Across The Lines: Recent Episodes
Angie and Jay
Across The Lines is a podcast that highlights the stories of Pan Asian American leaders and explores the intersection of their personal and professional journeys. Our vision is to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders through candid conversations about the confluence of identity and work.
This week we’re excited to share our third season career advice compilation. In our episodes, we ask our guests “what is one piece of contrarian advice you would give?”
There were so many gems in those answers and we wanted to share them for you to incorporate into your own careers. You'll hear from Debby Soo, Nick Mehta, Dave Liu, Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh, Sandro Roco, and Sriram Krishnan who are several of our wonderful third season guests.
Angie & Jay
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode, we’ll be reflecting on our second season! Creating and building this podcast has been such an insightful and rewarding journey. In this week's episode, our team reflects on the joys, challenges, and learnings of Season 3. We'll be speaking about the following:
- Our reflections and learnings from the past year
- Aligning your career decisions based on where you receive your energy
- The balance between creative energy and being disciplined
- Ankita's decision to leave the podcast
- On the perceiving risk from the lens of our parents
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Sriram Krishnan is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, investing in early-stage startups. He is also a social media product veteran who previously held leadership roles at Twitter, Snap, and Facebook. Along with his wife Aarthi Ramamurthy, he hosts the "Good Time Show" on Clubhouse which covers interesting people in the world of technology, sports, and entertainment. He also publishes "The Observer Effect".
In this episode we spoke with Sriram about the following:
- How he navigated being a rebel in a conformist culture
- What he learned working alongside Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey
- Why he believes creating content and building a personal brand online is an infinite game
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Sandro Roco is the Founder & CEO of Sanzo, the 1st Asian Inspired sparkling water made with real fruit and no sugar. Prior to founding Sanzo, Sandro spent 5 years as head of growth and then chief-of-staff at Bombfell, a twice venture-backed personal styling service for men. He previously worked in investment banking at J.P. Morgan and as a nuclear power engineer for Exelon.
Sandro is also a board member and founding member of Naturally New York, which brings people, products and passion together to strengthen and build the New York natural products community.
In this episode, we spoke with Sandro about:
- Why the biggest thing he learned in his twenties was how to reframe risk
- How he thinks about the idea of authenticity for Sanzo
- Why it’s detrimental for founders to be massive generalists when trying to build a successful startup
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Neha is the CEO and Founder of Contentstack, a platform adopted by brands including Best Buy, Chase, Miami HEAT, Shell, and Walmart to manage their content experience. Previously, Neha was the Founder and CEO of Built.io, which was acquired by Software AG in September 2018. Alongside her work with Contentstack, Neha is the Host of the Dreammakers, a podcast that hosts conversations between trailblazing female leaders.
In this episode, we spoke with Neha about:
- Why she thinks resilience is the most important trait for entrepreneurs
- How helping others helped her develop the confidence to overcome setbacks
- Changing her subconscious thinking to not allow herself to feel like an imposter
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Neeracha Taychakhoonavudh is the Executive Vice President of Global Success and Strategy at Salesforce, focused on creating sustainable customer success. Neeracha also serves as Executive Advisor for the Salesforce Women’s Network and is the executive sponsor for Asiapacforce, the employee group for members of Asia-Pacific origin and their allies.
Before joining Salesforce in 2009, Neeracha held various leadership roles at Oracle. She currently also serves as a board member for both the Girl Scouts of Northern California and for Safe & Sound, a San Francisco nonprofit focused on the eradication of child abuse.
In this episode we spoke with Neeracha about the following:
- How growing up as the oldest daughter of Thai immigrants impacted how she showed up in the workplace early in her career
- Why one of the best pieces of advice she received was to state her own needs and ask for what she wants
- How she code switches when she’s doing business in the US versus in Asia
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Jessica is the Founder and CEO of Soulcast Media, a business communications agency, where she provides high-touch strategies to elevate people's speaking and authority.
Prior to starting Soulcast Media, Jessica was a broadcast television journalist. She has been awarded an Emmy-Award for her work at ABC 10News and multiple Associated Press Awards. Jessica is also a top LinkedIn Learning Instructor where her communications courses have been watched by over 1 million learners.
