Imagine Talks Podcast

Chantalynn Huynh is a Hollywood beauty and wellness insider, and a Beautycounter consultant promoting safer skincare and cosmetic products. Huynh came to America as a Vietnamese refugee back in 1977, one of the thousands of “boat people.” Ask her about her harrowing journey and you will see why she is so passionate about everything! She’s also known in the industry as an eco-conscious celebrity nail stylist. In our interview, we discuss Chantalynn’s business tactics, including self-awareness, time & energy management, and networking with the likes of Beyonce, Jay-Z, Destiny’s Child, and even President Bill Clinton.

Most entrepreneurs and executives have goals and plans about how they want their company to succeed, but few have an effective strategy in mind to help them get there. What can you do to achieve success, over and over again? Meet George Chen. George Chen has been a serial entrepreneur for over 30 years. George created 16 successful restaurant concepts in both California and China, including Betelnut, Shanghai 1930, Roosevelt Prime Steakhouse, and now China Live in the heart of San Francisco. San Francisco’s Eater Award voted China Live “Restaurant of the Year.”

What does it take to succeed in the fashion design industry? Discover the beauty of fashion, the importance of time management in a creative business, and how to fulfill your dreams and passion in the fashion industry. Meet Colleen Quen—her knowledge of the fashion industry is vast and she knows what it takes to succeed! Colleen Quen is an internationally-recognized and award-winning French couturiere, who has — for more than 25 years — owned and operated a successful couture atelier. She was born and lives in San Francisco, California. She is a fourth-generation Chinese American. She integrates her cultural experiences and life dedication to couture and art. As a San Francisco native, Quen’s life mission is to internally and externally push boundaries and influence fashion internationally.

Creating a successful food line requires a lot of planning and preparation. You need to think about what you will sell, how you will market your products, and how you will get customers to buy them. Here’s how Rosa Li did it! Rosa Li was a private equity and venture investor at Warburg Pincus and is now a successful food line entrepreneur. Rosa's entrepreneurial journey also led her to ABC’s reality TV show Shark Tank and secured a partnership with the co-founder and CEO of DoorDash, Tony Xu. Founder Rosa Li started Wildwonder in 2020 to reimagine the healing drinks of her heritage. As a child, Rosa Li was inspired by her grandma’s herbal tonics to make a delicious Wildwonder beverage that combines heritage-inspired herbal knowledge with gut-healing elements. Wildwonder is the first drink to combine probiotics (beneficial gut microbes) and prebiotic plant fiber (the food that probiotics need to thrive).

Spencer Christian is an American weather forecaster, author, and television personality. He works as a meteorologist at KGO-TV, Channel 7, an ABC network television station serving San Francisco, California. Spencer is best known for his work as a weather forecaster for ABC’s Good Morning America for over a decade — from 1986 to 1998. He was a key member of the Good Morning America on-air team that toppled The Today Show in 1995, and before that, an anchor for Eyewitness News on WABC/7. Currently, he is the weather forecaster for ABC-owned KGO-TV in San Francisco. Christian has also written several books for children.

Dr. Alicia Zhou—Chief Science Officer at Color— leads Color’s research and scientific affairs team. In this episode, Dr. Alicia Zhou shares her journey towards becoming a chief science officer at one of the world’s most ambitious research programs. Here's a look into Alicia Zhou's journey towards becoming a chief science officer of one of the most ambitious research programs in history.

Want to build a media company that’s purpose-driven, from the ground up? Then you’ll want to hear this encore of Benny Luo, who spoke at Imagine Talks annual symposium. Benny Luo is an internet marketer and the Founder of web publications NextShark.com, NewMediaRockstars.com, and TheOtherAsians.com. In 2013, Luo built NextShark, an online publication for Asian Youth, with just $3,000 of his own money. Four years later, the site has a full-time staff of 12 and brings in nearly three million monthly unique visitors.

