First Generation Burden

Gabriela Namie is a designer and art director who's been recognized by the global creative industry and uses design to amplify messages she believes in. Currently she's an art director for Google YouTube Music platform, after being at &Walsh and founding Estúdio Barca in her native Brazil.

Gabriela and Rich Tu chat about the unique shared culture, growing up Brazilian Japanese, what it means to have a personl voice in design, and how A.I. can potentially change the creative industry forever.

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Walt Geer is the Chief Experience Design Officer of VMLY&R and was named the Change Creator of the Year by Adweek, but took the path less traveled to get there. In recent years, Walt has become a vocal advocate for inclusion in the creative space, and talks about how a viral post on LinkedIn and asking for accountability has helped build his platform today.

Also, Walt and Rich Tu talk about the value of being a "swiss army knife", the definition of "Brand Experience" how he innovated at companies like Google, ViacomCBS (now Paramount), and Verve (to name a few) and earning some key patents along the way.

*Season Premiere* Kim Pham is the child of Vietnamese refugees and the co-founder of the Asian food brand OMSOM. Kim and Rich Tu sit down and talk about a range of topics like food shame, the importance of community, her founders' journey, and how OMSOM is fighting stigmatization of the ethnic food aisle.

Also, they discuss what it means to be "chronically online and made on the internet", and how Kim is giving life to her multitudes on TikTok and sharing her experience as a lifestyle domme. This episode is all about fighting the model minority myth, and it's a must-listen!

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Esteban Serrano is a creator, television producer, and contributor to Hip Hop and pop culture for close to 20 years at places like MTV and FUSE. Over the course of his career, he has worked on iconic properties like TRL and had a hand in giving artists like A$AP Rocky, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar their first TV appearances.

Rich Tu and Esteban sit down and talk about his upbringing in West Philadelphia, growing up in a Puerto Rican and African-American household, and how he broke into the entertainment industry.

Also, they discuss Esteban's most recent endeavor, helping re-launch Yo! MTV RAPS in the United states on Paramount+, as the show’s Creative Director.

Recorded live at Soho House, in New York City.

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Bobby Hundreds and Ben Hundreds met in law school and founded the iconic streetwear brand The Hundreds in 2003. They sit down with Rich Tu to talk about the early days of streetwear, their humble beginnings merging influences of hip hop, punk and hardcore, and why being the children of immigrants creates a sense of urgency and survival.

Also, they go in-depth into how The Hundreds has always been about community, embracing inclusivity in Web3, challenges of building within the Metaverse, and how they created their sold-out Adam Bomb Squad NFT collection, and the legacy they would like to leave behind when it's all said and done. This episode is packed with fashion and futurism, and not one to be missed.

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Melody Ehsani is a celebrated fashion designer based in Los Angeles and the Women's Creative Director for the global brand Foot Locker. Melody and Rich Tu have a refreshing conversation about how she turned a passion for justice into a creative journey through self-discovery and spirituality.

They cover a range of topics, including growing up in L.A. in a first generation Iranian home, finding God on her own terms, moving to China to design her first sneaker, and the unique challenges of creating for a self-owned brand versus a huge corporation. Also, they uncover a never-before-discovered easter egg on her classic Fearless Jordan 1 collab. 

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REO is a music producer and dynamic futurist poised to change the way the world views digital art. His work in both music and digital art have lead him to into the metaverse with high-ticket NFTs, and collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and Kanye West. REO opens up about finding his true identity as an artist, discovering his West African roots, and how he hacked the educational system.

Also REO and Rich Tu discuss how NFTs have empowered this generation of digital artists, what's creatively possible in the Metaverse, and they take a peek behind the curtain of Kanye's Donda listening parties and what it takes to create on that level.

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Walshy Fire is a Jamaican American DJ, MC and record producer who is a part of the Grammy-nominated dancehall reggae-influenced group Major Lazer. In this special episode, Walshy talks to Rich Tu about how he quit a corporate day job at IBM to pursue his dream in the music industry, becoming a part of the Black Chiney sound system, and later on the joining Major Lazer. They also talk about his music influences, the importance of the New York club scene in the 90's, why cultural validity matters, and the importance of positive music.

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Anna Park is quickly gaining notoriety as one of the most exciting new artists to emerge in the past few years with her large scale charcoal drawings that simultaneously equals parts hedonism and Americana. A recent grad, she has shown in major galleries around the world, and gained the attention of the likes of KAWS and Billy Eilish. Anna and Rich Tu talk about her artistic process, what it was like growing up in Utah as a Korean immigrant, how parental expectations within Asian culture is intense, and why it's important to take a break to protect your mental health. 

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*Season 8 Premiere* We're back! Daniel Buezo is a designer and co-founder of LA-based streetwear upstart Kids of Immigrants and the perfect guest to kick off the new season. Daniel sits down with host Rich Tu to talk about his early days growing up on the East Coast in a first gen Honduran family, being acutely aware of the sacrifices his parents made, and how he avoided trouble to pursue a college degree in social work. Also, Daniel opens up about how he and co-founder Weleh Dennis worked behind-the-scenes for two years before launching the KOI brand in 2016, how their approach to collaborations has evolved, and why it's important to focus on love and community against all odds. This is a conversation you can't miss. 

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