Curious Monica

Embark on an inspiring journey with Tanzila Khan, a trailblazing Pakistani entrepreneur, disability rights advocate, and author. From her early days hustling soap and friendship bracelets to her groundbreaking work as the creator of the Woopie Town board game, Tanzila's story is one of resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination.

Born with disabilities, Tanzila defied expectations and transformed adversity into opportunity. Her experiences have fueled her passion for challenging societal norms and reshaping perceptions surrounding disability. Through her advocacy and global travels, she has become a powerful voice for inclusivity, empowering individuals to embrace their differences and celebrate their unique abilities.

Join us this as we delve into Tanzila Khan's extraordinary journey. Explore her insights on why speaking up matters and discover how she continues to drive positive change while navigating the complexities of advocacy and entrepreneurship.

Connect with Tanzila Khan on LinkedIn, explore her impactful work on her website, and dive deeper into her story on Wikipedia. Don't miss this opportunity to be inspired and uplifted by Tanzila's unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive world.

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Sandy Lacey was always passionate about innovation and community-building. In the first half of her career she was a renewable energy innovator. From starting companies, ecosystems, and innovation centers, she built a knack for bringing out the best in people and seeing the small to big picture to ignite new thinking across industries and communities. While she loved what she did, she was hungry to learn more. So when she came across an incredible opportunity at the Perskins School for the Blind, she dove all in. While she was new to the disability ecosystem, the leadership at Perkins made it clear - 'We have 200 years of experience in disability. What we need is your innovation and ecoystem experience to ignite disability technology and disability innovation.' Fast forward just two years as Lacey becomes the Executive Director of the Howe Innovation Center at Perkins, playing a central role in igniting innovation that serves 200 students and 1,400 kids in Massachusetts. She also helped redefine disability technology by mapping out over 1,400 companies working in disability technology.

As we celebrate Disability Pride this July, we are thrilled to dive into Sandy's story as an ally to people with disabilities and her leadership in disability technology. Listen to the full conversation at Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox and Monica H. Kang

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When Kevin H. Yoo learned of his friend Marcus's impending blindness, he was inspired to make a difference. Drawing on his expertise in industrial and product design, Kevin embarked on a journey to address a crucial challenge in technology accessibility, revolutionizing navigation for the visually impaired. This journey led to the founding of Haptic (previously WearWorks), dedicated to crafting not only functional but visually-appealing products accessible to all. Through his innovative use of touch and elegant design principles, Kevin reimagined accessible navigation.

Today, Haptic (previously WearWorks) stand as a pioneer in the field, having transformed the lives of countless individuals by enabling greater independence in navigation. Their impact was highlighted in 2017 when their wearable smart device assisted a blind runner in completing the NYC marathon, a testament to the transformative power of their technology. As we honor Disability Pride this July, we are thrilled to dive into Kevin H. Yoo's journey into becoming an accessibility tech innovator and ally for people with disabilities.

Subscribe to Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox, where host Monica H. Kang unfolds stories that inspire.

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Low points, adversities, and feeling stuck are all challenges we sometimes face as innovators. It's part of the process of doing something new and living life as a human being. The key is what you do when you face these moments and how you get back up.

Meet Xian Horn, national disability advocate leader and founder of Give Beauty Wings, who is changing how we engage with self-esteem and understand disability. Xian grew up loved and supported as a half-Asian woman with cerebral palsy. In-fact, the first time she felt hurt for being different wasn't because she was disabled but rather because she was feeling self-conscious about all the surrounding excellences her fellow teenagers were achieving compared to her. As she looked back at why she felt stuck when she didn't have to, she realized the journey to self-love and self-esteem is something many of us need help with.

Today, she uses her many platforms, writings, and community efforts to advocate for disability and self-esteem learning opportunities. As we honor Disability Pride this July, we are thrilled to dive into Xian Horn's humbling and inspiring journey into disability advocacy and leadership in empowerment. She wants to remind you that no matter what challenge you have, you can get through this. 

Connect with Xian Horn on LinkedIn and her website at xianhorn.com. Ready for be inspired by new stories? Subscribe to Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox, where host Monica H. Kang unfolds stories that inspire. Visit curiousmonica.com for more empowering interviews.

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Sleep is crucial, yet as busy professionals and leaders, achieving quality rest can feel challenging. Today, our guest Nicolas Decat, a Paris-based PhD student, will shed light on why we need to rethink our approach to sleep to thrive in both work and life. We'll explore Decat's research on the science of sleep and creativity.

Join us on Dear Workplace as we delve into the methods and insights of sleep research, reimagining how we prioritize rest amidst our busy lives. Welcome to more good sleep!