In this episode we spoke with Jessica about the following:
- Defining humility for herself in order to become a more confident and effective communicator
- How being one of the only Asian American women discussing communications gave her the energy and courage to found Soulcast Media
- How the primary communication challenges she coaches her clients on varies based on cultural background
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Eric currently serves as the CFO for the LA Clippers, where he leads the organization’s financial operations, including establishing and implementing a long-range financial strategy, policies, and goals and leading financial project management for all Clipper's operations.
Before joining the Clippers, Eric served as CFO for The Bouqs Company and Loot Crate, where he received the Los Angeles Business Journal CFO Rising Star Award. Eric also previously served as the Senior Vice President of Finance at Mattel Inc., where he oversaw financial and operational matters across brands such as Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and American Girl.
In this episode we spoke with Eric about the following:
- Why the notion of never showing others your weakness was one of the biggest things he had to unlearn
- How a references check from someone he had previously let go helped him land a job as the CFO of the Clippers
- Why he transitioned from diminishing his Asian identity to embracing and leaning into it in his professional life
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Dave is currently the CEO of Liucrative Endeavors, a strategic consulting and investment firm to high-growth companies. He previously spent almost 25 years at Jefferies, where he progressed from Analyst to Managing Director, co-running all Digital Media and Internet investment banking activities.
Dave is also an artist and writer who publishes a career advice column called “Breaking Bamboo,” and a cartoon series called “The ABC Life.” Dave recently published a book, The Way of the Wall Street Warrior, a humorous and irreverent guide where he captures the lessons he’s learned about conquering the corporate game from his time on Wall Street.
In this episode we spoke with Dave about the following:
- Experiences early in his career that compelled him to unlearn some of the Confucian values he grew up with
- How behavioral economics, and prospect theory in particular, influenced how he approaches his career
- Why thinking about himself as a unique durable good helped him advance to Managing Director at Jefferies
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Nick Mehta is the CEO of Gainsight, the leading Customer Success company. Prior to Gainsight, Nick was the CEO of LiveOffice, where he led the Inc. 5000 company’s profitable growth and successful sale to Symantec. He is also the co-author of Customer Success: How Innovative Companies Are Reducing Churn and Growing Recurring Revenue. Nick has been named one of the Top CEOs of 2018 by Comparably, was a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and holds one of the highest Glassdoor approval ratings for CEOs.
In this episode we spoke with Nick about the following:
- The story of why he goes by “Nick” instead of “Nikhil”
- Having his visible identity be represented in tech but not feeling like he completely belonged
- Why going through similar experiences is an antidote to loneliness
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Debby currently serves as the CEO of Opentable. She stepped into her role in August 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Previously, Debby spent the past 10+ years at KAYAK, where she joined as an intern and spent many years building up KAYAK’s international presence, from launching in 30+ countries to serving as the GM of the APAC business. Most recently, she was the Chief Commercial Officer at KAYAK and OpenTable, responsible for P&L ownership and revenue-generating activities.
In this episode we spoke with Debby about the following:
- How she navigates feelings of “otherness” that manifest in both her personal and professional life
- Why it’s important for people to recognize the structure or paradigm they’re working within and learn how to successfully operate within or not be in them
- Why she believes there are no wrong turns, especially early in your career
Episode resources:
- Debby's LinkedIn Profile
- Debby's LinkedIn post against AAPI hate
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
This week we’re excited to share our second season career advice compilation. In our episodes, we ask our guests “what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self” or its close cousin “what was something you did well early in your career”.
There were so many gems in those answers, and we wanted to share quick hits that you can incorporate into your own career. You'll hear from Christine, Brian, Joseph, Seema, and Dave, who are several of our wonderful second-season guests.
Angie & Jay
Episode resources:
- Christine's Episode (link)
- Brian's Episode (link)
- Seema's Episode (link)
- Ajay's Episode (link)
- Dave's Episode (link)
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode, we’ll be reflecting on our second season! Creating and building this podcast has been such an insightful and rewarding journey. In this week's episode, our team reflects on the joys, challenges, and learnings of Season 2.We'll be speaking about the following:
- What we wanted to be when we grew up
- Our reflections from our private guest happy hour
- Why you should focus on the input of the work you're doing rather than optimizing only for the outcome
- The nuances of external and internal validation early in your career
- How we transitioned from the initial excitement of starting our podcast to creating a consistent process to scale it
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Brian Rumao is currently Managing Director at Next Play Ventures and VP, Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman at LinkedIn. At Next Play Ventures, Brian works with Founding Partner Jeff Weiner to coach and invest in entrepreneurial leaders building world-class, purpose-driven organizations. Previously, Brian spent over six years working alongside the executive team to manage cross-functional strategic and operational initiatives as Chief of Staff to the CEO of LinkedIn. During this time, he led post-acquisition integration with Microsoft and launched and managed the Economic Graph team. Previously Brian was a Manager on the Business Operations team at LinkedIn and a consultant at McKinsey & Company.
