Season of Celebrations❄

Did you know the Philippines holds one of the longest Christmas celebrations globally? Spanning an incredible four months, the festivities begin on September 1st and continue through December, often extending into the first week of January. Robert Blancaflor, president of the Manila-based events design company Robert Blancaflor Group, exclaims:

“Christmas is the longest celebrated season in the Philippines and… our country celebrates it the longest globally. Can you imagine a whole nation willingly sharing warmth and love... this long?”

While our celebrations may not span four months, we’re making the most of these final moments of the year by filling our newsletter with inspiring stories and valuable resources to prepare you for the endless opportunities ahead. Read through and embrace the excitement of the season!

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

DJ Kim’s Legacy of Uplifting Founders Through Cherry Assistant

Not knowing what to do when starting his business, DhungJoo “DJ” Kim burnt through a whole sum of cash during his early days and later got himself in an environment full of volatility and bad actors. 

Yet after years of honing his entrepreneurial experience, DJ founded and grew RevGenius to a 30,000-member community at $1M ARR, sold three businesses, and helped over 50 business owners scale their companies with offshore staff.

Propelled by a passion for uplifting the community, he founded Cherry Assistant, a bridge dedicated to providing global talents for founders.

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

UPLIFTING LEGENDS 📺

Comment “Legends” on these videos to join our community!

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

COMPANIES DISCOVERED ✅

Paired
Paired helps businesses find the top overseas talent for as low as $5/hour. Our intensive search and outreach processes help us find amazing rockstars in places like Indonesia, LATAM, and South Africa within two to three weeks!

Starcycle
Starcycle is the "TurboTax for windup" — we help companies shut down faster by streamlining compiling, fact-finding, and other pre-filing admin for founders.

Limited Edition Collectibles
We created a first-of-a-kind LED-wrapped vending machine that sells highly desirable collectible mystery box products to customers of all ages and demographics. 

To order our mystery box machines, fill out this form!

UPLIFTING VOICES 🎧

Creators Podcast | Surya Chinamuthevi | AHN x Meta Prosper

The Creators Podcast is back, and this season, we’re thrilled to share an inspiring conversation with Surya Chinamuthevi, one of the Medschoolboiz!

Surya takes us behind the scenes of how a spontaneous TikTok at their white coat ceremony led to a platform celebrating camaraderie, creativity, and education in medicine.

Jilly Bing Brings Riley, the First Doll to Celebrate Mixed Asian Heritage and Diversity 👧

Jilly Bing, the company known for the Jilly Doll and its mission to break down stereotypes about Asian American girls, is once again pushing boundaries for its community. Celebrating its heritage, Jilly Bing is expanding its collection with the Riley Doll, a new character designed to represent mixed Asian and Caucasian backgrounds.

Elenor Mak, the Chinese American founder of Jilly Bing, was inspired by her search for a doll that reflected her daughter’s heritage. This pursuit brought the Jilly Doll to life as a collection aimed at bringing representation to playtime, helping Asian children make sense of the world, their identities, and the roots of their traditions.

Read the full article here.

Auliʻi Cravalho of “Moana 2” embodies Hawaii's diverse cultural heritage, a testament to the islands' rich and vibrant history 🏄‍♀️

Cravalho, the voice of Moana and its prequel, found inspiration for the character based on another Disney character.

“I remember watching and re-watching the movie ‘Mulan’ and resonating with her background as an Asian/Pacific Islander and her dedication to family and culture. She also was the first princess to run off into battle and kick butt! I still watch that film even as I’m turning 24, and she’s still one of my favorites today,” she said.

Now it is Moana’s turn as she becomes recognized as a Polynesian hero. Cravalho feels great pride in the movie as it celebrates a true piece of Indigenous knowledge and offers a chance to represent the people of the Pacific on the big screen. Cravalho happily claims, “I’m of proud mixed descent and grew up with many traditions in my house!” 

Reflecting on the character, Cravalho believes Moana’s bold actions redefine how girls and women can become heroes in pop culture. She states, “I think Moana has truly allowed the words ‘hero’ and ‘princess’ to become interchangeable. It’s amazing to see the waves of her impact, not just for young women of Pacific Island descent, but for countless people across the world." 

"Queen Never Cry": The Meme That Turned Emotional Resilience Into a Trend 👑

You may think “Brat Summer” is over, and we are now so back for Sad Girl Autumn and seasonal depression. “Queen Never Cry,” the unlikely online trend from a South Korean webtoon The Ki Sisters, defied the seasons and refracted the cold towards a light-hearted and uplifting phenomenon.

