As an AAPI female-led brand, Shoott is so excited and thrilled to share about other changemakers that are inspiring them in the AANHPI community. We were honored to meet, photograph, and interview a few folks that we'd love to introduce to you!

Alex Chester-Iwata

• Instagram: @MixedAsianMedia @AlexFChester

• Website: www.mixedasianmedia.com

What work do you do / what is your mission?

I run Mixed Asian Media, the leading platform for and by mixed Asians.

MAM is a website and community created by multiracial, mixed Asian/Pacific Islanders. We aim to build community, foster discussion, and increase visibility by exploring what it means to be of mixed Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian descent today. Created to combat the mixed-race pains of “not being enough, feeling fragmented and not whole, not seeing ourselves represented in mainstream media,” MAM engages our audience through original editorial pieces, exclusive celebrity interviews, and photoshoots, by highlighting achievements from the community, and showcasing mixed businesses, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

My personal mission is to showcase the rich diversity of our mixed community and give our community a voice.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to support the AANHPI community?

Donate to various not-for-profits that work within the AANHPI space, volunteer your time, are you amazing at creating copy? Can you do social media? Can you create graphics? So many organizations need these skill sets to help their groups grow and thrive.

Support your local AANHPI run business, and share about your fav AANHPI artist, actor, or musician. There are so many ways you can support them.

Anything else you'd like to share?

We are hosting the 2nd annual Mixed Asian Day on September 14th, stay tuned for deets.

Christian Franz

• Instagram: @chrsfranz

• Website: https://www.friendsoffranzpod.com

What work do you do / what is your mission?

I am a registered nurse and cardiovascular medicine researcher by day and the producer and host of the "Friends of Franz Podcast," content creator, and brand model by night. My mission is to fuse the worlds of the clinical and entertainment into a sphere of harmony. Healthcare workers are often boxed into merely a professional identity, but I want to show that we also love to have fun! Through the podcast, I guest clinical experts, mostly of AANHPI heritage, to foster increased minority representation, disseminate medical education, and promote the humanization of healthcare workers.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to support the AANHPI community?

My advice for someone who wants to support the AANHPI community is to just show up! Events that seek to elevate AANHPI brands, businesses, and visions happen all the time, and just being there helps a lot. One person can simply hear someone's visions, and we don't know what chain reactions can happen from that!

Maggie Chui

• Instagram: @asianhustlenetwork

• Website: asianhustlenetwork.com

What work do you do / what is your mission?

Asian Hustle Network (AHN) is the world's largest Asian entrepreneurial community. We create spaces for Asian/Pacific Islander (API) entrepreneurs and creatives to share their stories, connect members to the right people and resources, and invest in the next generation of API founders across various industries. AHN is a media company and cultural agency that produces engaging content highlighting API entrepreneurs, as well as builds web, branding, and marketing solutions for API entrepreneurs and enterprises that want to reach them.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to support the AANHPI community?

Start by sharing your story. You can share it with anyone you know. Talk openly about the unique experiences that have led you to where you are today, the challenges you've faced along the way, moments when you've felt silenced, times when you've felt empowered, and why you want to give to others and support your community. The most impactful connections made through AHN were when members shared their stories with one another, breaking down walls and building a deeper understanding of our similar lived experiences. Through the power of our community, we can address the needs and challenges of our greater diaspora, best serve the collective, and create a more inclusive and equitable future for us all.

Carol Chen

• Instagram: @lifebycarol / @jing.essentials

What work do you do / what is your mission?

I’m the founder of JING Essentials, an innovative brand that merges fashion and wellness, starting with our unique line of bejeweled earplugs. Our mission is to provide stylish solutions for your self-care needs, empowering individuals to take care of their health without compromising on style.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to support the AANHPI community?

An easy way to support the AANHPI community is by supporting AANHPI-owned businesses, artists, and creators. Advocacy and allyship also help by speaking up against discrimination and supporting policies that promote equality and inclusion.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I'm excited about the journey ahead for JING Essentials and grateful for the support from our community. Together, we can create a world where wellness and fashion go hand in hand, celebrating self-care and self-expression in every piece we create.