In this episode we spoke with Brian about the following:
- How he developed his personal mission statement, which is to compound wisdom, trust, and love
- How separating what he should do from what he wanted to do showed him that he didn’t want to become a CEO
- Why investing in long-term professional relationships and managing ego helps you become more comfortable with your career decisions
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Episode resources:
Brian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrumao/
Brian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianrumao
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Seema Kumar is the CMO of New Relic, the leading observability platform that helps engineering teams improve the usability of their software. Prior to New Relic, Seema spent 18+ years leading product marketing, brand, events, and demand generation at companies like ServiceChannel and Salesforce.
In this episode we spoke with Seema about:
- Why she tried to fit into the model minority stereotype while growing up
- How she learned to embrace vulnerability as a leadership superpower by letting go of the focus on external perception she was raised with
- How she shifted from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset
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Episode resources:
Seema’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seemaxkumar/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Wes Kao is a Co-Founder of Maven, a platform that enables anyone to build a cohort-based course and deliver an incredible student experience at scale. Prior to founding Maven, Wes co-founded the altMBA, where she designed the program’s coaching system, grew the community from zero to 550 cities in 45 countries in three years, and built a team of 40 people. Wes is a thought leader in building cohort-based courses and frequently writes about marketing, online courses, and rigorous thinking on her blog.
In this episode we spoke with Wes about the following:
- Choosing to play games you can win by turning features into bugs
- The mental load created by the narrow range of motion Asian Americans, women, and other minorities are afforded
- Learning to be comfortable taking up space and embracing productive conflict in the workplace
Episode resources:
- Wes's Twitter: https://twitter.com/wes_kao
- Wes's website: https://www.weskao.com/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Eric is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Goodwater Capital. Goodwater is a venture fund founded in 2014 and manages over $1.1B across its funds. They were early inventors in companies like Musical.ly, Coupang, and Kakao; all massive exits for the firm. Before Goodwater, Eric was a Managing Director at Maverick Capital, and a Business Analyst at McKinsey.
In this episode we spoke with Eric about the following:
- Unlearning the association between achievement, acceptance, and self-worth
- Raising capital for his firm, Goodwater, one of the few venture capital firms founded and led by Asian Americans
- Why it’s more important now than ever for Asian Americans to serve their community rather than prove their worth through achievement
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Episode resources:
- Eric’s post supporting the AAPI community: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6778472588139204608/
- Eric’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickim37/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Gokul Rajaram serves on the executive board at Doordash and is also a Board Member of Coinbase, Pinterest, Trade Desk and others. Gokul’s career has spanned multiple iconic companies including Facebook, Square, and Google, where he helped build Google AdSense from the ground up. Gokul is viewed by many in his network as the most helpful and humble person they’ve worked with, traits that shone through in our conversation with him.
In this episode we spoke with Gokul about the following:
- His belief in generously offering help, and why it’s actually “selfish to be selfless”
- Shifting from a paradigm of solving problems to one of identifying the right problems to solve
- Why all good leaders need to be both “in the clouds and in the dirt”, and how his life experiences impacted this view
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Episode resources:
- Gokul’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gokulr
- Gokul’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
This week we’re excited to share our third community event with our dear friends at LinkedIn. In partnership with the LinkedIn Asian Alliance (LIAA), we hosted three of their AAPI leaders to discuss their unique paths to leadership. In this discussion, you’ll hear from Connie Chan Wang the Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing, Jen Weedn the Vice President of Business Development, and Brian Rumao the Chief of Staff the Executive Chairman, Jeff Weiner.
