May’s Top 13: AAPI Creative Industry Leaders

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month which celebrates the culture and histories of Americans from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. This month was chosen because of two significant dates: May 7th, the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the US and May 10th, the completion of the transcontinental railroad constructed predominantly by Chinese workers.

For 2022 the theme, selected by the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, is Advancing Leaders Through Collaboration.  By advancing AAPI leaders in various industries, the council aims to improve diversity and thereby innovation in the workplace. 

At Noise 13 the power of collaboration resonates strongly with us! To honor AAPI month we’re sharing our Top 13 AAPI leaders in creative industries. These individuals and groups are doing incredible work, showing the importance of partnership and diversity.

Dava’s Picks: Founder and Chief Creative Officer 

• CEO of H2O+, and one of our clients, Junko Gomi, is a leader in product development who is passionate about disrupting the beauty industry with advanced, nourishing formulas that are rooted in science.
  IG: @h2oplus
• Chief Creative Director & Founder of Citizens of NowHere, Boyoung Lee and her content team are using storytelling that immerses audiences and brings a brand to life for the long term. Love their editorial style for beauty and fashion brands.

Andre’s Picks: Associate Creative Director 

• Illustrator & Founder of We Create, Tracie Ching designed a mentorship & grant program to support and empower artists of marginalized identities in the commercial visual arts industry.
  IG: @tracieching

Jane’s Picks: Senior Strategist

• The macaron magicians at OMG Squee use their creative juices to delight the gluten free community of Austin, Texas. Born out of burnout and layoffs, these incredible Asian-inspired desserts are made from scratch and in the most delightful shapes, colors and flavors – an Austin must-have!
  IG: @squeeclub

Suzanne’s Picks: Operations Leader 

• Co-Founder of Asians in Advertising, Bernice Chao is creating opportunities and providing the resources to help AAPI creative professionals break through barriers and move into leadership positions.
  IG: @hellobernice

Meb’s Picks: Designer 

• All the creators behind the Netflix Golden account. Their content is so fun and highlights an amazing group of creators!
  IG: @netflixgolden

Elaine’s Picks: Designer 

• The creatives (including one of the directors Daniel Kwon and a prominent AAPI cast) behind the astounding movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.
  IG: @everythingeverywheremovie
• Low Key Design, is a studio based in Shanghai that prides itself on concept-led commercial work often incorporating illustration and typography into their designs while paying close attention to project details no matter what the scale or style.
  IG: @lowkeydesigncompany
• Where’s Gut, graphic design agency based in Kuala Lumpur and named after the studio’s  cat, where designs are created through strategic storytelling and collaboration.
  IG: @wheresgut

Zili’s Picks: Designer 

• Reesaw studio based in Shanghai integrates business thinking, aesthetic value and technical aspects when designing with a focus on human feeling and behavior.
  IG: @reesaw_studio
• CAMTU, Vietnamese Graphic Designer based in Singapore, specializing in books and publications, branding and identity, typography and illustrations.
  IG: @smukiiz

Xiaoxiao’s Picks: Designer

• TienMin Liao an independent designer and typographer with expertise in logotype development, typeface design and multi-script typography.
  IG: @typeji 
• The Working Assembly, a branding and creative agency that’s committed to working with female founders, empowering minority entrepreneurs and activating local endeavors.
  IG: @workingassembly

As always, if you’d like to collaborate with us, we would love to hear from you! Please reach out to info@noise13.com to connect.