Voxcali

Georgia Tech professor Shimeng Yu’s work on semiconductors and integrated circuits makes AI hardware faster, smarter and more efficient.

Groundbreaking research on semiconductor devices and integrated circuits has showcased Dr. Shimeng Yu’s expertise in emerging non-volatile memories for AI hardware utilized in applications like deep learning accelerators, in-memory computing, 3D integration, and hardware security.  His work on probabilistic learning ecosystems won Intel’s Outstanding Researcher Award in 2023.

Yu has developed a roadmap for creating specialized AI chips that perform complex tasks like facial recognition and voice commands with much greater efficiency in his 2018 review “Neuro-inspired computing with emerging nonvolatile memories”.  That efficiency is due to Yu’s technique for processing visual data at the point of capture rather than through a separate processor, leading to faster response times and significant energy savings.

His 2019 publication “Optoelectronic Resistive Random Access Memory for Neuromorphic Vision Sensors” has been applied in the development of computer vision systems for autonomous vehicles and smart surveillance cameras. 

Yu’s research at Georgia Tech’s Laboratory for Emerging Devices and Circuits, where he is a full professor, is supported by the National Science Foundation among other organizations.  In large part due to the commercial potential of Yu’s work, in 2023 the Electrical and Computer Engineering college received a record $81.3 million in sponsored research funding.

Yu’s Google Scholar publications have been cited over 35,000 times. 

A China native Yu earned his bachelor’s degree in microelectronics from Peking University in 2009.  He moved to California to earn his master of sciences and PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University, respectively, in 2011 and 2013.  Before joining Georgia Tech in 2018 he had been an assistant professor at Arizona State University since 2013. Since August 2024 Dr. Yu has held the Georgia Tech Dean’s Professorship.

After a stunning record-setting performance and two hefty bonuses, Steven Nguyen is quickly becoming UFC’s next must-watch fighter.

Steven Nguyen is an MMA fighter known for his aggressive striking style that incorporates many karate kicks and spinning techniques, earning him the nickname “The Ninja.”

In July Nguyen secured his first UFC victory with a TKO over Mohammad Yahya after a doctor stopped the fight at the end of the second round.  Throughout the 10-minute bout Nguyen landed an impressive 108 strikes with 92 categorized as significant, resulting in a gruesome eye injury for Yahya.  The Vietnamese American set a UFC record for knockdowns in a single fight by flooring his opponent six times, including five in the first round. The dominant showing earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

He also earned a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus in his March 2024 UFC debut against Jarno Errens, despite losing by unanimous decision.

Nguyen secured a UFC contract following a TKO victory over AJ Cunningham in September 2023 on Dana White’s Contender Series – his third appearance on the promotional reality show. He has a professional record of 10 wins and 2 losses.

At 5’11” Nguyen fights in the featherweight division, requiring him to cut 25-30 pounds over a couple months to make weight at 145 pounds.

The 32-year-old began his martial arts journey at an early age, training in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Nguyen forged his parents’ signatures to participate in his first fight at 15 in which he beat a 21-year-old. The Wichita, Kansas native grew up in what he describes as a “traditional Asian family” with relatives in respected professions, including a sister who is a doctor. Nguyen wrestled all four years at Heights High School winning a state title in 2011. Today he fights out of Dallas, Texas training with Fortis MMA.

Two college friends with an inspiring start up story are shaking up the way we fuel our brains.

Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen are the most interesting entrepreneur duo in the caffeine game. They are the co-founders of Neuro and they are taking their brand everywhere from Amazon to Whole Foods to TikTok.

The pair met while studying at UC San Diego. Yoshimura was a neuroscience graduate while Chen studied economics and chemistry. They bonded over their common lifestyle that involved academics and martial arts.

In 2009, the two developed an even stronger friendship after Chen was involved in a snowboarding accident, which left him paralyzed, but that doesn’t stop him from being adventurous.

During rehab after the accident, Yoshimura stuck by Chen’s side and in 2013 they were inspired to develop a functional caffeinated gum that could act as an alternative to energy drinks and coffee.