In this podcast we spoke about the following:
- Having tough conversations with family about unconventional career decisions
- How the need for financial stability as a child of immigrants can influence career goals
- Finding and honoring your true north while advancing your career in a non-linear way
Episode resources:
- Connie’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conniechanwang/
- Jen’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferyangweedn/
- Brian’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrumao/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Dave Lu is the Founder and Managing Partner of Hyphen Capital, a syndicate that invests in pre-seed companies founded by Asian Americans. He is also a seasoned operator (ex Yahoo, eBay, Cisco) and a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Pared (staffing marketplace for the restaurant industry) and FanPop (bootstrapped entertainment website with 35M+ monthly visitors). Dave is a steadfast advocate of Asian American entrepreneurship and recently rallied the community around an initiative to publish an open letter in the WSJ in response to an uptick in violence against the AAPI community.
In this episode we spoke with Dave about the following:
- Conflating what he thought his parents wanted for his career with what he truly wanted, and how he broke out of that thinking to start his own company
- Why it’s crucial for Asian American leaders to advocate for themselves and “have more swag”
- Encouraging the next generation of AAPI entrepreneurs to overcome the bamboo ceiling by building their own houses
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Episode resources:
- Hyphen Capital: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hyphencap/
- Dave's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davelu/
- The $10M commitment to support AAPI organizations: https://www.kqed.org/news/11867492/thousands-of-business-leaders-commit-10m-to-aapi-organizations-fighting-racism
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Dini Mehta is the CRO of Lattice, an employee success platform that enables people leaders to build engaged high-performing teams, inspire winning cultures, and make strategic decisions. Dini previously led winning Sales teams at Quantcast and Drawbridge and is one of the few female Asian American revenue executives in tech.
In this episode we spoke with Dini about the following:
- Growing up as an ambitious South Asian woman within a conservative extended family
- Running your own race by serving your why versus seeking to impress others
- How psyche management has helped her succeed in her career in sales
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Episode resources:
Dini's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandinimehta/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Joseph (Joe) Nguyen is a State Senator for the Washington State Legislature as well as a Program Manager at Microsoft. As the son of Vietnamese refugees, Joe grew up in an immigrant community and was raised by a single mother. Joe is also one of the few Asian Americans within the State Senate and is passionate about reducing barriers to civic engagement for younger generations.
In this episode we spoke with Joe about the following:
- How he responded to colleagues who mocked his last name in a speech on the Senate floor
- Why there’s no space for Asian Americans and other communities of color to settle for mediocrity in systems that have historically excluded them
- Breaking out a scarcity mindset and embracing an abundance mindset as a child of refugees
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Episode resources:
Joe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/meetjoenguyen?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Joe's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meetjoenguyen/
Joe's announcement to run for King County exec: https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/04/27/state-senator-nguyen-announces-run-for-king-county-executive/
Joe's article on being the AOC of the Washington Senate: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/04/09/39853684/joe-nguyen-is-an-aoc-of-the-washington-senate
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Ajay Agarwal is a Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, where he focuses on seed and Series A software investing. Ajay’s portfolio includes investments in leading SaaS companies like Gainsight (acquired by Vista Equity), Clari, and SendGrid (IPO and then acquired by Twilio). Prior to BCV, Ajay led Product and Sales as an early employee at Trilogy, an enterprise software pioneer, where he grew annual revenue from $1M to $300M.
In this episode we spoke with Ajay about the following:
- How the entrepreneurial journey of creating something from nothing is analogous to the immigrant experience
- The parallels between his experience delivering newspapers while growing up in Pittsburgh and his early career in enterprise sales
- Startups as a vehicle for rekindling the American Dream through more equal opportunity
Episode resources:
- Ajay's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajay_bcv
- Ajay's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajay1agarwal/
- Bain Capital Ventures: https://www.baincapitalventures.com/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
Christine Tsai is the CEO and Founding Partner of 500 Startups. 500 Startups is a global venture capital firm with over $600M in capital under management and 2400+ portfolio companies across 77 countries around the world. Notable investments include Credit Karma, Talkdesk, Canva, Grab, Twilio, and many others. Before founding 500 Startups, Christine spent time as a Product Marketing Manager at Google and grew up in the Bay Area.
In this episode we spoke with Christine about the following:
- How she built up the muscle for taking risks in her career despite being raised to seek security
- Embracing her unique style as an introverted leader who’s also a ferocious “mama bear”
- Differences in cultural / business norms between the United States and many of the global markets 500 invests and operates in
Episode resources:
- Christine's Twitter: https://twitter.com/christine_tsai
- Christine's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinesltsai/
- 500 Startups: https://500.co/startups
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us @acrossthelinespodcast to get the latest updates.
