First Generation Burden

*Webby Award Honoree* 

In another special LIVE episode, Rich sits down with an international group of creatives from the halls of MTV, VH1, CMT, and Logo. It's a heartfelt event in front of a captive audience. Hear stories about coming to America, the trials of seeking a green card, and how we can overcome great tragedy and find optimism under the harshest of circumstances. You do not want to miss this one.

Panelists include: Misha Brea, Antonia Baker, Tanya O’Neill, Ruslan Ivanov, and Florencia Massu

*Special Episode*

In this special LIVE episode, Rich sits down with Benjamin Evans, the Inclusive Design Lead at Airbnb. While growing up in the UK, Benjamin showed a lot of promise in the culinary arts and acting (somewhat inspired by his father, fitness personality Mr. Motivator). During his years spent as both an actor and tech entrepreneur, an incident in Chile (and spurred on by #airbnbwhileblack) lead to Benjamin joining Airbnb's Anti-Discrimination Team, where he is helping guide the global platform's path towards inclusive design. They discuss global culture, how they've changed the user experience, and how we have to acknowledge bias in order to overcome it. Also there's an audience Q&A that gets a little spicy. This is one episode that's got brains AND drama.

Produced by AIGA NY, and recorded at Parsons The New School in New York City. Hosted by Rich Tu.

SEASON FINALE! Gavin Alaoen is the Social Art Director at MTV. He also created the "McKayla is NOT IMPRESSED" meme, and was the last person to Boomerang Bobby Shmurda before he was incarcerated. He is also a fellow First Generation Filipino-American who grew up on the West Coast, only to find himself in the hallowed halls of Music Television. Gavin and Rich talk about the recent VMAs, Popeyes chicken sandwich, the DNA of a successful Meme, and how fatherhood has changed his perspective. Also, there’s a cameo from Sandie Cheng from the Now In Color podcast. 

Shira Inbar is a designer and educator who has worked with some of the biggest names in the creative world, but still finds the time to actively pursue social justice. Rich Tu and Shira discuss her upbringing in Israel and how she helped find justice for migrant workers at a young age. Also, they talk about how typography is intimately connected to religion, how motion design is like dancing, and the Yale philosophy of design (prepare to be challenged).

Kervin Brisseaux is a first-generation Haitian-American whose illustration style incorporates fashion, music, and other facets of pop culture. He's also a Design Director at the world-renowned brand design agency Vault49. Rich Tu and Kervin talk about all of his influences (including 90s movies that defined our lives), how he almost became an architect, and how he defied a conservative upbringing through art and culture. Also, there's a lot of sneaker talk, and how Virgil and StockX are helping (or hurting?) The Culture.

Designer and Typographer Ksenya Samarskaya has an amazing story to tell. Rich and Ksenya talk about how she, her mother, and her grandmother fled Russia as Jewish refugees during the fall of the Soviet Union. They lived among various refugee communities overseas before eventually settling in the Pacific Northwest, where Ksenya began her creative journey, leading her to work at firms like Hoefler + Frere-Jones and Apple, and eventually starting her own firm Samarskaya + Partners.

Donate to Help Families Separated During the Mississippi Raids: actblue.com/donate/ms-raids

Meet Ekua.PM (also known by her initials EPM). She hosts a podcast called Afrolit, highlighting the stories of metropolitan Africans, like herself. Ekua's also a media personality, a DJ, and co-founded her own collective called The Faro, known for curating fun cultural experiences for the public and private sector, having worked with Africa Fashion Week, OkayAfrica and Global Citizen.

Rich and Ekua sit down and have a joyful discussion about her journey and upbringing, the differences between East and West Africans, similarities in the ways immigrants parents raise their kids, and what it means to be a "Third Culture Kid".

This is a the second part of our conversation with Juan Carlos Pagan and Ahmed Klink, the co-founders of Sunday Afternoon. This time we talk about pettiness and haterade in the creative industry (of which there is A LOT), the pros and cons of the perception of youth, the toxicity of fear culture, and sacrifices of opening your own studio. Also who owns StefanSagmeister.com? All is revealed (and it’s pretty funny).

This is Part 2 of a two part conversation.

Listeners will be familiar with our guests Ahmed Klink and Juan Carlos Pagan. Ahmed and Juan Carlos are co-founders of the studio Sunday Afternoon and collectively have worked with the likes of Vanity Fair, Bacardi, The New York Times, Nike, Adidas, Travis Scott, Migos, Pinterest... the list goes on. Rich has a free-flow round table discussion with our guests, about owning a business as POCs, our emotional relationship to brands, and how we can post-rationalize anything.

This is Part 1 of a two part conversation.