Turning Ideas Into Reality💡

Good morning! The second week of December is here, and the festive energy is everywhere! As we prepare for an amazing year ahead, this week’s newsletter is packed with uplifting stories from our vibrant community and thrilling updates from our visionary founders—crafted exclusively for you!

Take a moment to dive into our content and catch up on all the highlights in just a few minutes!

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

Transforming Access to Credit: A Conversation With Kristy Kim, Founder & CEO of TomoCredit

In this month’s edition of the Awaken* newsletter, we speak with Kristy Kim, Founder and CEO of TomoCredit, a fintech startup focused on improving access to credit for underserved consumers. By using AI to evaluate real-time cash flow data rather than traditional credit scores, TomoCredit connects consumers with lenders.

Kristy discusses her journey as an immigrant, an Asian female founder, and an entrepreneur working to transform the financial industry. Through her leadership, TomoCredit aims to provide more people with better access to capital and lending opportunities.

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

UPLIFTING LEGENDS 📺

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

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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.

Collective Limited Edition 
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!

Hook Logistics
Hook Logistics is a team of operations experts providing simple, steadfast, and fair fulfillment services for entrepreneurs.

As Korea Faces Ongoing Political Turmoil, Its People Are Celebrating Christmas as House Parties Emerge as a New Trend 🎄

Christmas in Korea means dining out as restaurants fill their menus with holiday-exclusive deals reserved just for the occasion. Yet, with the recent political turmoil and martial law fiasco, Koreans decided it is best to celebrate indoors for a more comfortable and economical solution.

While consumers plan their in-home gatherings, the food and retail industries are eager to capitalize on this changing trend. Local dessert cafe NUDAKE releases its special Christmas desserts in collaboration with K-pop star Jennie of BLACKPINK. 

Amy Kim, 32, is hosting a Christmas party at home this year, told The Korea Times,  “I’m planning to celebrate Christmas this year with a party at my house. In that way, I can decorate the house however to my liking and put together all the food and drinks that I want to have at home.”

Read the full article here.

Dua Lipa Shines Bright in Seoul Amid Political Tensions 🎤

Dua Lipa brought her “Radical Optimism” world tour to Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome, performing for over 20,000 fans during a two-day event. The concerts provided a welcome distraction from recent political tensions in South Korea, including the declaration and swift revocation of martial law.

Lipa expressed gratitude to her Korean fans for their support since her last performance in 2018. The Seoul concerts marked the end of the Asian leg of her sold-out tour, leaving fans with a memorable celebration of music and connection.

Presented by LakiKid

LakiKid is an eCommerce enterprise that designs and sells products for kids with special needs.

Our mission: To empower, support, and educate kids with learning differences and help build an inclusive community where everyone will be accepted regardless of their abilities with our products, parent support group, and podcast.

Our products: We create quality, affordable educational tools for kids with autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, and other learning and developmental challenges.

For newsletter sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to [email protected]

Last week Asian founders did…

🚀 Emily Zhang and Cherrilynn Zhang launched Pearl, a journal that visualizes & synthesizes your life, through career challenges, moments of daily gratitude, and more.
🚀 Kai Matsuka and Tae Rugh launched clippership to improve ocean and waterway freight by deploying autonomous wind-powered cargo vessels.
🚀 Nandini Mullaji launched Sitch, a dating concierge that utilizes AI to introduce you to potential matches via group chat, give you advice on what to text, and check in with you along the way.
💸 Anna Sun and Amy Yan raised a $2M Seed round for Nowadays (YC S23), an AI copilot that automates the boring parts of planning large-scale (>=$20,000) events.

AI Meets Authenticity: Elevating Brand Design With AHN Group

🤖 AI can be a wonderful tool for ideation, but at the same time, brands must know the power of authenticity and a human touch in their design. Why? Because the audience seeks something authentic, meaningful, and relatable in a brand.

AHN Group’s commitment to unique storytelling through design, with the clever use of AI, helps businesses to create impactful engagement.

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

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

Untamed Agency is rolling out the red carpet, and YOU’RE 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, and Make Noise Today. 

Plus, we’re giving away over $45,000 worth of raffle prizes to our lucky attendees!

Indulge in exclusive pampering activations, including massages, IV drips, skincare analysis by JT Aesthetic & Co, and red light sessions on infrared PEMF mats by HigherDOSE. 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.

💡 Every great achievement begins with a single idea. From there, it takes dedication, research, growth, and refinement to transform that idea into reality. As the new year approaches, we’re here to help you bring your ideas to life. Check out these six simple steps to build your website and turn your aspirations into success:

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