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Hi, how was your weekend?

These days, everyone's chasing the algorithm. One viral post. One breakout moment. One overnight success.

Success has become easier to watch than to understand. We see the launch, the funding announcement, or the headline, but rarely the years of persistence behind it. Every milestone has a story, and those are the stories worth telling.

If you find this newsletter interesting, refer it to your friends by sharing this link and receive amazing gifts from AHN!

Only five days left until Act To Change's Inaugural Youth Summit in LA!

Ready to see the next generation of AAPI leaders in action? Registration is still open for Act To Change's first-ever Youth Summit.

Under this year's theme, Together, Forward, this free event brings together youth leaders, advocates, and allies to build a safer, more inclusive future. It's a chance to connect with changemakers, grow your advocacy network, and support the next generation making an impact.

Event Details:

🗓️ Saturday, July 18
📍 Rideback Ranch, Los Angeles, CA
🎟️ Admission: FREE (limited capacity)

Event Highlights:

🔥 Youth Power: See Youth Ambassadors present real-world projects creating impact in communities across the country.

🏆 Annual Awards: Celebrate the leaders, organizations, and changemakers advancing belonging and inclusion.

👀 Exclusive First Look: Be among the first to learn about the Homeroom Collective before its nationwide launch.

🎉 Perks & Partner Activations: Enjoy a complimentary lunch from Panda and interactive experiences from community partners.

Hosting something for the community?

Add AHN as a collaborator on Luma so we can help amplify it.

THIS WEEK: INSURANCE PROVIDERS

Building a brand or business?

Join the AHN Directory and get discovered by the community.

The Founder Who Turned a Parenting Challenge Into a Global Business

Before founding Mind Brain Emotion, Dr. Jenny Woo worked in human capital consulting, executive coaching, and education. After becoming a parent, she saw a lack of practical tools to help children build emotional intelligence. That led her to create 52 Essential Conversations, a card deck developed at the Harvard Innovation Labs that is now used in more than 50 countries.

Today, Mind Brain Emotion offers award-winning emotional intelligence tools used in homes, schools, and workplaces worldwide.

The lesson for founders is simple: your biggest business opportunity may come from solving a problem you've experienced yourself.

Interested in supporting founders building impactful brands?

Join our private investor network and stay connected to future opportunities across the AHN ecosystem.

Lee Sung Jin Makes New Emmy History With 16 Nominations for Beef Season 2

Beef Season 2 earned 16 Primetime Emmy nominations, making it Netflix's most nominated anthology series this year and surpassing the first season's total of 13. The achievement also made creator Lee Sung Jin the first Asian television creator to receive multiple Emmy nominations in writing, directing, and limited series production for the same show.

The recognition also extended to the cast, with Charles Melton receiving his first Emmy nomination for his supporting role. As the series continues to push more diverse Asian and Asian American stories into the spotlight, Lee says the goal has always been simple: tell deeply human stories that reflect the many experiences within the community.

Read the full article here.

England's First Asian Footballer Receives Historic Blue Plaque in Derbyshire

Frank Soo, the first footballer of Asian heritage to represent England, has been honored with a blue plaque at his birthplace in Buxton, Derbyshire. Born to a Chinese father and an English mother, Soo made nine appearances for England during World War II and became a trailblazer in English football, though those matches were not officially recognized at the time.

More than 80 years later, his legacy is finally receiving the recognition many believe it always deserved. The new memorial follows the Football Association's presentation of an honorary England cap to his family last year, celebrating a career that helped break barriers for Asian athletes in British football.

Read the full article here.

BTS Makes History Again With Record-Breaking London Concerts

BTS drew around 130,000 fans across two sold-out concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, setting a new attendance record for the venue since it opened in 2019. The shows marked the group's first full-group concert in the United Kingdom in seven years.

The London performances are part of BTS's ARIRANG world tour, billed as the largest K-pop tour in history. After thanking fans for another unforgettable night in the UK, the group will continue the European leg of the tour with upcoming concerts in Munich.

Read the full article here.

The Competitive Advantage of a Memorable Brand Experience

Many businesses compete on price, hoping lower costs will bring in more customers. While that can drive the first purchase, it's rarely what makes people come back.

Miniso built its success differently. Affordable prices were only part of the equation. Bright, organized stores, modern packaging, and a fun shopping experience encouraged customers to browse, discover products they didn't plan to buy, and enjoy the visit itself.

The takeaway is simple: price can get customers through the door, but a memorable experience is what keeps them coming back.

A $10,000 Grant Opportunity for Eligible Small Businesses

AHN and National ACE are proud to share a valuable opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to invest in the growth of their businesses. 

Through Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, eligible small business owners can apply for a $10,000 grant after completing two Digital Ready learning resources and submitting an application.

The program is designed to help businesses strengthen their digital capabilities while providing access to funding that can support future growth. If your business meets the eligibility requirements, we encourage you to explore this opportunity and apply.

Unlock Payroll Tax Benefits and Savings With ADP’s SMB Solutions

Managing payroll, HR, and tax compliance requires time, accuracy, and constant attention to changing regulations. For many small and mid-sized businesses, these responsibilities can take focus away from strategic growth.

Through our partnership with ADP, SMB leaders gain access to reliable, cloud-based payroll and human capital management solutions designed to simplify operations while maximizing cash flow. 

How ADP supports your growth:

• AI-Enhanced Payroll: Reduce errors and late penalties with automated filings and AI-powered error detection that flags discrepancies before you pay.

• Maximum Tax Credit Recovery: ADP’s specialists use your payroll data to uncover valuable incentives—including R&D credits (now with expanded eligibility) and Work Opportunity Tax Credits (WOTC).

• Built-In Compliance: Stay ahead of 2026 regulatory shifts, including new retirement plan mandates and updated wage bases, with automated system updates.

• Scalable HR Infrastructure: From your first hire to your 500th, access integrated tools for recruitment, benefits administration, and 24/7 HR advisory support.

Strategic payroll management is a reinvestment in your business. Fill out our form to connect with an ADP specialist for a personalized review of your current payroll process or review of potential payroll tax savings.

You already have a take on which AI lab ships next.

Claude or Gemini? OpenAI or Anthropic? GPT-7 before year-end or not? If you read tech newsletters, you've already formed opinions on all of it.

Kalshi has real-money markets on which AI model leads benchmarks this week, which lab ships AGI first, when Anthropic releases Mythos, whether OpenAI raises ChatGPT pricing, and which company has the best coding model at year-end. These aren't abstract questions — they're live markets with real money on both sides, moving as labs ship, benchmarks drop, and announcements land.

The edge belongs to whoever actually follows this space. Not the casual observer — the person who reads model cards, tracks evals, and notices when a new release outperforms the field before the mainstream press catches up.

That person has a genuine edge. If that's you, Kalshi lets you act on it.

Trade the model race

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