Voxcali

Chriselle Lim transformed the pain of a public divorce into reinventing PHLUR into one of the fastest growing fragrance lines in the United States. 

In a world that overflows with different scents, Chriselle Lim figured out how to turn a fragrance line into a multimillion-dollar fragrance brand that is influencing modern perfumery. Originally founded in 2015, PHLUR was established as a fine-fragrance brand that was carefully crafted and responsibly sourced, but it wasn’t until Chriselle Lim acquired the company and led it to success.

Before becoming PHLUR’s owner and creative director in 2021, Lim was making a name for herself as one of fashion’s most recognizable voices. She worked as a stylist while posting styling videos on YouTube and began to grow a following, which led her to launch her own blog called The Chriselle Factor, in 2011. She was being recognized by major brands and was offered influencer collaboration deals with Gucci and Chanel.

But behind the polished runway looks Lim would share with the world, she was actually going through a divorce that publicly left her in one of the darkest moments of her life. And that's when she decided to take the reins of PHLUR and make it her mission to translate emotions into a scent.

The feelings that engulfed her during this time led her to create Missing Person, a perfume that took the internet by storm as it reminded customers of their former loved ones. PHLUR went from a quiet, minimalist fragrance line to one that screams emotional luxury with their clean ingredients and nostalgic offerings.

For Lim, PHLUR was more than just her business. It was her way of healing. Each of the scents she developed represented an emotion she once felt, directing the true meaning of a fragrance from just being a luxury label to having actual connection.

Under Lim’s direction, PHLUR evolved into one of the fastest growing fragrance brands in the United States with expectations to exceed $150 million in retail sales for this year. Many other scents like Father Figure and Not Your Baby have also gone viral on social media not just because they smell good, but because they tell stories.

From fragrance to fashion and from heart break to healing, Chriselle Lim has shown the world that you can rewrite your story at any stage in life and that your feelings can be bottled and shared with the world.

Sports journalist Pablo Torre has had on-camera impact while getting the behind-the-scenes scoop.

Filipino American Pablo Torre is an award-winning journalist, sportswriter, podcaster, and television host.

Torre recently investigated the Los Angeles Clippers alleged salary cap circumvention.  His reporting revealed that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was involved in a deal to pay Kawhi Leonard $28 million through a “no-show job” with the financial firm Aspiration.

These details were divulged on his podcast and web series Pablo Torre Finds Out which he has hosted since joining Meadowlark Media 2023.  The disclosure made waves in the NBA and led Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to join the podcast for a friendly argument about the findings.

Torre’s longstanding relationship with ESPN began in 2012 when he joined the network as a senior writer.  His time there was highlighted on the daily show High Noon which he co-hosted with Bomani Jones from 2018 to 2020.  Torre regularly appeared on their slate of shows including Pardon The Interruption and Around The Horn.

After graduating college in 2007 Torre joined Sports Illustrated as a staff writer.  There he produced the 2009 article, “How and Why Athletes Go Broke,” which became the basis for the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Broke. The 40-year-old was born and raised in New York City.  His mother, a dermatologist, and father, a urologist, emigrated from the Philippines.  Torre graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a degree in sociology in 2007.

These niche Asian sports are gaining global popularity with their speed, power, and impressive competition.

In the U.S., when we think of sports we picture baseball or football, but across the globe in Asia, athletes are playing some of the most intense sports that don’t get nearly enough spotlight.

Starting off with badminton, a quiet powerhouse sport.

It has been played for centuries all over Eurasia and was modernized in the mid-19th century throughout British India. The game became very popular in India by the 1870s and in 2016 Premier Badminton League was established, operating nine franchise teams along with top international badminton talent.

Other badminton leagues can be found in countries like China, South Korea, and Malaysia. It is the fastest racket sport in the world and some Olympic champions are hitting speeds of 300 miles per hour , meaning this game requires power, precision, and mental strength.

Next, is a sport that’s all about contact and chaos.

Kabaddi originated in ancient India and is basically like a game of tag, except with tackling. It is the national sport of Bangladesh and is played by both men and women throughout South Asia. Two teams of seven face off with the goal of crossing into enemy territory to tag as many opponents as possible.

Although it has been around for centuries, the Pro Kabaddi League was started in India in 2014. The brutality that comes along with this game and the strategy needed to win makes Kabaddi the third most popular sport to watch in India.

Finally, we have a showstopper.

Sepak Takraw is volleyball, but with no hands. It was first introduced in Southeast Asia not as a game, but as a way to get physical exercise in. Players can only use their feet, knees, and chest to keep a small ball up in the air and over the net to the other team.

It wasn’t until 1965 when the Asian Sepaktakraw Federation was established and was then introduced in the 1970 Asian Games as a demonstration sport played by Malaysian and Thai teams. Today there are over 30 countries with national Sepak Takraw organizations that are slowly gaining international fans as clips of mid-air kicks and impossible saves go viral across social media.

A Huntington Beach surf kid has become one of the world’s top surfers.

Before he was a surfing star, Kanoa Igarashi was just a kid from Huntington Beach following his father’s footsteps. Igarashi was born in 1997 to Japanese parents who decided to move to “Surf City” from Tokyo to give their son a chance to master the art of surfing. 