Let’s talk about owning yourself. How well do you know yourself? Would you like to be the best version of you? Cary Hokama is a certified executive coach, certified holistic personal trainer and nutritionist, best-selling author, and motivational speaker who teaches entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and executives how to become crystal clear about their life’s mission and how to reach their fullest potential. Cary also serves as a global ambassador for the National College of Exercise Professionals and the Center for Advanced Coaching. A graduate from Cal State Long Beach, Cary majored in speech communications with an emphasis in public speaking and interpersonal relationships.

What can you do to become a better teacher? Here’s an encore interview between Francis Kong and Jennifer Tzeng, who spoke at the Imagine Talks symposium. Jennifer Tzeng is the owner of Tzeng Violin Studio located in Palo Alto. She began her private violin studies at age five and was the youngest member of the Strolling Strings, a performance group by age six. Jennifer has had extensive performing experiences in orchestras, beginning her orchestral training at age of seven, being the youngest member of the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra.

What if you found yourself needing to go up against powerful men and powerful women? How do you get them to listen to you? In this Imagine Talks Podcast episode, one actress and activist had to do just that. She did this halfway around the world to stand against crimes. And, she did it again in front of leaders and executives to take a stand for organizational transformation. Minita Gandhi is known for her work on NBC primetime television’s Chicago Fire, more recently as a voice actor in Disney animation, and has played significant roles as a first-generation Indian-American female performing artist.

Is starting a business something you are interested in? What’s it take to make the commitment to entrepreneurship? You’ll want to hear this encore from Imagine Talks, by a very successful entrepreneur, Tony Lam. Tony earned his chops in the food and beverage space through sweat, long hours, and a visceral desire to succeed. He owns and operates five Wingstop restaurants with a staff of more than 100. Through his success, he discovered another rising gem in the industry: Mavens Creamery, a disruptor in the frozen dessert space that has doubled sales year over year for the past 3 years.

Have you ever felt true freedom on stage? Or, even felt like a completely different person in the Hollywood spotlight? If so, you’ll want to hear from California-based actress Linda Park. Linda Park recently joined us at the Imagine Talks annual symposium where she spoke about the value of our stories. Linda Park was born in Seoul, South Korea. Immediately after graduating Boston University's BFA Acting program, she booked her first movie role in Jurassic Park III alongside Laura Dern and then landed her first series regular role on Star Trek Enterprise shortly after. She continued on to series regular roles on Raines, Women's Murder Club and Starz' Crash. She is currently recurring on Amazon's Bosch and Apple TV's For All Mankind.

Do you struggle with self-doubt and fear? Do you fear rejection throughout your life so much, and take it so personally? Imposter syndrome is real, and it sucks. It even hits the most accomplished people, like Cynthia Gouw. In this encore Imagine Talks symposium speech, Cynthia Gouw spoke about her fears. Cynthia is a modern-day polymath: an Emmy-award-winning journalist, top model, actress, spokesperson, lawyer, entrepreneur, community activist, and rising social media star. from starring in Star Trek to walking the Paris and New York catwalks to reporting from around the globe. Now here’s Cynthia Gouw with Overcoming Personal Fear. Cynthia Gouw is a modern-day polymath: an Emmy-award-winning journalist, top model, actress, spokesperson, lawyer, entrepreneur, community activist, and rising social media star. from starring in Star Trek to walking the Paris and New York catwalks to reporting from around the globe, Cynthia's life is one of perseverance and breaking boundaries. In her deeply personal talk, Cynthia reveals how she turned rejection into reinvention and ultimately, found her own unique voice.

How did 3 college students end up creating the Doordash food delivery empire? If you’re wondering how, then you’ll want to stick around with this Imagine Talks Podcast and listen to this encore of Stanley Tang, who was interviewed at the Imagine Talks annual symposium. Stanley Tang is a Hong Kong billionaire tech entrepreneur. He is best known as the co-founder and Chief Product Officer at DoorDash. DoorDash had its IPO in December 2020 making Tang’s net worth an estimated $2.2 billion as of December 2020. Now here’s Stanley Tang with The Road to IPO Stanley Tang— a Hong Kong billionaire tech entrepreneur and known as the co-founder and chief product officer at DoorDash, an online food ordering, and food delivery platform based in San Francisco. Stanley Tang has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Stanford University. The IPO of DoorDash in December 2020 made Tang's net worth an estimated $2.2 billion as of December 2020.