They began experimenting with vitamins and supplements before launching in 2015 on Indiegogo, a crowdfunding platform, where they raised $20,000 in just a few days. Their concept was Neurogum. A gum infused with caffeine, L-theanine, and B-vitamins that will help keep you focused and energized.

Over the next few years, Yoshimura and Chen focused on perfecting the formula to optimize taste and effectiveness and packaging to create an aesthetically pleasing look.

By 2018 Neurogum was found on shelves at places like CVS Pharmacy and Vitamin Shoppe. The brand saw major spikes in sales on Neurogum.com and Amazon after influencer shoutouts created social media buzz.

At this time Yoshimura and Chen released NeuroMints which had a similar formula and by the end of 2019 Neuro hit $3.5 million in annual revenue.

The duo appeared on season 11 of Shark Tank where they asked for $750k for 5% equity in Neuro. In the end, they did not accept any of the shark’s offers and chose to maintain full control of their vision. While they did not get a deal, Neuro received exceptional brand awareness as orders began to increase online immediately after the episode was aired.

After the Shark Tank momentum, Yoshimura and Chen began to drop new flavors such as peppermint and cinnamon and expanded into more stores like Target and 7-Eleven. In 2022, Neuro became a top-selling brand on TikTok Shop and its virality pushed the brand to hit monthly revenues of $10 million.

Today Neuro can be found in over 10,000 retail stores and on JetBlue flights. The duo continues to expand their brand by developing other functional products like Sleep and Calm mints. As of 2025 Neuro has an estimated value of over $60 million and Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen have turned their personal journey into a national brand.

With millions of consistent sales and a growing product line, Neuro has changed the caffeine experience for everyone making energy more convenient than ever.

People are ditching the night clubs to hit karaoke bars for affordable drinks, chaotic singing, and memorable moments. 

Americans are moving their shower concerts to the bars because karaoke nightlife is booming in the United States. 

The popular activity originated in Japan during the 1970s when Daisuke Inoue developed the very first karaoke machine. He called it the 8 Juke. The term ‘karaoke’ is a blend of the Japanese words “kara” which means empty and “okesutora” which means orchestra. 

The 8 Juke won over bars all around Japan and gave people the chance to live out their performing dreams and also created a different way for music lovers to bond. 

In 1999, Inoue was named one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential Asians of the Century” and in 2004, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Flash forward to today and Inoue’s legacy is more prominent than ever as karaoke is being revived all over the U.S. especially in big cities. Asian style karaoke bars are going viral on TikTok and people are running to book a private room for their next birthday party. 

These karaoke bars have everything you need to have a great night out, LED lighting, drinks, food, and privacy for your group. 

In Los Angeles, Koreatown is the karaoke capital. Pharaoh Karaoke Lounge is a fan favorite and is known for their large rooms, glamorous themed decor, and up-to-date song selection. 

Cleveland, Ohio has the highest number of karaoke bars per person in the U.S. and GalaxyKTV on 30th Street is a very stylish choice with its stunning private rooms and total club like atmosphere. 

Philadelphia holds the highest number of karaoke night events per year in the U.S. Muta Korean BBQ and Karaoke is a North Philly gem because nothing beats a yummy meal and singing your heart out in front of your friends. 

A good karaoke night is not about perfection. Karaoke bars and lounges create a judgement free zone for anyone who wants to test their confidence under the glowing lights. Whether you can actually hit every note or if you just completely butcher the lyrics, karaoke is all about having a good time, getting together with loved ones and letting the music take over.

Meet the Asian American streamers dominating Twitch with cutting-edge technology and addictive content.

Here are the Top 5 AAPI Twitch Streamers of 2025.

Number 5: Youna Kang a.k.a CodeMiko

She is of South Korean descent and has gained over 912 thousand Twitch followers from pushing virtual YouTuber technology with her alias The Technician. 

Number 4: Leslie Ann Fu a.k.a Fuslie

Born to Chinese parents, Leslie earned a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine in biological sciences and attended graduate school at UCLA briefly before dropping out to pursue a full-time streaming career. Since then she has built her platform to over 1.2 million followers. 