By the age of three, Igarashi was learning how to paddle out. Since his father was a competitive surfer in Japan, he would routinely take Kanoa out to the water at 5:45 in the morning before he would have to be at school. 

His training paid off as he had already won his first surfing trophy by the age of seven and when Igarashi was 14, he became the youngest surfer in history to win the U.S. National Under-18 Championships. 

At 18 Igarashi qualified for the World Surf League Championship Tour where he competed as the youngest rookie that year and to make his mark in his hometown he secured back-to-back titles at Huntington Beach’s U.S. Open of Surfing in 2017 and 2018. His winning streak continued in 2019 when he won his first Championship Tour event which cemented his name amongst the world’s top surfers. 

Surfing made its Olympic debut in Tokyo and Igarashi made the decision to represent Japan even though he grew up in American culture outside of his Japanese household. His decision truly honors his parents and his heritage and at the Tokyo Olympics he rode the waves at Tsurigasaki Beach, the same ones his father once surfed. 

Igarashi took home the silver medal for Japan and solidified his place in Olympic history. He still continues to dominate the surfing stage as he is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, proving his unstoppable drive. Every time Kanoa Igarashi paddles out he represents his Japanese roots while embracing the California waves that raised him. Whether he’s soaking in the Huntington Beach sunrise or competing in Japan, Igarashi’s story reflects the focus and dedication it takes to be a star in this sport. 

These Asian actors infuse Hollywood’s darkest genre with depth and dread.

Get ready to add these 5 movies to your Halloween movie watch list this year! Today, we’re spotlighting 5 suspenseful films that feature Asian actors.

Starting off strong with Saw, a Halloween classic. Ken Leung plays Detective Steven Sing who gets his methodical self into the middle of a serial killer’s twisted games. His character brings observance and true focus into every discovery which also adds a layer of realism to the movie.

Next up is the 2020 release of The Grudge.

This film stars John Cho as Peter Spencer, a real-estate agent who’s in for a ghoulish surprise. Tension in this one is thick, the jump scares will have you on the edge of your seat, and John Cho shows us that chaos is not always needed in horror.

This next movie will blur your dreams and nightmares.

Maggie Q plays Gwen Olsen and Jimmy O. Yang is Brax Weaver in Fantasy Island. A group travels to a mysterious island where all of your wishes are granted, but they quickly find out that some things are far too good to be true. Maggie Q gives us a haunting performance as she not only has to survive the island, but also her own self and Yang’s personality brings humor to the horror.

Every good Halloween movie list needs a slasher film.

Sorority Row is a 2009 favorite that incorporates everything good about a 2000s horror, sorority sisters, suspense , and pranks that go too far. Jamie Chung plays Claire, a member of Theta Pi whose life starts to unravel after one wild college night.

Finally, we’ll end this list with the most recent release, Umma.

Sandra Oh stars in this 2022 film as Amanda, a mother living far from the outside world with her daughter. The movie takes a turn when Amanda is forced to face something much more terrifying than ghosts and spirits, showing us just how scary love, grief, and guilt can be.

Big roles in Bridgerton and other projects combine with runway prominence to power Simone Ashley’s rise to glam stardom.

British actress Simone Ashley is best known for her role as Kate Sharma in the current Netflix period drama Bridgerton.   She has starred in 11 episodes since her character was introduced in the second season of the award-winning show.

Ashley’s first feature lead role came in the 2025 romcom Picture This, a film in which she is also credited as an executive producer.

Disney’s 2023 live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid featured Ashley as Ariel’s sister.  The reimagination was a hit grossing over $569 million.

Ashley played a starring role in the international Netflix comedy series Sex Education.  She was credited with 14 episodes in three seasons from 2019-2022.

The 30-year-old began her acting career in 2016 on two episodes of the British teen drama Wolfblood.

Ashley’s parents are first-generation immigrants from India who settled in the UK.  Simone Ashwini Pillai, as Ashley was originally named, studied acting at the Arts Educational School in West London. 

As a model she was featured in 2025 campaigns for Ralph Lauren and L'Oréal.  Ashley made her catwalk debut in September 2024 at the L'Oréal Paris “Le Défilé” show.  Her Instagram boasts modeling and acting roles along with 4 million followers. A flourishing modeling career, season 4 of Bridgerton, being cast in the 2026 film The Devil Wears Prada 2, and a leading role in the feature This Tempting Madness are keeping Ashley busy for the foreseeable future.

A perfect 19-for-19 record lets Tokyo Toe Matsuzawa power the Rainbow Warriors’ resurgence.

“Tokyo Toe” aka University of Hawaiʻi kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is having a record-breaking senior season and putting his name in the conversation about the nation’s best kickers.

Matsuzawa set the tone in Week 0 against Stanford by drilling a game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired to give the Rainbow Warriors a thrilling win – their first over a power conference opponent since 2019.

His hometown and potent kicking earned him the nickname, “Tokyo Toe.”   In week 7, sporting Kanji on his nameplate, Matsuzawa tied former UH All-American and NFL Pro-Bowler Jason Elam’s program record for 20 straight made field goals dating back to his junior season.

