Founder. Creative Entrepreneur. Marketer.

I’m a strategist, leader, and founder, and my mission is to make the world a better place through leadership, empathy, and driving cultural change. I have a business, a blog, and a podcast:

My business is an all-natural skincare line called Chuan Skincare (chuanskincare.com), where I offer affordable, handcrafted skincare products made from high-quality ingredients and backed by science. I built my business because I couldn’t find a product that would meet my needs and my values, and I didn’t see many people that looked like me in the self-care, beauty, and wellness industries.

Prior to starting Chuan Skincare, I worked in tech marketing for many years. My blog, The Cultivate Method (thecultivatemethod.com) is focused on taking the insider strategies and tips I learned in the industry and using them to empower and teach other entrepreneurs and business owners.

While working on Chuan Skincare and The Cultivate Method, I also picked up sewing as a hobby and discovered the online sewing community. After the murders of 8 people in Atlanta, 6 of whom were Asian women, earlier this year, I decided to step up and organize within the online sewing community and formed the Asian Sewist Collective podcast (asiansewistcollective.com). On the podcast, we explore the intersection of different Asian identities and our shared sewing practice.

How does being Taiwanese/Taiwanese American and/or community ally play a role in your life?

As a second-generation Taiwanese American, I am proud of my culture and heritage and passionate about community organizing and activism.

In college, I organized the ITASA East Coast Conference in New York and served as ITASA’s National Development Director before being elected National President for the 2013-2014 term. As ITASA National President, I worked within the TA community, connecting students across the country, and outside of the TA community, as a liaison to other AAPI non-profits and groups. As a young professional in San Francisco, I also served on the executive board of TAP-SF for 2 years.

In recent years, I’ve taken a step back from organizing to let the next generation of Taiwanese American leaders step up, and to focus on myself and my family. My dad was a huge reason for my Taiwanese American pride, and through caregiving for him and laying him to rest this past year, I have found an even deeper connection to my identity. I am proud to say that throughout this time, my Taiwanese American identity has always been at the heart of my decisions and my leadership style.

If you could teach future generations 1 thing about being Taiwanese/Taiwanese American or Taiwan, what would it be?

When you say you’re proud of being Taiwanese or Taiwanese American, know that there is so much more to be proud of than just our food, night markets, and bubble tea. Yes, these aspects of our culture are fantastic and should be shared widely, but Taiwan is so much more than that. Taiwan is a vibrant democracy with direct elections, free speech, universal healthcare, and legalized same-sex marriage, and Taiwanese companies innovate and lead the way across many sectors internationally, most notably in electronics. These aspects of Taiwan directly influence the culture that we are proud of and what we represent when we say we are proud of our heritage.

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

The future of Taiwanese America looks like 3 things to me: I want to see Taiwanese Americans be represented in every industry, be among the leaders that are breaking the bamboo ceiling, and pulling each other up along the way. I want to see Taiwanese American organizations and leaders working with other ethnicities to organize a stronger AAPI coalition to advocate for our collective rights and representation. And, I want to see Taiwanese Americans working with other people of color to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy.

Favorite memory of Taiwan/Taiwanese America?

Many years ago, I was part of the second year of the A.I.D. summer program, sponsored by Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council and Ministry of Education. This program was an opportunity for me to volunteer, make new friends, and experience Taiwan without my extended family. Some of my favorite memories actually came after the program, when I lived on my own in Taipei for a few months, and was really able to explore and appreciate Taiwanese culture.

Favorite Taiwanese food?

O-a-jian (蚵仔煎) – oyster omelette