Cultivating Confidence As An AANHPI Founder

May is both Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, which offers a time to reflect on the intersection of cultural identity and mental well-being.

As an AANHPI founder, navigating the balance between my Taiwanese American identity and my entrepreneurial journey often involves building confidence by overcoming self-doubt and embracing our identities. This month, I asked fellow founders to contribute their insights on these topics.

Overcoming Self-Doubt

Entrepreneurship, while rewarding, can be emotionally taxing, and the balance between cultural expectations, personal aspirations and business goals can complicate things.

Hannah Bae, founder of Halmi, says, “As I launched my Korean-inspired beverage business in 2021, despite a decade of professional experience, I definitely encountered moments of self-doubt. While confident in creating a brand that resonates with AANHPI and broader communities, venturing solo into a new industry brought on moments of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety.”

These doubts didn’t stop her though – Hannah shared that connecting with other founders was an important part of her own experience, “As my journey unfolded, I connected with a network of inspiring founders who generously shared their stories about entrepreneurship, and these encounters became pivotal as they offered guidance on taking small steps to overcome feelings of being stuck and empowered me to move forward with intention.”

For Alice Kim, founder of PerfectDD, an inclusive and sustainable clothing brand, learning more about her customers helped. She says, “The stereotype is that Asians and Asian Americans are supposed to be small and petite - but I never fit this mold. It took me years to realize that my body was normal and representative, and that the data proved this. The average bra size in the US is a 34DD - having this data helped me build my confidence, overcome my self-doubt, and speak up for other women like me, who were not being served by the fashion industry.”

Embracing Identity

The AANHPI community is diverse and it’s crucial to recognize and celebrate our identities. Marilyn Yang, Co-Founder and CEO of Fun-Gal Snacks, the parent company of Popadelics Crunchy Mushroom Chips, says, “For me as for many AAPI founders, their companies are deeply connected to their heritage, whether implicitly or explicitly. While it's empowering to now see the growing acceptance of Asian cuisines and culture, for a lot of members of the AAPI community, food is somewhat of a touchy subject, given that many of us may have been made fun of for the type of foods we brought to school growing up.”

She goes on to add, “The founding of Popadelics is a full circle moment for me. It personifies the celebration of my Chinese heritage (so - shiitake mushrooms) blended with my favorite “Western” flavors (or the three culinary-inspired flavors of Popadelics). Growing up Asian American forced me to really solidify my personal identity as a unique mix of my Chinese heritage and American culture, which culminated in the creation of Popadelics! I have always seen food as a key aspect of my Chinese heritage, and have come a long way from being embarrassed to bring "strange" food to my elementary school cafeteria to now being the proud founder of an Asian-inspired snack product.”

For other AANHPI founders, like myself, identity may inform key business values around diversity, equity and inclusion, and impact product development more indirectly.

Celebrating AANHPI Entrepreneurship

As we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to continue to amplify the voices of AANHPI founders year-round, recognize our shared struggles and share openly about mental health. By coming together, we can all cultivate confidence and pave the way for future AANHPI entrepreneurs.