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Greetings 👋 

Hi, how was your weekend? 

Do you ever feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t have it all figured out? 

We spend so much time watching everyone else’s “highlight reels” that it’s easy to forget most people are just figuring things out as they go. Behind every polished LinkedIn post or “perfect” life is a person who probably misplaced their keys this morning.

You’re doing better than you think you are, and you’re definitely not alone in the messiness. This week, let’s stop worrying about "perfect" and just focus on being real.

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

Katie Leung Finally Speaks on Racist Bullying, Early Fame, and Life After Harry Potter

Katie Leung reflects on the lasting impact of racist bullying she faced after being cast as Cho Chang in Harry Potter at just 16, describing how online abuse shaped her confidence, personality, and early career choices. She says the harassment went unprocessed at the time, quietly influencing how she spoke, acted, and whether she felt she truly belonged in the industry.

As her career progressed, Leung noticed she was often limited to racially defined roles, reinforcing self-doubt despite her success and praise. Now in her thirties, she speaks openly about anti-immigrant sentiment in Britain and sees hope in better representation, especially as she joins Bridgerton in a role where her ethnicity is not the storyline but simply part of the world.

Read the full article here.

Pokémon Fossil Museum to Arrive in the U.S. After Successful Run in Japan

Japan’s Pokémon Fossil Museum feels less like a traditional exhibition and more like a shared childhood memory brought to life. Showcasing Japanese creativity, it highlights how Pokémon became a global cultural touchstone, connecting people through curiosity, nostalgia, and play.

Making its North American debut at the Field Museum in Chicago on May 22, 2026, the exhibition places life-size Pokémon alongside real fossils. This includes scientific casts of the famous SUE the T. rex and the Chicago Archaeopteryx. This serves as a reminder that pop culture can be a powerful spark for learning, especially for children discovering the wonder of museums for the first time.

Read the full article here.

Chinese Smart Eyewear Makers Shine at CES with Focus on Challenging Meta

Chinese smart eyewear brands made a strong impression at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, showing off AI-powered glasses designed to take on Meta Platforms’ dominance in the category. Making up most of the roughly 60 smart eyewear exhibitors, these companies highlighted just how fast China is moving in wearable tech.

From audio-first glasses and real-time translation to advanced AR and gaming-focused designs, brands like Rokid, Xreal, and RayNeo brought a wide range of ideas to the show. With major names such as Alibaba Group Holding also stepping in, the message was clear: Chinese companies are aiming to play a leading role in shaping the next wave of smart eyewear.

Read the full article here.

From War Survivor to Literary Leader: The Remarkable Rise of Amy M. Le, CEO of Quill Hawk Publishing

Amy M. Le, CEO of Quill Hawk Publishing, has shaped her life around honest stories rooted in survival, loss, and growth. Her journey shows how personal history can quietly become a lasting source of strength and purpose.

Born during the final months of the Vietnam War, Amy M. Le survived a life-threatening heart condition thanks to her family’s brave escape to the U.S. After a life-saving surgery in Seattle and years in the tech industry, the loss of her mother led her back to writing as a path to healing.

Her path to recovery led to her debut book series, The Snow Trilogy, which later inspired the founding of Quill Hawk Publishing to support voices often left unheard. Today, Amy helps authors turn lived experience into meaningful stories that reach far beyond the page.

Read her full story here.

🚀 Diego Lorenzo and Jaime Gonzalez of PickUp Coffee expanded their grab-and-go kiosks to 300 locations by mid-January. Their focus remains on premium espresso for commuters at under $2.

🚀 The Imex Corporation team, founders of Ecoldbrew, stole the spotlight at CES 2026 with a backpack-sized cold brew system. On January 9, they won Best of CES for their modular, user-first design.

🚀 Dong-Eun Suh, founder of Repla, won a CES 2026 Innovation Award on January 7 for Puri-Checker. The enzyme-based device improves plastic recycling accuracy and highlights a Gyeongbuk underdog success.

🚀 Deng Yanheng, founder of Nuvatech Limited, showcased his Next-Gen Fashion OS at CES 2026 on January 10. The multi-modal AI platform earned a major innovation award for his Hong Kong-based team.

🚀 Ridwan Hafiz, founder of Hometown by GoZayaan, announced expansion into the UAE and Saudi Arabia last week. His platform serves migrant workers, showing that underserved-first brands can scale globally.

 Web Development Tip: Why Page Speed Matters More Than Fancy Features

One of the most common mistakes teams make is treating a website launch like the finish line. In reality, how your site performs day to day is what decides whether people stay, explore, or leave. A site can look great, but if it feels slow or clunky, users will quietly move on.

Here are three simple ways to build a website that feels good to use and holds up over time:

1. Pay attention to Core Web Vitals: Metrics like Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift reflect how real users experience your site. If pages load slowly or shift around as they load, it creates friction that people feel right away.
   

2. Keep your JavaScript lean: Extra scripts add weight. Regularly review third-party tools and remove anything that is not pulling its weight so pages load faster and feel smoother.
   

3. Use caching and a CDN: Serving content closer to your users makes a big difference. Faster load times improve both user experience and search visibility.

Fancy visuals might grab attention at first, but speed and reliability are what keep people coming back. At Asian Hustle Solutions, we help AAPI founders build websites that are fast, scalable, and designed to grow with their business.

Fund Your Next Business Move with ADP’s Payroll & Tax Solutions

Many entrepreneurs unknowingly leave thousands of dollars on the table by missing out on government incentives designed to support business growth. That’s why AHN is partnering with ADP to help you uncover these hidden savings and reinvest that capital back into your vision.

ADP is a global leader in human capital management, offering simple software and expert support to manage payroll, HR, and taxes without the stress. Here’s why ADP stands out in the industry:

• Tailored Payroll & HR: Simple, intuitive tools that scale with your team at any size.

• Expert Tax Credit Recovery: 300+ specialists who uncover R&D credits you may already qualify for.

• Proven Reliability: 45+ years of experience and over $1B in tax credits claimed annually.

• Guaranteed Compliance Support: Unlimited IRS audit support with a fee refund guarantee.

• Exceptional Retention: A 98% client retention rate built on long-term trust.

Don’t let your hard-earned capital go unclaimed when it could be fueling your next big breakthrough. Fill out our form to connect with an ADP specialist and get a personalized review of your payroll and potential tax credits.

Ship the message as fast as you think

Founders spend too much time drafting the same kinds of messages. Wispr Flow turns spoken thinking into final-draft writing so you can record investor updates, product briefs, and run-of-the-mill status notes by voice. Use saved snippets for recurring intros, insert calendar links by voice, and keep comms consistent across the team. It preserves your tone, fixes punctuation, and formats lists so you send confident messages fast. Works on Mac, Windows, and iPhone. Try Wispr Flow for founders.

Start flowing free

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