This week we held our second community event! We discussed the nuances of navigating the startup world as an Asian American entrepreneur in a Clubhouse room with some of their wonderful founder friends. It was great to invite friends from our own networks, have them open up to each other, and build friendships to support one another moving forward. We held this event live on April 27th, 2021.
In this podcast we spoke about the following:
- Taking a financial risk to leave comfortable career paths to start a company
- How filial duty can impact your decision making
- How the model minority myth can help and hinder fundraising
Episode resources:
- Kashish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guptakashish/
- Yehong's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yehongzhu/
- Michelle's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebkwok/
- Ravina's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravinacanand/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
This week we had our first community event with our dear friend Laura Lu! Laura is a graduate student studying clinical psychology, she's a future therapist, and a researcher studying the effects of different types of trauma on mental health. She is passionate about advocating for the intersection of social justice and mental health. She also co-moderates a community on Instagram called @mindhealthspot with over 25K followers. This podcast is a recording of our Instagram Live we held on April 15th, 2021.
In this podcast we spoke to Laura about the following:
- Asian American mental health in and out of the workplace
- Laura’s journey creating The Mind Health Spot
- How to navigate vulnerability + intergenerational trauma
Episode resources:
- Laura's Instagram page @mindhealthspot: https://www.instagram.com/themindhealthspot/
- Laura's Instagram page @thealliedminds: https://www.instagram.com/thealliedminds.co/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
At the end of every episode, we ask our guests “what is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self” or its close cousin “what was something you did well early in your career”. There were so many gems in those answers, and we wanted to share a compilation of quick hits that you can incorporate into your own career.
As mentioned at the start of the episode, if you’d like to provide feedback on ways our Across The Lines community can help you, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/9W1YNwGyNK4sSBD58
We'll be collecting responses over the next few weeks and using them to craft how we can create a community for our Across The Lines audience and supporters.
Angie & Jay
Episode resources:
Across The Lines Community Interest Form:
https://forms.gle/9W1YNwGyNK4sSBD58
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode, we’ll be reflecting on our first season! We'll be discussing three main themes today:
- Introducing the third member of our team, Ankita
- Reflecting on the biggest lessons learned from our guests
- Sharing our vision for the future
Speaking of the future, we've been hearing a lot of feedback from our audience to create a community around the podcast - and we've been paying attention!
- Are you looking for an inclusive environment to navigate the nuances and implications of being Asian-American at work with like minded people?
- Would you like to connect with your hosts and guests in a more intimate setting?
If any of this above resonated with you, PLEASE fill out this form (link).
We'll be collecting responses over the next few weeks and using them to craft how we can create a community for our Across The Lines audience and supporters.
Angie & Jay
Episode resources:
Across The Lines Community Interest Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJFNSamAyWvgsw44754eP6Cu5YW3w9LHLc0swQRMtuhu75eQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In our season 1 finale, we're excited to host Jason Ve. Jason is the VP of Business Development and Strategy at 88rising. 88Rrsing is a leading record label and media company for Asian artists with over 15 billion streams, 2 billion YouTube views, and a #1 Billboard album. Jason has also spent time at UBS and Google prior to 88Rising.
In this podcast we spoke with Jason about the following:
- Embracing the confluence of his Asian-American and LGBTQ+ identity
- How an American Idol audition led him to discover his path in music and entertainment
- Diversifying what it means to be an Asian American artist
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Episode resources:
- Jason speaking about the confluence between his Asian-American and LGBTQ+ identity: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6688844884993994752/
- Follow Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonve/
- 88rising on launching a pioneering Asian music radio channel with SiriusXM: https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/international/9492073/siriusxm-88rising-asian-music-radio-channel/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Dan is the Former VP of Business and Data at Coinbase. Prior to Coinbase, Dan created LinkedIn’s Business Operations function and popularized “BizOps” across the Valley. He also served as the COO of NerdWallet and founded and successfully exited ReliaQuote, an online insurance brokerage.
