Sweet and Sour

This week, we sat down with the founders of the Asian American Feminist Collective: Julie Kim, Rachel Kuo, Senti Sojwal, and Tiffany Diane Tso. They discuss their approach to an Asian American feminist movement, which pushes to encompass the plurality of people’s histories and lived experiences. They also talk about their experience building welcoming community spaces, particularly for those new to social justice. On Hella Asian, the AAFC founders discuss their unique habits around saving things.

Kathleen Tso and Vicki Ho take us behind the scenes of Banana Magazine, a magazine centered on contemporary Asian culture and the voices of Asian creatives. They tell us how they’ve grown their annual print publication over the last few years, as well as their approach to its design and visual style. They share their experiences negotiating work, life, and Banana Magazine, and how they always prioritize their friendship first. On Hella Asian, Kathleen talks about a napkin drawer she started at work and Vicki wows us with her ability to debone a fish with her mouth.

Founder and CEO Mitra Raman takes us behind-the-scenes of The Buttermilk Company, a delivery startup that makes authentic Indian dishes that can be cooked by just adding hot water. She discusses her emotional connection to her mom’s home-cooking, making the leap from engineer to full-time entrepreneur, and how she’s building her company with an emphasis on health, authenticity, and community. On Hella Asian, Mitra explains how her “whole life is Hella Asian.”

Author and founder Diana Zheng shares her journey of leaning into discomfort. Diana discusses her cookbook, Jia! The Food of Swatow and the Teochew Diaspora, digging into the Teochew culture, language and particular nuance of being rooted in China with global influences. She shares a few of her go-to recipes and how her cookbook then led her to founding Gwan-im, a plate company that makes modern chinoiserie with other artists of color. On Hella Asian, Diana professes her love of soup, regardless of weather.

Cofounder and chief creative officer Hannah Chung tells us about Sproutel, a patient-centered research and development workshop. She discusses her upbringing in the US and Korea, how she combined her love of art and science into user-centered design with social impact, and why she’s passionate about building health products for children. On Hella Asian, Hannah explains her obsession with sweet potatoes.