Can clothing change the world? And how did Hate Is A Virus — an online movement — get its start? Listen to this encore presentation by Michelle Hanabusa, who spoke at the Imagine Talks annual symposium. After a career ending injury, Michelle dived into a design background where she worked for companies such as BCBGMAXAZRIA & AEG. After her time in corporate life & some venture backed trial & errors- Michelle K. Hanabusa bootstrapped a new brand called WEAREUPRISERS. The brand is described as a community-driven streetwear brand focused on story-telling for activists, trendsetters, and warriors of change. Her goal is to inspire change by partnering with like-minded partners to give voice to the underrepresented.

Do you feel like you have gone through a lot in your life? Do you fear the unknown when faced with challenges and adversities? Can you adapt to change and remain resilient? For this episode of the Imagine Talks Podcast, we’ll hear from a three-time cancer survivor who spoke at the Imagine Talks annual symposium. Michelle Duong is a three-time cancer survivor. She has a philanthropic background that consists of serving on the Board of Directors for non-profits Working Wardrobes and Operation Be Kind. Through their monthly missions, they have provided much-needed essential items such as food, clothing, sleeping bags, school supplies. The operation works with youth volunteers from various high schools.

You might feel powerless. You might be overwhelmed by work, the news, and ongoing disasters in the world. How do you take back control in your life? How do you get back purpose? Then you’ll want to hear from Tom Chi, in this encore presentation from Imagine Talks. Tom Chi has worked in a wide range of roles from astrophysical researcher to Fortune 500 consultant to corporate executive developing new hardware/software products and services. He has pioneered and practiced a unique approach to rapid prototyping, visioning, and leadership that can jumpstart innovative new ideas as well as move large organizations at unprecedented speeds. He most recently served as head of product experience at Google X developing technology such as Google Glass and Google’s self-driving cars.

Here’s a glimpse into the mind of a global technologist and visionary. Someone who’s given governments the power to give info in a meaningful way. Someone who has thought of the business case for Asian-American empowerment. And, someone who breaks down the steps to achieve that power. Interested? You’ll want to stick around for this encore talk by Tim Hwang, who spoke at Imagine Talks. Tim Hwang is the founder and CEO of FiscalNote, a global technology, and media company focused on delivering timely and relevant policy information in a complex and evolving world. FiscalNote’s core technology sustains products and services that power more than 4,000 clients — from small nonprofits to government agencies to large corporations (including half of the Fortune 100) — with software tools, AI-driven insights, comprehensive domestic and international data sets, as well human-authored news and analysis.

Imposter syndrome—is it something you’ve yet to overcome? Or, having a difficult time stopping thoughts of self-doubt? Then you’ll want to learn from Diamond Rypka, who spoke at the Imagine Talks symposium on how to overcome the feeling of unworthiness and self-doubt. Australia-based Diamond Rypka created the podcast Asian Tales to create a conversation to share the Asian American experience and insights that have made that community unique along the way. The podcast represents a beacon for individuals to look towards for inspiration and connection to identify and share knowledge and culture. Its mission is to break through barriers that others and, more importantly, the individuals have created in their mind.

Have you ever felt the need to pursue new interests? Considering entrepreneurship as a career path? And is it your dream to own your own business? Then you’ll want to hear this encore of Lan Ho, who spoke at Imagine Talks 2021 symposium. We previously interviewed Lan Ho for our podcast, where she talked about her company. But we didn’t really dive into the details of how she pivoted in life, away from a traditional career, a stable career, in pharmacy. Lan Ho is a Vietnamese-American entrepreneur, board-certified pharmacist, and Miss Asian Global 1st Princess 2020. As an accomplished formulator, she is the creator behind a sustainable personal care brand launching later this year and the founder of Fat Miilk; a direct-trade Vietnamese coffee company sourced ethically from Vietnam. You can find Lan in Daily Coffee News, Gazelle Magazine, Trillest, Fodor’s, and most recently Bon Appétit. She is a proud daughter of immigrants and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.