Jin-Ya Huang is no stranger to paying it forward; however she takes this concept well beyond a free cup of coffee at Starbucks. She’s won countless awards, including the 2021 Maura Women Helping Women Award from the Texas Women’s Foundation. Additionally, Jin-Ya is a Presidential Leadership Scholar.

An immigrant from Taiwan, and the daughter of immigrants, Jin-Ya founded Break Bread Break Borders, to break down the walls that often separate newly arrived immigrants from the communities in which they settle. And she did just that in Dallas, her adopted hometown and a city at the epicenter of immigration today.

As one of six daughters, Jin-Ya watched her parents struggle to overcome poverty in a farming village in Taiwan. Her mother, Mei-Ying, scraped together money by cooking and sewing, and saved up enough money for Jin-Ya to attend art lessons when she was just three years old. These classes changed her life, and she discovered an outlet she would use to express herself for the rest of her life.

Moving to the United States at 13 years old, Jin-Ya started volunteering with her mother and working in their family restaurant, in which her mother hired refugees to cook and share their stories. In honor of her mother, Jin-Ya launched Break Bread, Break Borders, a community-based catering business that created financial and social opportunities for local refugees. Mei Ying Huang’s superpowers were in cooking and storytelling - which inspired Jin-Ya to continue her mother’s work, impact, and legacy to share kindness and compassion.

A big thanks to everyone who helps make this podcast happen!

Producer: Rob Upchurch, RobMakesPods Productions

Founding Sponsors: First Financial Bank and M-PAK

Studio: BLANC Cowork + Studio

Our Media Partners: Madeworthy Media & Tanglewood Moms