In this podcast we spoke to Dan about the following:
- Dan’s recent decision to leave Coinbase after the company announced its apolitical stance
- Why going through your career just checking the boxes may actually limit your growth
- The role Asian Americans play in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conversations in the workplace
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Episode resources:
Dan’s LinkedIn post announcing his departure from Coinbase: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6720304711662235648/
Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danyoo/
Follow Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/danyoo?lang=en
Dan’s former colleague John’s medium article: https://medium.com/@jcu1932/dear-well-intentioned-white-people-46c97f869333
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Priya Saiprasad is currently the youngest and only female VC partner at Mayfield Fund, one of the oldest and most respected venture capital firms in the Valley. Previously, Priya was a founding member of Microsoft’s investment fund, M12, where she launched M12's female founder's competition as part of her work to make access to capital easier for underserved female entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we speak with Priya about how Pilates was the wake-up call that helped her overcome a need for external validation, why we should aim to be respected instead of being liked, and how to find your voice in the workplace as a young woman of color.
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Episode resources:
Follow Priya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyasaiprasad/
Follow Priya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/priyasaiprasad?lang=en
Priya’s Business Insider profile: https://www.businessinsider.com/priya-saiprasad-mayfield-fund-enterprise-investing-2019-5
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Harpaul Sambhi is the Founder of Magical, a software company that helps non-technical employees automate repetitive tasks and be more productive. He founded Careerify while in college and successfully exited the company to LinkedIn in 2015. He then spent 4 years as a Product Manager at LinkedIn and Microsoft and left in 2019 to become an Entrepreneur in Residence at Bain Capital Ventures.
In this episode, we spoke with Harpaul about:
- His upbringing in Canada and his entry into entrepreneurship while in college
- What it was like growing up with parents who worked multiple jobs, and how that impacted his mentality as a startup founder
- Why he believes people should be vulnerable in their interactions both personally and professionally
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Episode resources:
- Follow Harpaul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hsambhi?lang=en
- Follow Harpaul on LinkedIn" https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsambhi/
- Watch his talk at Cape Brenton University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHpopJjGZ4&ab_channel=CBUCentreforTeachingandLearning
- Check out his bio on our website: https://www.acrossthelinespodcast.com/episodes/harpaul-sambhi
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Lindsay Meyer is the Founder and CEO of Batch, a shoppable home staging startup that works with high-end residential realtors, developers, and builders to create beautiful, bespoke spaces. Her career has spanned a diverse set of industries, ranging from venture capital to biotech to retail, and she was honored as a 2017 TIME Person of the Year.
In this episode, we spoke with Lindsay about:
- Growing up in the Midwest as a Korean adoptee and taking on a transracial identity
- How her inner narrative differed from how others would perceive her and expect her to act based on her outward appearance
- Why she made the decision to speak on the record, as part of the #MeToo movement, about being harassed while raising capital
Episode resources:
Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaykmeyer/
Lindsay’s New York Times piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/30/technology/women-entrepreneurs-speak-out-sexual-harassment.html
Lindsay’s company Batch: https://www.visitbatch.com/
Lindsay speaking about harassment in tech: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/silence-breaker-lindsay-meyer-talks-about-harassment-in-high-tech/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode, we’ll be candidly sharing some of the triumphs and tribulations from the first few months of building the podcast. But more importantly, we wanted to express our gratitude for some of our earliest supporters and cheerleaders who have helped us build the foundation for this entire project.
We’ll be highlighting our five earliest supporters -- these folks are either friends, managers, mentors or all of the above.
Episode resources:
- Follow Netti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neeti-singhal-2020/
- Follow Jane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-lee-6021b254/
- Follow Kathy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinetsay/
- Follow Rohan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rverma21/
- Follow Billy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billysountornsorn/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Samir Goel is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Esusu, a fast-growing social enterprise that bridges the racial wealth gap and increases financial access for low-to-middle income consumers. Esusu recently raised funding led by Acumen and Jeff Weiner’s Next Play Ventures.
In this episode, we spoke with Samir about the challenges of raising money as a person of color, how his parents felt about leaving a stable tech job for entrepreneurship, and why growing up in New York has shaped his own perspective on his Indian-American identity.
