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Greetings 👋 

Hi, how was your weekend? 

We hope you got to slow down and soak up time with the people who make life feel a little easier. Following Mother’s Day weekend, we’re reflecting on all the ways care shows up in our lives through moms, grandmothers, aunties, and the chosen family who quietly keep everything running.

Here’s to the love that keeps us going, even through the busiest weeks.

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Happening May 13: AHN & Women’s Biz Coop Launch “Pursuit of Passion: Next 100 Asian Hustlers” at APAICS Gala.

AHN and Women’s Biz Coop announced a new partnership at the APAICS Annual Awards Gala in Washington, DC—one of the largest gatherings celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander leaders in the country.

The collaboration highlights a shared mission to:

• Empower the next generation of AAPI entrepreneurs, creatives, and changemakers

• Provide mentorship, community, and business opportunities

• Inspire aspiring founders to turn their ideas into action and pursue their passions with confidence

“Team work makes the dream work,” shared Judi Rhee Alloway, founder of Women’s Biz Coop, emphasizing the importance of visibility and support for Asian American entrepreneurs and minority-led businesses.

THIS WEEK: FOOD & BEVERAGE 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 Receives Presidential Welcome at Mexico’s National Palace Ahead of Concerts

BTS kicked off their Mexico City takeover with a visit to the National Palace, where they met President Claudia Sheinbaum and greeted nearly 50,000 fans gathered outside. The president praised the group for spreading messages of peace, inclusion, and friendship, while fans packed the capital ahead of BTS’s sold-out three-night stadium run. 

With Latin America already breaking attendance records on the 2026 world tour, Mexico City is shaping up to be one of BTS’s biggest and loudest stops yet.

Read the full article here.

Kaitlyn Chen Drops Career-High in Valkyries Win

Kaitlyn Chen delivered a career-high 14 points to help lead the Golden State Valkyries to a season-opening win over the Seattle Storm. The guard sparked the team’s third-quarter run, knocking down key shots and showing more confidence as the game went on.

After being waived earlier in the season and later re-signed due to injuries, Chen is now making a strong case for a larger role in the Valkyries rotation. Her breakout performance comes after Golden State’s historic inaugural season, where the expansion team became the first in WNBA history to reach the playoffs in its debut year.

Read the full article here.

UCLA Launches Multimedia Textbook on AAPI Communities

UCLA has released a new multimedia textbook focused on the experiences and histories of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the United States and the Pacific. The project includes videos, photographs, interviews, poems, and lesson plans designed for both high school and college students.

The release comes as California continues expanding AAPI education in schools, following efforts to include more Asian American history in K-12 curriculum requirements. Project leaders say the textbook is meant to help students feel seen while also giving deeper insight into communities that are often overlooked in traditional education.

Read the full article here.

A Widely Discussed Book on Loneliness Is Now Reaching New Audiences in Chinese

First published in 2023, Let’s Talk About Loneliness by Simone Heng was born out of a difficult and deeply personal experience. After stepping away from her broadcasting career to care for her paralyzed mother, she found herself cut off from her social world, and began asking questions about why loneliness feels so heavy even when you are not physically alone.

Her book explores how loneliness can exist across all kinds of cultures, including collectivist ones. In societies where people are expected to always be surrounded by family, admitting to feeling lonely can carry a quiet stigma, and many connections built on obligation rather than genuine closeness can still leave people feeling deeply unseen.

The book is now available in Chinese under the title "Anyway, I Am Just as Lonely," bringing her message to communities where talking about loneliness is often still less visible. It will be available for readers at Xinhua, Sisyphus, and Yanijou bookstores. Overseas readers can also get the Chinese version on TaoBao.com. 

Beyond her book, Simone Heng continues her mission as a speaker, working with organizations such as Google, Meta, Harvard University, and JPMorgan to teach people how to build meaningful connections. Her work reminds us that connection is not about how many people are around you, but about how understood you feel by the ones who are.

Read the full article here.

🚀 Chau Lon Molika, CEO of Cambodian Standard Development & Supply, is helping local farmers get better prices for their goods. She is building a stronger market for homegrown products while teaching rural communities about sustainable farming.

🚀 Boon Soo Lim, a leader at SanDisk, received a top business award for his work in the tech industry. He has helped steer the company through tough market changes and continues to mentor others in the regional manufacturing space.

🚀 Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer at City Developments Limited, was honored for her long-term dedication to green building practices. She continues to set a high standard for how large companies can reduce their carbon footprint while supporting urban development.

🚀 Anthea Ong, founder of WorkWell Leaders, is being celebrated for her efforts to prioritize mental health in the workplace. She is working with top executives to create more supportive and human-centered environments for employees across Asia.

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.

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.

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Their ops team built inventory command centers and reorder dashboards through Viktor. Supply chain gets daily stockout alerts before they happen. Marketing tracks ROAS and runs content calendars. CS has CSAT scores and support tickets triaged and briefed every morning in Slack, before the first support call. No dashboard digging.

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