s woven out of stainless steel wire. And it’s quite thick. It allows pretty good visibility still, so it’s not like ugly bars or something, or shatters or something like that. It allows airflow, but it prevents all the bad stuff from coming in, whether it’s burglars or bears, or bugs. It deflects some of the sunshine as well. So it’s quite a useful product. It’s been very, very popular.

Crystal:
So that means you don’t have to use as much AC if it’s keeping your home protected? My last question is, what do you want to tell women, Asian women, because entrepreneurs are so dominated right now, by men?

Elena:
If you’re a woman, and you are considering becoming an entrepreneur, just give it a try. Because a lot of times we as women suffer from imposter syndrome, and a lot of men do too. But I believe that women are specifically specially afflicted by that.

And I believe that entrepreneurship is one of the best things you can do for yourself, for developing yourself as a person realizing your full potential. And culturally, we as women, especially Asian women, are placed in this position of being almost discouraged to take a chance, take a risk.

We have a very specific role that was supposed to be a supportive, supporting role, not the main character: very docile. And I think this is just wrong. That’s a waste of our potential. So go for it.

The post Elena Ledoux: Successful entrepreneur in The Golden Spotlight appeared first on The Proud Asian.

Samantha has made it her mission to combat Asian hate and show Asian girls that white dolls aren’t the only options out there: they will now see themselves represented in her new line of Asian dolls and build confidence knowing they, too, are beautiful.

Because of her work in making sure Asian American children no longer feel invisible, The Proud Asian has chosen to put Samantha and Joey Dolls in our Golden Spotlight.

Here is their 5-minute interview: 

Watch it here.

An excerpt from the interview:

Samantha Ong:
I created this company during the pandemic. It responds to anti-Asian hate, to really celebrate Asian diversity and culture through what I call “adorable, playful dolls for children.”

Crystal Bui:
Tell me about these dolls. What are they? What do they look like? Describe them for people who don’t know about Joey Dolls yet.

Samantha:
I created the company when I started to look for adults for my daughter. I realized there weren’t many dolls out there that fully represented the diversity of the Asian diaspora. When my daughter was having her first year birthday, I was putting her in her traditional outfits, Chinese and Korean outfits, and I realized dolls don’t really display, or really celebrate these fun moments: having the traditional outfit. I decided to celebrate each of the cultures within Asia, through dolls. I wanted them to be safe for young children, just like my daughter. So they’re soft, they’re plush dolls.

Our first collection is six cultures, which are: Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipina, Japanese, and Indian. I hope to represent more cultures in the future.

Crystal:
That is such a cool idea because I was talking to some friends about being able to interview today. And I was saying when I was growing up, we had, of course, the American Girl dolls. But there were no Asian dolls within the American Girl dolls, which is problematic because I’m American as well. And I remember as a little kid, I picked up the Samantha doll because she had brown hair. That was like the closest I could get. And so I’m very excited about your line.

Do you wish you also had Asian dolls growing up? I mean, what does this personally mean to you?

Samantha:
Yeah, exactly. When I was looking for dolls for my daughter, I really reflected upon my own experience growing up. And knowing that I, too, played with blonde hair dolls, and how that really affected me growing up and seeing myself in the world. I just thought I was meant to be more on the sidelines, not really someone that can go out and achieve things that I want to. I didn’t really see myself in dolls, or toys, or media, or anything like that.

So it really made me feel self-conscious. I  didn’t have good self-esteem. And I always felt that I wasn’t lucky enough to be born to be blonde.

Crystal:
Right, because you had all the pretty dolls that were blonde. I remember being upset that my hair was black because there were beautiful dolls that were blonde. And none of them looked like me. And I think you’re right, it really affected for awhile my self-confidence, even like you said, wishing that I could look like some of these dolls. And now you have the chance to provide so many Asian girls, and Asian boys with the ability to see themselves look like some of these precious dolls.

What do your children think about this? What did they feel like when they started looking at the prototype?

Samantha:
I feel like I’m such a perfectionist. A lot of the time, I don’t want to put my dolls out there for them to see sometimes because I’m like, “It’s not done yet.” One time I was hiding them away, and then my daughter found them in my office and she ran in and she was like, “Mommy, I really love these dolls. Can I play with them yet?”

Every time she sees them, and I’m working with them, designing them, she comes over my shoulder, and it’s so cute. She can’t wait to play with them. She really sees herself.

Watch the full interview here.

Editor’s note:
Joey Dolls plans to launch in May. Once they launch, use the promo code: theproudasian at check-out for a discount exclusive to The Proud Asian readers. Sign up at www.JoeyDolls.com to get an alert when they’ve launched.

www.joeydolls.com

The post Joey Dolls: The Asian American dolls you didn’t have growing up appeared first on The Proud Asian.