Breaking Barriers: The AsianVisiON Podcast

This episode features Olivia Fu, the co-founder of Asian Visi.ON (yes!), an organization dedicated to creating connections and conversations among Ontarians about Asian news, history, and culture. In this episode, Olivia speaks about her own experiences and struggles as an East Asian teenager, delving into important themes including mental health, immigration, and Asian representation at schools and in the media.

This episode features Ophelia Wang and Rebecca Wang, the founders of East Asian Youth for Change, an organization aimed at uniting & uplifting East-Asian youth across Canada and around the world. In this episode, Ophelia and Rebecca shed light on the unique challenges faced by Asian Canadian teenagers and ignite a passionate conversation about the power of youth-led initiatives in fostering positive change.

This episode features Genny Lee, the Director of Senior School at the York House School and the ex-Vice Principal at the Bishop Strachan School. Besides her background in science, teaching, and management, Genny has been a constant advocate for anti-oppression, inclusion, and student belonging. At the Bishop Strachan School, Genny co-created the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curriculum, educating students and faculty to foster an equitable and diverse learning environment. In this episode, Genny discusses the barriers she faced growing up as a Korean Canadian and her journey as an educator and advocate.

This episode features Samya Hasan, the Executive Director of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), an umbrella organization for agencies, groups, and individuals who offer services to the South Asian Community. CASSA envisions and strives for a Canada free of all forms of discrimination in which all communities are free from marginalization and are fully empowered to participate in defining Canada’s political, economic, social, and cultural future. In this episode, Samya discusses the barriers South Asians face in all aspects of life, the role Asian leaders will play in shaping the future of society, and how the most significant challenges she thinks South Asian leaders face can be overcome.

Ben Hum is an award-winning multi-passionate serial entrepreneur who has been involved in nurturing numerous organizations over the past 20 years. Ben is the current president and co-founder of NAAAP Toronto, the Toronto chapter of the North American Association of Asian Professionals. NAAAP is a non-profit organization with over 28 city branches in the US, Canada, and China. NAAAP Toronto is committed to developing leadership, career growth, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace for all Asian individuals. Ben was also directly involved in the campaigns of Toronto Mayor, Olivia Chow, helping more qualified Asian women attain leadership roles in the government. In this episode, Ben shares his insights regarding the societal expectations of Asian individuals, the importance of representation and education in combating occupational segregation among different racial and gender groups, ways to foster leadership skills among the Asian community, and more.

Eric Wang is the entrepreneur behind a food packaging business that sells pastry bags, cupcake liners, cake boxes, and more, to major food manufacturers and chain stores in the GTA. Though he started his business in China, he had to build his business from the ground up again when he immigrated to Canada in 2005. In this episode, Wang shares his experience and wisdom from starting a new life in Canada while facing linguistic and cultural barriers.