Aconic

Before Ali Ahn became a standout on Netflix’s The Diplomat and joined the Marvel universe in Agatha All Along, she was an actor wondering whether Hollywood would ever know what to do with her.

After moving to Los Angeles, Ali was told by her agents that they didn’t see a future for her there. She returned to New York, moved into an illegal basement apartment, and found herself questioning whether pursuing acting had been a mistake. Then came the breakthrough she never expected: Broadway.

In this deeply personal conversation with Soon Yu, Ali opens up about the years of uncertainty behind her success, the imposter syndrome that hasn’t disappeared even as her career has taken off, and growing up Korean American with the weight of her family’s history always close behind. Her paternal grandparents escaped North Korea during the Korean War, and their sacrifices shaped how she understood opportunity, ambition, and the freedom to choose an unconventional life.

Ali also shares the painful story of making her Broadway debut in The Heidi Chronicles on the same day as her grandmother’s funeral—and what that experience taught her about ambition, sacrifice, and protecting yourself in a demanding industry.

From Broadway to The Diplomat, Ali’s career has challenged the narrow boxes Asian American actors have historically been asked to fit into. Her story isn’t simply about making it in Hollywood. It’s about expanding what’s possible while still carrying the doubts, expectations, and sacrifices that came before.

For decades, much of Asian American history was dismissed, overlooked, or considered impossible to document. Professor Gordon H. Chang helped change that.

A pioneering historian and one of the founding figures of Asian American studies, Gordon uncovered the records, photographs, artifacts, and personal collections needed to preserve stories that had been hidden in plain sight. His groundbreaking work restored the history of Chinese railroad workers and established their experiences as an essential part of American history.

In this episode of Aconic, Gordon shares his unconventional journey from antiwar activist to Stanford professor, how he built a field that many doubted existed, and why recovering the stories of everyday Asian Americans remains critical today. He also explains what history teaches us about the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype, America’s relationship with Asia, and what artificial intelligence can—and cannot—do to preserve our past. Because Asian American history isn’t separate from American history. It helped build America.

Before Jane Wu became the acclaimed producer and director behind Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai, she spent decades mastering the art of visual storytelling behind some of Hollywood’s most iconic moments.

But her path was anything but obvious.

From immigrating to the U.S. from Taiwan and finding her voice through art, to breaking into a male-dominated industry, failing spectacularly at storyboarding, and ultimately helping shape Mulan, The Avengers, Game of Thrones and more, Jane’s journey is a story of persistence, mastery and learning to trust your own voice.

In this episode of the Aconic Podcast, Jane shares how the experiences that once made her feel like an outsider ultimately became her greatest strengths and prepared her to bring the groundbreaking world of Blue Eye Samurai to life.

It’s a conversation about failure, cultural authenticity, creative courage and what becomes possible when you stop trying to fit in and start trusting what only you can bring to the table.

When an Instagram message landed in Dion Lim's inbox, everything changed.

What began as another morning in the newsroom became the start of a journey that would transform her career—and help bring the rise of anti-Asian hate into the national conversation.

In this deeply personal conversation, the Emmy Award-winning journalist shares how years of trying to fit in gave way to finding her voice, why telling the truth came at a personal cost, and how learning to ask for help became one of the most important stories she ever told.

This is a conversation about identity, courage, journalism, and what happens when one person's voice gives an entire community permission to speak.

The Aconic Podcast welcomes Lanhee Chen, a Hoover Institution fellow at Stanford, CNN’s first AAPI political commentator, and host of “Crossing the Lines,” discussing how “losing well” shaped his values, resilience, and commitment to balanced, empathetic political discourse.

Chen shares his immigrant family background from Taiwan, growing up from a small Midwestern town to Southern California’s evolving Asian American communities, and the formative impact of watching the 1988 Bush–Dukakis debate that sparked his interest in democracy and debate.

