Entrepreneur. Consultant. Investor.

I am the co-founder of Deviate Labs, a Webby Award nominated boutique growth marketing agency whose list of clientele includes Hello Bello (backed by celebrities Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell), SMART Technologies (creators of SMART Board), Automattic (the folks behind WordPress), Michael Marquart (Grammy-nominated musician), and companies from ABC’s “Shark Tank.” In 2017, my business partner, Chad Riddersen, and I co-authored an Amazon business bestseller, “Growth Hacking: Silicon Valley’s Best Kept Secret.”

I have the honor and privilege of mentoring entrepreneurs as part of Harvey Mudd College’s incubator, the HMCINQ.

A passion project of mine is to invest in and develop businesses and empower entrepreneurs.

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

I was born and raised in Taiwan before immigrating here to the United States when I was 9. Because my upbringing was split between Taiwan and the US, I was lucky to be exposed to eastern culture and western culture and both have helped shape me into who I am today. Immersed in the western culture in my day-to-day, my familiarity with and appreciation of elements of the eastern culture afford me different perspectives that oftentimes lead to greater understanding and empathy and help foster closer connections with those I interact with.

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

I hope future generations continue to embrace the principle of filial piety. From my observations and being influenced by my upbringing, I believe that the Taiwanese culture places great value on respecting and caring for the elders, especially our own parents. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to have more appreciation for the wisdom that my parents (and other elders in my life) have accumulated over their lives. I’ve learned to cherish their histories and their stories because when you truly listen to and heed them with humility, you can derive many impactful lessons.

It would be wise for future generations to continue to respect, honor, and care for the elders because their knowledge, experiences, and wisdom can help them avoid costly mistakes and set them up for greater success.

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

I hope to see our reputation as Taiwanese Americans continue to build on itself – the reputation of being helpful, considerate, selfless, and respectful. I hope that we as people from such a small nation continue to lead by example and inspire others through our actions as we have through the COVID pandemic. I hope we continue to illuminate the best of our Taiwanese culture – our values, belief system, and heritage – for the rest of the world and serve as role models.

Favorite memory of Taiwan/Taiwanese America?

Catching insects as a carefree kid at a local park in Taipei

Favorite Taiwanese food?

Orh Ah Mee Sua (蚵仔面线)