First Generation Burden

Today Rich talks to Leyla Rosario. Leyla is an award winning Producer, Director, and Film Maker from The Bronx. We talk about her Puerto Rican heritage, growing up in New York, and how she first broke into the film and advertising world, where she’s worked with clients like Rolex, Hennesy, Cadillac, and most recently the director Michel Gondry.

She’s also the Executive Producer and Co-Creator of “The Gig”, an online series about Women of Color Producers in the entertainment industry. And we talk about the need for representation behind and in front of the camera, what it MEANS to be a Woman of Color in the Ad Game, and how Leyla was able to bounce back from a recent tragedy. 

This week, Rich talks to designer and typographer Wael Morcos. They discuss Wael’s upbringing in a small suburb of Beirut in Lebanon, and how he began his creative journey, from getting his undergrad at Notre Dame in Lebanon to receiving his MFA at RISD in Rhode Island, and co-founding the studio MorcosKey. Also, they get into the intersection of Identity and Academics in design, how one brings their culture into their work in a meaningful way, and the "importance" of awards. 

This is a special collaboration with $6.99 Per Pound Podcast and First Generation Burden. Rich Tu sits down with Jaeki Cho and Joann Park to talk about their origins in South Korea, the commonalities between Korean and Filipino culture, and what it means to be the "other". We're gettin' real #immigrantexcellence up in here.

$6.99 Per Pound is a podcast featuring interviews with leaders and professionals from a wide variety of fields. Paying homage to Korean-owned hot food delis in New York City, the inquisitive duo Joann Park and Jaeki Cho treat listeners to a buffet of HOT takes on career, culture and community.

Jaeki Cho is a Queens native whose insight on race and culture have been quoted on MSNBC, The New York Times, BBC Radio, MTV, and Forbes. He co-produced the feature documentary Bad Rap, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and is currently streaming on Netflix. He’s a partner and creative director for lifestyle boutique Alumni. Before his entrepreneurial pursuit, he was a music journalist, writing for Complex, VIBE, Billboard, and working as an editor for XXL.

Joann Park is a Content Strategist, Producer and Community Builder based in New York City. By day, Joann works at CNN’s Great Big Story, a cinematic media company, where she oversees content programming and audience development. She has also worked for MTV, CBS & Kore Asian Media. In 2018, Joann was also honored as a Cynopsis Rising Star, an title that recognizes emerging leaders under 30 in the media industry. Joann has organized and moderated panels for CNN, Vox Media, Phillip Lim and The Cosmos to advance the creative Asian American community.

Rich sits down with artist and entrepreneur Sophia Chang. You may know her thru collaborations with Adidas, Infiniti, Stella Mcartney, Puma, and most recently Dr Martins. She also just started her own agency WeAscend and art directs the magazine platform UNDO Ordinary, and which focuses on empowerment thru the lens of health and wellness. Today we talk about her Taiwanese upbringing in Queens, New York, and how her lifelong interests in Hip Hop and Streetwear helped make her the creative force that she is today.

First Generation Conversation is a live version of the First Generation Burden Podcast, with creatives who represent a cross-section of the underserved immigrant population in New York and beyond. We discuss the trials and triumphs of these individuals, their methods of breaking past barriers, and what it means to represent yourself and your culture in today’s creative industry. Our inspiring panelists include illustrator and designer Eugenia Mello from Argentina, artist and jewelry designer Kelly Shami from New York City, and multidisciplinary designer/art director Zipeng Zhu from China. Produced by AIGA NY, and recorded at Purpose in New York City. Hosted by Rich Tu.

Today is a special collaborative episode with the Now In Color podcast and Sandie Cheng. In honor of Veterans Day, Sandie tells the story of the forgotten Chinese-American soldiers who fought in the Civil War, focusing specifically on Joseph Pierce. We also discuss Sandie's Chinese and Taiwanese upbringing, how she personally identifies, the affirmative action lawsuit against Harvard, and the differences between Ken Jeong and Awkwafina.

Ty Turner is a wardrobe and fashion stylist for TV and entertainment, having worked with MTV, BET, and Jordan Brand and on shows like Wild N Out, TRL, 106 and Park, 50 Central. We get into her family’s origins in Ghana and West Africa, and what it was like growing up in Brooklyn, as well as her new project ENVSN FEST, a new festival geared towards young female empowerment. We also talk about how she initially broke into the entertainment business through the music industry, her love of fashion, and how important is it to be yourself in an industry driven by perception.

Bashan Aquart is the Executive Creative Director of AKA, an entertainment agency in New York City and one half of the Director duo Jams & Bash. Notably, one of their clients this year was The Band’s Visit, which won the 2018 Tony Award of for Best Musical. We talk about his upbringing in Newark, New Jersey with a Jamaican and Southern background. We also discuss how his family’s professional music careers affected his youth get into the importance of understanding culture and storytelling and how that was engrained in him in his early days at SpotCo. We also grade the Space Force logos (they’re not good).

Rich talks to Derek Roberts, a designer and art director currently living in England. His family came to the UK from the Caribbean by way of St Vincent and Barbados. We talk about his early days in England and how he got his start in the product and apparel world by taking creative risks. This eventually got him a job in Ohio, at Abercrombie and Fitch, which led his dream job at Nike. And we also get into how he connected with the classic American brand Pendleton where he got to work with the Marvel and Star Wars brands.

Ro the Show is a fighter, trainer, and an IBJJF Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Pan American Champion and World Champion. We talk about his upbringing in the Philippines, his first memories of arriving in New York as a child, how he started fighting, and what it means to fight. We also discuss his core values, and how he dug himself out of personal lows to become the success that he is today.