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Greetings 👋 

Hi, how was your weekend?

April is right around the corner, and with April Fools’ coming up, it almost feels like the month pulled a prank on all of us. One minute it just started, the next thing it’s already here before you realize it.

As we wrap things up, give yourself credit for showing up. Take your small wins and carry that energy into the new month.

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THIS WEEK: RETAIL 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.

Disney+ has confirmed production of The Koreans, a local-language remake of The Americans, marking its first major international adaptation of a U.S. property. Set in 1990s South Korea, the series follows North Korean operatives posing as a middle-class family while secretly working to destabilize the country.

Lee Byung-hun and Han Ji-min lead the cast as the undercover couple, with Lee Hee-joon playing a counterintelligence agent closing in on them. The series is directed by Ahn Gil-ho and written by Park Eun-kyo, bringing a unified creative approach to the adaptation.

Read the full article here.

The globally recognized Taiwanese restaurant chain will open its newest location at Scottsdale Fashion Square this April, joining the mall’s newly renovated dining hubs. It will be situated near popular spots such as Élephante, Catch, Society Swan, and Telefèric Barcelona.

Located on the ground floor along the edge of a large open rotunda, the restaurant will feature a grand, curved façade that wraps around part of the space. The design aims to create a welcoming and visually striking entrance for guests visiting the new location.

Read the full article here.

A new $5.5 million loan program is expanding access to affordable capital for small businesses across New York City, with a focus on AAPI entrepreneurs and others often excluded from traditional financing. The NYC Elevating Business Loan Program, backed by groups including the The Asian American Foundation and Renaissance Economic Development Corporation, offers loans of up to $100,000 along with free multilingual support.

The initiative aims to address barriers like high costs, complex applications and language gaps that have disproportionately impacted AAPI-owned businesses, especially after COVID-19. Early recipient Matthew Vuong of Pho Table says the funding is already helping drive growth, with plans to expand marketing and increase visibility across the city.

Read the full article here.

Ramon Tran Tang grew up understanding what it felt like to depend on systems that weren’t built to be easy or fair. Instead of accepting those barriers, he chose to work within them and reshape them from the inside. As a clinical pharmacist serving Medi-Cal communities, he turned lived experience into purpose. His work focuses on helping patients not just survive the system, but move through it with dignity and support.

In his day-to-day work, Ramon has made an impact that goes far beyond numbers, though the numbers speak for themselves. He helped cut high-dose opioid use in half, reduced antibiotic overuse by more than 60 percent, and supported over 100 high-risk patients through critical care transitions. He also worked with providers to better identify and treat hepatitis B and C, while building tools that catch gaps in care early. Each effort reflects a deeper goal: making healthcare safer, more human, and more accessible.

But Ramon’s vision doesn’t stop at the clinic. Through the Asian Leaders Alliance and Rise Collective, he creates spaces where community, culture, and leadership can grow together. Whether it’s through music, food, or storytelling, he brings people into conversations that systems alone cannot hold. 

His mission extends into the digital space, where his personal content (@overdarainbow123) spotlights local restaurants, cultural events, and travel destinations, ensuring that the stories of small businesses and hidden gems are told. By bridging healthcare with culture, community, and storytelling, Ramon is showing that real success is something we build, share, and uplift together.

Learn more about Ramon's mission and work here: 

📍Beacons

🚀 Bernard Heng, Head of Customised Solutions at Bank of Singapore, was appointed to lead the expansion of bespoke investment and alternative product solutions for ultra-high-net-worth clients. He is recognized for his expertise in strengthening the bank’s alternative investment capabilities across the Asia-Pacific region.

🚀 Richard Teng, Co-CEO of Binance, shared insights at Consensus Hong Kong regarding the resilience of digital assets despite recent market volatility. He was highlighted for his leadership in maintaining institutional engagement and navigating the regulatory landscape for global cryptocurrency infrastructure.

🚀 Misha Laskin and Ioannis Antonoglou, Co-Founders of Reflection AI, entered advanced talks to raise a $2.5 billion funding round at a $25 billion valuation. They are being recognized for developing open AI models that serve as a transparent, high-performance alternative to proprietary systems for global enterprises and governments.

🚀 John Wang, Founder and President of the Asian American Business Development Center (AABDC), officially opened nominations for the 2026 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Awards. He is honored for his 25-year commitment to uplifting Asian American entrepreneurs and documenting their multi-generational contributions to the U.S. economy.

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.

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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