The meme shows a nurse whispering the now-iconic catchphrase to a crying newborn, who then instantly puts on a stoic expression that blurs the line between frivolity and empowerment—the perfect recipe for meme-ability.

Of course, the Internet would not just stop at that "queen" baby. Fans started adapting the memes to popular media characters like Arcane and the Bayonetta video game franchise, adding humor and cultural spins.

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For newsletter sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to team@asianhustlenetwork.com

Last week Asian founders did…

🚀 Shengquan "Tau" L. launched Tyche Labs to harness advanced AI technologies to address complex cybersecurity challenges in the blockchain ecosystem.
🚀 Kenneth Kouot launched Tempest to deliver the ultimate developer experience by unifying an internal developer portal with self-serve infrastructure solutions.
🚀 Nisarg Patel and Utkarsh Raj Giri launched Citadel to create a global end-to-end networking and hiring platform exclusively for university students.
🚀 Aditya Tewari and Ransika Liyanage launched Praxis AI to prevent unplanned machine downtimes and quality defects using manufacturing reasoning agents.
💸 Lizhen Cai raised a $4.6M Pre-Seed round for Jove Insurance, an insurance platform providing borderless business liability insurance to SMEs and contractors working in hundreds of occupations in the UK, Europe, and the US.

Festive Season Is Coming! It's Time To Spice Up Your Brand!

🎄 As Christmas is just around the corner, this is the best time to engage with your customers and boost sales!

Don't forget that AHN Group is here to support you with your upcoming festival campaign. We offer a wide range of relevant services, from getting your website ready for the holiday to promoting your seasonal products on our media channels.

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

Learn AI in 5 minutes a day

What’s the secret to staying ahead of the curve in the world of AI? Information. Luckily, you can join 1,000,000+ early adopters reading The Rundown AI — the free newsletter that makes you smarter on AI with just a 5-minute read per day.

Sign up to start learning.

Don’t Miss Out on the ASPIRE Conversation Series: An Evening of Innovation

ASPIRE Conversation Series in 2024, where three extraordinary authors share their journeys, insights, and expertise. This is a must-attend for professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders eager to connect, grow, and find inspiration. Attendees can also purchase signed copies of the books directly from the authors!

📅 Thursday, December 12, 2024 | 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM (AEDT)
📍 Chinese Museum, 22 Cohen Place, Melbourne VIC 3000

Begin Your Entrepreneurial Journey With KSE Innovation Weekend!

Kick off your entrepreneurial journey with Day 1 of the KSE Innovation Weekend, dedicated to empowering founders and aspiring entrepreneurs. This workshop offers a dynamic platform to learn, share, and grow within a vibrant community.

On Day 2, be ready for an evening of celebration and networking at the KSE Holiday Party, co-hosted by KSE, KTN, and World OKTA. This event brings together business leaders and entrepreneurs to reflect on the year's accomplishments and forge new connections for the future.

Get Ready to Mix, Mingle, and Make a Difference at the Untamed Agency AAPI Holiday Charity Gala!

Untamed Agency is throwing the holiday event of the season, and YOU are invited! Join us for an unforgettable night supporting incredible AAPI-focused charities: Asian American Drug Abuse Program, CAUSE, Project by Project, Teach AAPI, Entwine Community, Make Noise Today, and AHN Foundation. 

We are also giving away over $45,000 worth of raffle prizes to everyone attending! Don’t miss out on pampering activations like massages, IV drips, skincare analysis by JT Aesthetic & Co, and red light sessions on infrared PEMF mats by HigherDOSE.

Walk the red carpet and connect with creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders—all while supporting a great cause. Every bite and sip you enjoy helps fund our nonprofit partners.

📅 Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM (PST)
📍 Intercrew, Los Angeles

Got deals to share with the community?

Fill out this form if you have any deals or perks you would like to share with the community!

Just a Few Days Left to Apply for the $10,000 Grant!

The clock is ticking! With only a few days left, now’s your final chance to apply for Verizon’s $10,000 grant. This funding could be the boost that your business needs!

Applications close at 11:59 PM PT on December 13, 2024.

❄ December is a season of celebration! Whether you are aiming to diversify your content for a broader audience or foster inclusivity in your workforce by recognizing holidays from different cultures, we’ve got you covered. Check out our marketing tips for these key celebratory days to make the most of this festive month!

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