Number 3: Jason Nguyen a.k.a JasontheWeen

Jason grew up in a Vietnamese household and currently has over 1.5 million followers and is the most subscribed Asian streamer on Twitch. His “cringe roleplay” content went viral on TikTok and helped boost his popularity earning him the Breakout Streamer Award in 2024. 

Number 2: Lily Ki a.k.a LilyPichu

With over 2.4 million Twitch followers Lily first gained popularity for creating a parody song on YouTube. In 2020 she was the fifth most-watched female streamer on Twitch and she has also received many award nominations including one for Best League of Legends Player in 2022. 

Number 1: Sykkuno

While his full name has always been kept from the world, we call him Sykkuno and he is best known for his friendly demeanor when streaming and playing games. He has also earned Silver and Gold YouTube Creator Awards and takes place in many charity streams including one on the ‘Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’.

Andmore Partners’ focus on functionality and contemporary aesthetics has fostered vibrant communities in Southern California and abroad.

Andmore Partners, the Los Angeles-based architecture firm co-founded in 2015 by the duo of Heagi Kang and Sean Mo, has established its niche for delivering scalable design solutions that maximize environmental space.  

The two have been described by real estate investor Moses Kagan as “wizards” for their development of small- to mid-size apartment buildings.  In addition to residential, their diverse portfolio spans commercial and mixed-use projects primarily concentrated in Southern California but have also spanned to several countries abroad.

Underway now is “The Bora”, an expansive mixed-use property in Los Angeles covering over 277,000 square feet.  Consisting of ground-floor commercial space and 153 apartments, Andmore Partners’ contemporary, functional design incorporates a rooftop terrace, podium deck, and recreation rooms.

Also in LA’s Koreatown, Kang and Mo delivered their signature style with exquisite materials and meticulous detailing in 2019 to the new construction of St. Andrews Apartments.  This 45,000 square foot project involved designing a 6-story, 65-unit apartment building complete with fitness center, resident lounge, and bike parking spaces.

Their most recent K-town project is 446 Shatto. Approved in July, the seven-story residential building will introduce 60 new apartments.  Andmore’s modern design includes a metal exterior that will take the place of an 11,040 square foot parking lot.

They also take on smaller-scale projects, including bespoke residences, coffee shops, and restaurants, reflecting their versatile design capabilities. Kang and Mo are both Korean American architects who met at the Southern California Institute of Architecture while completing their masters in the early 2000s.  Before co-founding the firm Mo was an architect for JERDE and GMPA Architects. Kang also worked for GMPA Architects as a designer in addition to a job at Togawa Smith Martin.

Thai superstar Freen Sarocha is dominating the entertainment industry on multiple fronts.

She grew up in Thailand and is now a rising powerhouse on her way to becoming an international icon. Freen Sarocha is an actress, model, and singer and her 4.7 million Instagram followers are watching this small-town girl turn dreams into reality.

Born in Bangkok, Thailand to a Buddhist family, Freen was destined for stardom since she was a teenager. In 2016 she competed in Miss Teen Thailand and was one of 15 finalists. The organization recognized the spark in Freen and gave her an opportunity to be the host of Miss Teen Thai.

Her first big break was in 2017 after appearing in a music video for Thai singer The Toys. Since uploading, the video has accumulated over 68 million views on YouTube.

Even after stepping foot into the spotlight at a young age, Freen still wanted to prioritize her education and work towards a corporate career. She graduated with First Class Honours from the College of Communication Arts at Rangsit University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Corporate Communication.

After graduating, she looked at careers in the Thai entertainment industry and began to audition for talent agencies. She signed with Idol Factory, a well known Thai television and film company in 2022 and later with Thai talent agency, The Venture Management in 2024. Since then, Freen has been a part of multiple Thai shows including Gap which has over 900 million views on YouTube alone.

