HEAT CHECK ☀️

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Greetings 👋 

Hi, how was your weekend?

May is almost over, and somehow this season disappeared faster than our motivation after one productive Monday.

The longer days, random late-night plans, and sudden craving to go outside again can only mean one thing: fun season is slowly kicking in.

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✊ Act To Change is hosting a 90-Minute Virtual Gathering for the National Day Against Bullying & Hate.

Join youth leaders, educators, advocates, and community members from across the country to honor the life and legacy of Vincent Chin. His death in 1982 became a turning point for Asian American civil rights and his story still resonates today as communities continue to fight bullying, harassment, and hate.

More than four decades later, young people are stepping up as the next generation of changemakers. This gathering brings together history, youth voice, and community action in one powerful 90-minute program.

Event Details: 

🗓️ Saturday, May 30th

⏰ 1:00 PM–2:30 PM ET (10:00 AM–11:30 AM PT)  

Why You Should Join:

1. See how Vincent Chin’s story connects to the fight against bullying today.

2. Catch "lightning talks" from youth ambassadors leading change on the ground.

3. Join a collective digital candlelight moment to honor those impacted by hate.

THIS WEEK: STRATEGY & CONSULTING BRANDS

Are you an AAPI founder ready to elevate your brand alongside trailblazers like these? Join the AHN Directory today to increase visibility, connect with partners and customers, and get featured in AHN spotlights and community events.

BTS, Katseye, and Blackpink Lead This Year’s AMA Nominations

The 2026 American Music Awards nominations are packed with K-pop stars across major categories. BTS secured an Artist of the Year nomination, while Katseye, Jennie of Blackpink, and several Hybe acts also landed big spots on the list.

Even Netflix’s animated group Huntrix made the cut with nominations for Song of the Year and Best Pop Song. With nominees based on fan listening data, this year’s lineup shows just how massive K-pop has become in the global music scene.

Read the full article here.

Jungkook Drops His First-Ever Calvin Klein Clothing Collection

BTS member Jungkook is taking his partnership with Calvin Klein to the next level with the launch of his first clothing line. The 20-piece “CKJK” collection reflects his love for motorcycles and features denim pieces, jackets, underwear, caps, and relaxed everyday styles inspired by his personal fashion taste.

Jungkook said he wanted the collaboration to feel true to his identity and creative vision. The collection also includes graphic shirts and racer jackets with custom details and branding inspired directly by the singer himself.

Read the full article here.

BTS Set to Make FIFA World Cup History With First-Ever Halftime Show

BTS will co-headline the first halftime show in FIFA World Cup Final history alongside Madonna and Shakira on July 19 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final. The massive performance at New York New Jersey Stadium will air live worldwide and support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund for children’s education and access to sports.

The historic show will also feature performances tied to the tournament’s official music campaign and appearances from Sesame Street and The Muppets characters. BTS said they are honored to use music to connect with millions of fans around the world while supporting a cause focused on hope and education.

Read the full article here.

🚀 Chef Rhea Sycip, owner of Flour Pot Bistro, celebrated a major milestone with the launch of her first full-service restaurant in Bonifacio Global City. Known for her online cake business, her new physical bistro highlights "ultimate comfort food" while directly supporting local Filipino farmers and sustainable agriculture.

🚀 Suresh Sundararajan, CEO of Mindsprint, achieved a major business milestone as Wipro completed its acquisition of the Singapore-founded IT and digital services firm. Under his guidance, this transition turned the company into a key subsidiary, giving its teams a massive global platform to scale their AI-powered supply chain and agriculture solutions.

🚀 Ho Minh Hoang, Chairman of Deo Ca Traffic Infrastructure Investment JSC, announced a strategic shift toward disciplined, sustainable long-term growth for the major transport infrastructure developer. His leadership focuses on building a resilient foundation for Southeast Asian connectivity rather than chasing overnight expansion.

🚀 Benjamin Romualdez, the newly appointed CEO of IT firm DysrupIT, successfully took the helm this month to drive the company's next phase of global expansion. His leadership strategy centers heavily on leveraging enterprise cloud systems, cybersecurity, and automation to future-proof business operations for clients across the Asia-Pacific region.

A Smarter Way to Payroll: What Employers Should Know Before Going Paperless

Moving to paperless payroll can save you a lot of time and clutter, but it’s important to make sure you’re following the rules in your state to keep things running smoothly.

What You Need to Know

• Easy Access:  Most states require that employees can easily view and print their pay stubs for free.

• The Right to Choose: You often need an employee’s consent to go digital, and they usually have the right to opt back into paper at any time.

• State Rules: In places like California, Colorado, and Washington, you must provide physical copies if requested.

• Handling Opt-Outs: If an employee chooses paper, you must have a physical statement ready for them on payday.

Why It’s Worth It

1. Anytime Access: You and your team can check payroll info securely 24/7 from anywhere.

2. Fast Reporting: No more digging through files; you can pull up the data you need in seconds.

3. Better Security: Digital platforms are much safer than sensitive info sitting in a filing cabinet.

4. Flexible Options: There are even paperless ways to pay employees who don't have traditional bank accounts.

Rules vary depending on where your employees are located. To make sure you're covered, check your local laws or reach out to an ADP specialist to see which paperless options work best for your business.

Save Smarter for Education With the Future Path 529 Plan

Rising education costs make early planning more important than ever. The Future Path 529 Plan by J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers a simple, tax-smart way to save for future education expenses while helping reduce long-term student loan burdens.

How the Future Path 529 Plan can help:

• Tax-smart education savings

• Flexible options for qualified education expenses

• Long-term investment support

• A way to prepare for rising education costs

Start building toward future opportunities with a plan designed to support long-term success.

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.

Bloomberg: "No reliable safe havens." Billionaires have been investing elsewhere. Here's how to get in.

Bloomberg's Marcus Ashworth wrote plainly recently: "No more reliable safe havens."

After all, the S&P fell over 7% from the February peak. Bonds, even with less risk, are barely keeping pace with inflation.

So-called "diversified" portfolios have gotten hit from multiple directions.

Meanwhile, the world’s wealthiest have been setting records in another asset class.

Circumstances are always unique, but after the dot-com bust, it grew roughly 24% annually for a decade. After 2008, roughly 11% annually for 12 years.

Blue-chip art.

Why? It trades globally in multiple currencies, has scarce supply, and has shown near-zero correlation to equities since 1995.*

With Masterworks, 70,000+ investors allocated $1.3B fractionally across 500+ artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso.

Accredited? You can invest in a diversified portfolio of postwar and contemporary art alongside two other real assets. From 2017-2025, the mix would’ve beat the S&P 500 by 3.1x.

See if you can improve your portfolio performance all in one diversified strategy.

Our subscribers skip the waitlist

^{*According to Masterworks data. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd}

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