He recounts early setbacks like losing a freshman class president race, building programs like mock trial and Junior State, and spending a decade at Harvard before moving to Washington with no job and taking risks to build a policy career, including advising George W. Bush’s reelection effort and serving as Mitt Romney’s chief policy advisor.

The conversation covers his bipartisan public service appointments, his 2022 run for California State Controller focused on accountability and ROI for taxpayers, lessons from losing as a candidate, and his advice for AAPI leadership: take risks, expect a non-linear path, and sustain civil, substantive dialogue.

In this powerful episode of the Aconic Podcast, Gary Locke shares his extraordinary journey with host, Soon Yu, from growing up in Seattle public housing to becoming the first Chinese American governor in U.S. history and later U.S. Ambassador to China.

Locke opens up about:

This is a honest conversation about identity, resilience, immigration, family, and leaving a better future for the next generation. This may be one of the most important conversations we’ve had yet.

Victor Koo built one of the largest video platforms in the world as co-founder and former CEO of Youku - often called the “YouTube and Netflix of China” - creating billions in value and reaching millions of people. But at the height of that success, something didn’t add up. In this episode of the Aconic Podcast, Victor shares his journey chasing achievement across tech, media, and finance… to realizing that all of it had become noise.

What happens when everything you’ve worked for no longer feels meaningful?

Victor opens up about the moment the external wins stopped answering the deeper questions—and how that led him inward, toward clarity, purpose, and a different kind of success. If you’ve ever felt stuck chasing more, this conversation will challenge how you think about wealth, ambition, and what actually matters.

Samantha Tan joins the Aconic Podcast to share her incredible journey from a small rural town in Canada to becoming one of the most recognized drivers in international endurance racing. As the first Asian woman to win a major international endurance championship, Samantha opens up about her path into motorsports, the mindset required to compete at the highest level, and the challenges of building a racing career in a male dominated sport.

In this episode we explore Samantha Tan Racing, her partnership with BMW, and what it takes to compete in global endurance events like the 24 Hours of Dubai. Samantha also shares powerful insights about representation in sports, overcoming stereotypes, and using adversity as motivation to win.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the first Asian-American Winter Olympic gold medalist and trailblazer, shares her powerful journey from world champion figure skater to becoming a symbol of the Asian American Dream. In this episode, Kristi reflects on determination, discipline, and identity, opening up about winning Olympic gold at 20, representing the Asian American community, and finding purpose beyond competition.

She discusses the pressure of the Olympic stage, the meaning of representation, her work advocating against Asian hate, and how her foundation is transforming early childhood literacy in underserved communities. Kristi also shares the inspiration behind her children’s books and how perseverance over perfection, shaped her success.

Kristi also talks about her work with her foundation, Always Dream and its mission to ensure children have access to high-quality books in the home environment and extensive family engagement support.

This is an emotional, insightful conversation about legacy, resilience, and what it truly means to dream big.

In this deeply human conversation, host Soon Yu is joined by Abigail Hing Wen (author, filmmaker, and creator of The Veil) and Ashley Liao (actor, poet, and advocate) to explore creativity, identity, and mental health through the lens of what it means to stay human in an age increasingly shaped by AI.

The discussion begins with their groundbreaking work on Love in Taipei and expands into the importance of Asian American representation, coming-of-age stories, and choosing creative paths in industries that often reward conformity. Ashley shares candid reflections on mental health struggles, vulnerability, and learning to extend gentle love to herself. Abigail also opens up about rejection, power dynamics, and advocating for visibility in corporate and creative spaces.

The conversation then turns toward the future of storytelling and AI. Abigail discusses The Veil, a novel centered on clean AI, ethical creation, and the tension between innovation and humanity. Together, they examine how AI is changing Hollywood, authorship, and creative labor. We also dive into the associated risks of AI such as deep fakes, consent, and cultural erasure. Ashley explains why imperfection, empathy, and emotional presence remain uniquely human and irreplaceable.

This episode is a thoughtful exploration of resilience, leadership, creativity, and identity, offering insight for artists, technologists, leaders, and anyone navigating personal growth in a rapidly evolving world.