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You can't do anything about an opportunity you do not take. This is the mantra that gave Erica Vogel the courage to always reinvent and adapt herself - professionally and personally. Erica is an award-winning Senior Product Manager with 20+ years of experience in design, strategy and product management, currently working at Kforce Inc. She is also a queer, transgender woman who is passionate about cultivating safe, inclusive spaces for LGTQIA+ people to thrive. It wasn't always easy reinventing yourself, but it taught Erica an important lesson in life that helps her thrive as an innovator today - you won't know what you don't seek out! Today she lives in Washington D.C. with her partner and family.

This June, as we celebrate Pride Month, we are excited to learn from Erica’s courage to reinvent her career and personal journey. We also learn how you can be a better ally to transgender people, how to agilely adapt in your career journey, and more. We welcome you to this space of learning and growing. Erica can be found on her website and LinkedIn.

Ready to be inspired by more stories? Subscribe to Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox, where host Monica H. Kang shares empowering interviews. Visit curiousmonica.com for more.

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Find your tribe and surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Growing up gay in a traditional Catholic, Asian household, Trung T. Tieu faced challenges in expressing his identity. It took time for him to come out to his family and loved ones. But once he did, he embraced his truth wholeheartedly. Throughout his career journey, Trung found alignment between his passion for representation and his interest in supply chain and business while actively participating in LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Networks (ERNs). Today, as the supplier diversity manager at Wells Fargo, Trung is a sought-after leader driving innovative approaches to diversity and inclusion in the supply chain. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity, open-mindedness, and authenticity in effecting positive change. This June, as we celebrate Pride Month, we are excited to explore Trung's inspiring journey in supplier diversity and corporate leadership. He encourages everyone to embrace curiosity and authenticity, believing that we all have the power to make a difference in our own lives and the lives of others.

Connect with Trung T. Tieu on LinkedIn and learn more about his work in Wells Fargo supplier diversity. Ready to be inspired by more stories? Subscribe to Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox, where host Monica H. Kang shares empowering interviews. Visit curiousmonica.com for more.

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Growing up in a very traditional Chinese family in Chongqing, China as a gay man brought both happiness and difficulties. Still, Yao Zhao learned early on how important it is to focus on seeing every moment as an opportunity to learn and rewriting the narrative to growth. From how he became passionate about renewable energy to becoming the Founder and CEO of 50Hertz Tingly Foods, Yao never lets the challenges and changes stop him from pursuing what he wants to do. When he rediscovered his favorite flavor in a pasta dish, a green pepper oil that his mother often used, he realized he was onto something.

Today 50Hertz Tingly Foods products are available in local stores in Washington D.C., New York, Boston, San Francisco, and online. His innovative work was quoted numerous times by major publications like the New York Times and The Guardian. Zhao is just getting started but he isn't going to stop until everyone gets to enjoy the 'tingly' and his passion for good life. Tune into Curious Monica as we celebrate Pride Month and LGBTQ+ innovators. Learn more about his inspiring journey at Curious Monica.

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Jenn T. Grace has always been drawn to the transformative power of storytelling. Her affinity for communication and marketing, intertwined with her passion for storytelling, wasn't merely coincidental. Friends and family often sought her out to navigate explanations or bridge communication gaps during conflicts, finding solace and guidance in her ability to connect the dots. However, embracing her own narrative didn't happen overnight. Today, Jenn stands as the Founder & CEO of Publish Your Purpose, a thriving independent publishing brand that has facilitated the sharing of voices from over 200 individuals worldwide by redefining the publishing process. Yet, Jenn's journey into this realm began with a desire to leave behind a toxic workplace where she experienced discrimination for five years.

In our conversation, we delved into Jenn's remarkable journey of self-discovery, from finding her voice to establishing her publishing enterprise and emerging as the innovative leader she is today. Join us on Curious Monica as we celebrate Pride Month and honor LGBTQ+ trailblazers. Discover more about Jenn's inspiring odyssey on Curious Monica.

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Fashion designer Kimberly (Kim) Wong is not shy about building her own path. Today Kim is the founder of Cukimberly, a successful brand of original and colorful print, jewelry, clothes, and accessories in New York. But her journey into fashion was somewhat atypical, and in a way represented the very strength of her unique approaches to creativity and her work as an artist. Kim always loved art, but growing up Asian-American meant that she was encouraged to pursue a traditional career in business. Instead, she paved her own path, going to Japan and becoming an English teacher, and then starting her career in China. It was easier said than done to go to a country without speaking the language, or with a job. But her passion for food, community building, and marketing quickly helped her find her voice. She soon became the Shanghai go-to person to open restaurants and even worked in interior design. Today she is back in New York, working in the fashion industry and running her own brand full-time, but as she reflects on all these chapters, she shares how her past helped her be the better innovator and designer she strives to be.

This May, as we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are thrilled to dive deeper into Kimberly Wong's journey into fashion, business, restaurant and more. Connect with Kim Wong on her site, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Seeking inspiration? Subscribe to Curious Monica by InnovatorsBox, where host Monica H. Kang interviews trailblazers forging new paths to create positive change. Explore more at curiousmonica.com.

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