National Entrepreneurship Month

There are about 582 million entrepreneurs worldwide and half a million startups are launched in the U.S. every year. Not binding to skill or degree, 30% of entrepreneurs only have a high school certificate!

It is finally National Entrepreneurship Month, a time to celebrate the risk-taking spirit of entrepreneurship. Join us in this week’s newsletter as we feature founders and legends who pursued their dreams and strived to uplift their communities. 

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Last week Asian founders did...

🚀 Aliyan Ishfaq and Emmy Thamakaison launched BuildSync, the first public Text-to-Building Information Modeling (BIM) platform created to make design easier.
🚀 Daryl Budiman and Anirudh Ramprasad launched Andoria, an AI onboarding agent that generates personalized onboarding walkthroughs, driving activation for each of your users.
🚀 Akhil Voorakkara launched Ulysses, a manufacturer of autonomous underwater drones for ocean stewardship, starting with seagrass restoration.
🚀 Ben Liu launched Docflow, a platform for hospitals to automate the hundreds of repetitive hours spent on scheduling, management, and other administrative tasks.
💸 Stella Han raised a $15M Series A for Fractional, a platform to facilitate collaborative real estate co-investments.

Discover more inspiring founder and innovator stories at awakennewsletter.substack.com

UPLIFTING LEGENDS 📺

Want to be highlighted in the AHN Legends series? Apply now!

Hwang Dong-hyuk, Director of Squid Game, Lost Eight or Nine Teeth While Making the First Season! 🥶

The South Korean director of Squid Game reports to BBC that he lost “eight or nine” teeth because of stress when producing Season 1. More surprisingly, the making of this global hit series was not too healthy for his pockets. Dong-hyuk states, “Even though the first series was such a huge global success, honestly, I didn’t make much. So doing the second series will help compensate me for the success of the first one, too. And I didn’t fully finish the story.”

The second season of Squid Game is to be released on December 26. As pressure is once again placed on the shoulder of Dong-hyuk, he jokingly says, “I haven’t seen my dentist yet, but I’ll probably have to pull out a few more very soon.” A third and final season of the hit series is believed to air in 2025.

Dev Patel Look-Alike Contest Brings a Surprise Hit to San Francisco 🏆

Long gone are the days of “I am not like other guys.” Doppelgangers are so in!

Last Sunday, a Dev Patel look-alike competition gathered all South Asian guys from the Bay Area to prove who looks more similar to this charming British actor. Jaipreet Hundal, 25 years old from San Jose, claimed the victory and received $50, a “Monkey Man” statue, and a flower bouquet. Despite the lack of budget and promotional endeavors, the contest took off, much to the surprise of event organizers Sitara Bellam and Tasnim Khandakar.

If you’re chronically online enough, you surely couldn’t have missed the random look-alike contest videos. This phenomenon burst into “stardom” seemingly out of nowhere after the viral Timothée Chalamet look-alike event in NYC, which even saw the actor himself in attendance. 

Many theories have been put forward for this bizarre trend, some delightful, some not quite. Whether it’s an anti-AI protest or playful escapism amid hard times, it has been a light change of air to see on the Internet these days. Plus, the contestants definitely have a cost-effective Halloween—they don’t have to think of what to cosplay.

Lisa’s First Look in “The White Lotus” Season 3 Revealed! 🪷

สวัสดีค่ะ! (Sa-wat-dee kha)

HBO Max’s The White Lotus Season 3 marks the acting debut of our "rockstar," Lisa from Blackpink. In the series' first episode, Lisa plays "Mook," based on her appearance, a resort employee who welcomes guests with the line, "Welcome to the White Lotus in Thailand, ka."

The new season is set in Thailand, Lisa's hometown. She expressed excitement about landing her first acting role, comparing the experience to shooting a music video.

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Kickstart Your Startup With AHN Group!

Are you struggling to get your startup off the ground? One of the biggest challenges for new businesses is acquiring their first customers. Don’t worry—there are proven strategies that can help you attract your first set of customers!

1. Start With Your Existing Network

2. Offer a Free Trial or Demo

3. Attend Industry Events

4. Team Up With Other Business Owners

5. Leverage Online Presence

Are you ready to scale your startup and reach new customers? AHN Group is here to elevate your startup’s online presence by bridging your business to our network of more than 250,000 members. 

Connect with us now and book a free call to find the best digital opportunities for your new startup!

If you want to explore our services more, visit the AHN Group website at ahngroup.co.

Join Us for an Unforgettable Evening at Building Education's 5th Annual Charity Gala!

Get ready to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance—all in dazzling style! Every dollar raised will help build our 6th and 7th schools in Nepal, giving the gift of education to over 500 students.

📅 November 22, 2024 | 7:00 - 10:30 PM (PT)
📍 Fairview Crystal Springs, 6650 Golf Course Drive, Burlingame, CA 94010

NEXTGEN HOLIDAY HUSTLE 🎉 A Festive Gathering for AAPI Entrepreneurs ✨

Come network with other like-minded professionals at our first-ever winter soiree! 🎄

📅 December 12, 2024 | 6:00 - 9:00 PM (PT)
📍 Las Vegas, NV (Venue TBA)

There’ll be performances, refreshments, and plenty of time to mingle and spread some holiday cheer with us! 🥳

Gold House Ventures Founder Fellowship

Since its inception in 2020, the Gold House Ventures Accelerator has proudly supported 115 Asian Pacific-founded companies that have gone on to raise more than $2B in follow-on capital. For the first time, Gold House Ventures has partnered with the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to debut its 2025 Founder Fellowship for 15 diverse-led tech startups to participate in a 14-week immersive program including weekly masterclasses to turbocharge brand equity, product-market fit, and human capital; 1:1 advising by multi-proven founders and operators; curated investor introductions and a public Demo Day to fuel fundraising; and strategic networking with Gold House’s roster of top multicultural creatives, executives, and venture capitalists. We are looking for companies that:

• Have at least one principal founder from an underrepresented background (i.e. Asian Pacific, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Women, LGBTQIA+)

• Have at least one founder residing within the five boroughs of New York City***

• Are building tech-enabled consumer, enterprise, fintech, healthcare, and e-commerce businesses

• Have not yet raised significant institutional funding

Applications are open through Friday, December 6th. Check out our fellowship one-pager and apply now!

***If this sounds like you but you are not located in NYC, you can still apply to participate in the virtual programming. For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].

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$25,000 Superfan Grant Available for Small Businesses through Verizon Digital Ready!

On top of the $10,000 grant, Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is now offering an exciting chance to apply for a $25,000 Superfan Grant!

Until November 22, 2024, three selected users will receive a $25,000 grant from LISC and a trip to Super Bowl LIX. Winners will participate in a special small business event during Super Bowl week and attend the game.

To apply, post a short social media video sharing how Digital Ready has helped your business grow. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity!

⏰ Did you know that success stems from small habits and habits take root from atomic decisions? Entrepreneurs achieve success by forming daily habits that they can abide by every day. Whether it is a personal act like mediation or encouraging your team to provide solutions instead of problems, here are 10 daily habits of successful entrepreneurs:

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