As a recent recipient of FIT’s Diversity grant, I take pride in sharing my event at @fitnyc called:

"SEEING IS BELIEVING: An AAPI Visionary Entrepreneurs Panel Discussion"

My goal for this panel series is to build a yearly platform that celebrates the diversity of culture that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders bring to their creative communities. Growing up as a Korean American, I didn’t see many people that looked like me in creative leadership roles. At the time, my immigrant parents weren’t ready to accept my passion for design as a viable career path. However, the few AAPI creatives I did see in the mainstream media validated my belonging in this creative space.

This is why I titled this panel “SEEING IS BELIEVING” because feeling seen and heard has empowered me to use my platforms to share my story as a proud AAPI creative.

As an adjunct professor in the Entrepreneurship Dept and an alumnus of FIT, I’m proud to be a part of furthering FIT’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I fully support FIT's belief that diversity enriches the campus community and the educational experience for the students.

Big thanks to our talented panelists, @harukohayakawa, @studiomisch, and @rich_tu for being so generous with their time to share their cultures, experiences, and identity, while emphasizing the importance of representation and giving back to the community.