Now a perfect 19-for-19 he leads the entire country in field goals made, earning Mountain West Conference special teams player of the week honors four times.  He’s also 19-for-19 on extra points.

The FBS record for most field goals made in a season without a miss is 21 and field goals made in a season is 31 – Matsuzawa is on pace to tie both in the regular season.

The clutch kicking has translated into a 5-2 record for Hawaiʻi this season, already matching or surpassing their final win totals from the past three seasons and boosting head coach Timmy Chang’s rebuilding effort. The 6’2” Matsuzawa has gone from watching kicking tutorials on YouTube in Japan to making a strong case for recognition as college football’s best kicker.  The Groza Award’s list of 20 semifinalists will be announced November 18.

Spacecoin uses blockchain to build a satellite-based internet network to connect the global economy at a lower cost than Starlink.

Tae Oh is founder and CEO of Spacecoin, a startup aimed at providing decentralized satellite-based internet connectivity worldwide, giving the unconnected access to global commerce.  The blockchain satellite network’s decentralization completely bypasses terrestrial internet and allows anyone to join and be compensated via crypto for providing internet access. 

“Uber for satellites” is how Oh describes the role he hopes to play with his startup.  Spacecoin launched its first satellite in December of 2024 and is planning three more satellites to be launched in Q4 of 2025.

Elon Musk’s Starlink has paved the way for providing hi-speed internet to the nearly 3 billion people who lack reliable connectivity though it can handle only a few users per any given area.  Spacecoin, on the other hand, is optimized to keep cost low.  His permissionless, trustless blockchain-based option also provides security that isn’t under the control any business or government, much as Bitcoin offers decentralized finance.

Spacecoin is the third piece of a network that also includes two other pieces also founded and led by Oh: the de-fi platform Gluwa and its spawn Creditcoin, a cryptocurrency blockchain network.  The Spacecoin system uses Creditcoin’s blockchain to manage financial transactions.  

Gluwa, founded in 2012, partnered with the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2024 to help boost adoption of its digital currency eNaira.  A 2022 report noted that over half of Nigerian crypto investors had most of their assets in crypto.  Creditcoin has processed over $80 million in transactions with over 300,000 users. Before founding Gluwa Oh was an engineer for SOLiD and an organizer for Korea’s Google Cloud platform.  The native Korean speaker has a 2010 bachelor of science in computational biology from Carnegie Mellon University.

The Deel co-founder built the tech startup to a $15 billion valuation by automating global hiring, payroll, and compliance.

Shuo Wang has built Deel into a platform for companies with global workforces by simplifying payroll, local compliance, benefits, and visa issues – including untangling the White House’s new $100,000 H-1B Visa application fee.

It took just two years after its founding in 2019 with MIT classmate Alex Bouaziz for the San Francisco-based company to scale up to unicorn status.  It currently serves over 35,000 customers in more than 150 countries with Wang serving as Chief Revenue Officer.

In Q1 2025 Deel achieved double digit EBITDA margin growth and in April, 75% year-over-year revenue growth.  By surpassing a $1 billion run rate Deel’s valuation rose as high as $15 billion.

Deel is targeting a 2026 IPO, subject to the state of the global economy.

The rapid growth of her company has Forbes estimating Wang’s net worth at $1.5B, placing her number 23 on its list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women.

Wang left grad school in 2015 to start her first company Aeris, specializing in air purifiers, with another MIT classmate Pierre Bi.  She served as Chief Technology Officer through 2018 before shifting her focus to Deel.  iRobot bought Aeris for $72 million cash in 2021. Wang moved to Baltimore from Shenyang, China at the age of 16.  She graduated from MIT in 2013 with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and a concentration in robotics.

These Asian home decor staples are inspiring a new wave of interior design. 

Asian home decor is heavily influencing the interior design game and some of these pieces have been seen in both magazines and Pinterest boards.

First up, we have bamboo.

What was originally used in Chinese and Japanese homes to separate rooms, but still have light seeping in, has grown to be a staple for American households. They add privacy to any space without sacrificing natural lighting, creating a relaxing spa-like feeling. You can find bamboo being used as headboards, backdrops, or outdoor privacy screens.

Another item often used as wall decor are wall fans.

In Chinese and Korean households, these fans were used as everyday cooling devices. Now designers are hanging them above beds or as statement wall art to add color and culture to a plain wall.

Next, we have incense and decorative incense holders.

One of the most ancient Asian rituals is now a modern home essential. Not only will burning incense add fragrance to your home, you can also find a sleek incense holder, coiled ones, or one shaped like a lotus flower to add an aesthetic touch.

Moving on to another classic that has been around for centuries: blue and white porcelain.

You can find these timeless cobalt brushstrokes on fine china, vases, and jars. With these porcelain pieces, heritage blends with modern and it fits perfectly with the trending “quiet luxury” aesthetic.

Finally, the koi fish pond.

It symbolizes good fortune and used to be only found at temples or special courtyards. Today koi ponds are the ultimate backyard flex. Homeowners are building mini koi ponds in their front yards and gardens and even adding bridges or fountains for a more magical home vibe.