Episode resources:
Follow Samir on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goelsamir/
Samir’s website: http://www.samirgoel.com/
Learn more about Samir’s company Esusu: https://esusurent.com/
A NASDAQ feature on Samir and Abbey: https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/faces-of-entrepreneurship%3A-samir-goel-abbey-wemimo-esusu-2021-01-15
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Deb Liu was the VP of Facebook Marketplace at the time of this recording, leading one of the company’s biggest strategic bets. In March 2021, she will be joining Ancestry, the world’s largest genealogy company, to become its next chief executive officer. Deb also co-founded Women In Product, which has more than 20k members in 27 countries, and currently serves as a board member at Intuit. Previously, she was at Paypal, eBay, and the Boston Consulting Group.
In this episode, we speak with Deb about growing up as one of the few Asian Americans in South Carolina, choosing when to break expectations to advance in your career, and why what got you to where you are won’t take you where you want to go.
Episode resources:
- Follow Deb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahliu
- Deb’s writing on tech, leadership, and parenthood: https://debliu.substack.com/
- Deb’s comic series about her children: https://www.mommyschool.net/
- Finding her voice as an Asian American leader: https://qz.com/work/1314872/asian-american-women-are-severely-underrepresented-in-leadership-roles/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_IiWworNY8&ab_channel=SperoVentures
- Deb’s appointment as Ancestry’s CEO: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-03/facebook-executive-deborah-liu-named-ceo-of-ancestry-com
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Jen Weedn is the Vice President of Business Development at Linkedin, where her team is responsible for partnerships with Samsung, Twitter, the New York Times, and many more. Jen has spent more than a decade leading business development at many of the biggest names in tech, where she’s seen the rise and fall of companies like AOL, Myspace, and Glam Media.
In this episode, we speak with Jen about:
- Her love for creating movies while growing up in Chicago “Tawainese-American” style
- Why people consider her one of the best negotiators at LinkedIn
- The intersectionality between being a woman of color in a high powered career
Episode resources:
Follow Jen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferyangweedn/
Jen speaks about leading as a female executive: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6609863032006893568/
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode, we'll be speaking with Robby Kwok. Robby is the Chief of Staff to the CEO at Slack and was the former SVP of People who led a transition to remote work for the company. Robby’s career has spanned strategy and M&A at some of the biggest names in tech, including Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
In this episode, we speak with Robby about the following:
- Succeeding as a leader who doesn’t like the spotlight,
- Recovering from an incident that almost ended his career
- The key role relationship building has played in his growth.
Episode resources:
Follow Robby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbykwok
Robby’s transition to Chief of Staff: https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/302480
Slack’s move to remote work, led by Robby: https://www.businessinsider.com/slack-increased-remote-work-cultural-operational-changes-robby-kwok-2020-6
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about the show at acrossthelinespodcast.com, follow us @acrossthelinespodcast, and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
In this episode we'll be speaking about the following:
- Introduce your hosts, Angie and Jay
- Tell you why we're passionate about Across The Lines
- Give you a preview of our upcoming season
If you enjoyed today’s conversation about the intersection of work and Asian American identity, please subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts and leave us a review to spread the word. We’d really appreciate it!
Learn more about us acrossthelinespodcast.com and follow us on Instagram or LinkedIn to get the latest updates on the show.
We hope you enjoy!
Angie & Jay
What is Across The Lines?
Across The Lines is a podcast that highlights the stories of Pan Asian American leaders and explores the intersection of their personal and professional journeys. Our vision is to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders through candid conversations about the confluence of identity and work.
How to follow along? You can check out our website or follow us on Instagram join us for future conversations.
Why is Across The Lines unique? We’ve heard enough content on professionals sharing their professional stories. For Across The Lines, we hope to better understand our guests as people. By doing so, we’ll understand them as professionals. During our conversation, we hope to inspire our listeners, humanize their story, and provide attainable advice for them to do the same.
We’ve focused on a unique balance of authenticity, vulnerability, and professionalism. We’ve addressed how it felt raising money as a person of color. We’ve heard guests reflect on the disorientation they’ve felt growing up in a lower-middle-class immigrant family, to now being one of the most powerful people in society. Guests have opened up about how external clout and validation has negatively impacted their mental health.
These are just a few of the themes we would like to cover with Across The Lines. Others include issues like the bamboo ceiling, the model minority myth, and our role in civic life. This is why we believe Across The Lines will provide value to our guests and listeners.
We hope you enjoy!
Angie & Jay