Along with a stacked acting resume, Freen is a regular when it comes to the covers of big fashion magazines. She has been featured globally on GQ, Vogue Thailand, and Harper’s Bazaar and has worked with notable luxury brands like Gucci, Prada, YSL, and Givenchy.

At the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024 Freen was a “Women in Cinema” honoree and also ranked 6th in the “Top Influencers Across Categories on Instagram” as well as 2nd for Engagement Rate on Instagram with an impressive 34.9%.

That same year Freen made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week SS25 walking for Valentino where she accounted for 25% of the brand’s total earnings. As Valentino’s top contributor Freen earned $4.9 million in EMV (earned media value) and $5.9 million in MIV (media impact value).

This year Freen has been appointed as a Brand Ambassador for Valentino and Pillow Talk Cushion by Charlotte Tilbury. She also made history as the first Thai actress to attend the annual Met Gala where she ranked 7th in “Top Celebrities” earning $7.1 million EMV with the highest engagement rate amongst all attendees.

Freen went from pageant finalist, to college graduate, to global superstar. Her screen presence is magnetic and she has immense brand power with her loyal fandom standing behind her. Freen Sarocha continues to make history and represent Thailand proving to the world that she will be leaving a legacy.

The aviation leader in configuration design used his expertise to guide Boeing’s development of next-generation airliners.

Chinese American Lawrence Dong’s aerospace engineering career is marked by significant contributions to large airplanes and commercial aircraft development.

A longtime Boeing employee Dong is best distinguished as the configuration leader for the 7E7 program that produced the revolutionary 787 Dreamliner.  

The Boeing 7E7 program was announced in 2003 for the Japanese airline launch customer All Nippon Airways which needed an efficient wide-body aircraft.  Under Dong’s leadership, the aircraft achieved up to 25% greater fuel efficiency and reduced emissions from the use of lightweight composite materials, advanced aerodynamics, and innovative electric systems for traditionally hydraulic ones.  

The 787 Dreamliner began service in 2011 and has since become the bestselling widebody in history, with nearly 1,200 currently in use.

From 2000 to 2002 Dong led Boeing’s Sonic Cruiser airliner project, a high-speed airliner concept.  The project ultimately came to a halt due shifting market conditions that prioritized lower operating costs and fuel efficiency, particularly following the 9/11 attacks.  The work Dong and his team produced wasn’t lost.  Many of the processes, materials, and technologies from the Sonic Cruiser project were incorporated into the 7E7 program.

Beyond these flagship projects, Dong has influenced several other key initiatives including the development of the 737 winglet and the 737-700 Convertible. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dong earned a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan in 1984.

Ghost kitchens are changing the restaurant industry and giving young Asian entrepreneurs a low risk way to test out food concepts. 

Have you ever tried ordering from a new spot on DoorDash and when you try to look it up on your browser, there’s no actual restaurant? That’s because you’re ordering from a ghost kitchen and Asian menu items are becoming a popular concept for success in this space.

So what exactly is a ghost kitchen? You can find ghost kitchens on food delivery apps such as UberEats and Postmates. They are restaurants that do not offer any kind of sit-down dining and most of the time they don’t even have a store front. Some ghost kitchens operate out of shared kitchens or even from inside of another restaurant.

This idea completely cuts down on the price of rent, product waste, and staffing which makes this brilliant for small businesses. New entrepreneurs are able to break into the restaurant industry and test out food concepts to real customers.

Asian ghost kitchens have been a big hit on food delivery apps.

CM Ghost Kitchen is run by Chef Maezaki and it’s Pasadena’s number one take out spot for the most authentic Japanese cuisine. With menu items ranging from premium sashimi to fresh wagyu bento bowls, CM Ghost Kitchen has become a local favorite in the area.

Chef Maezaki works out of his own suite on North Allen Avenue, only offering takeout and delivery, but if you are looking for entertainment for your next event, he can also bring the fine dining to you with his in-home catering services.

If you’re in the mood for a Japanese Korean fusion, Amazing Katsu in Santa Clara is co-owned and managed by Sean Kim and Joe Shin. Dedicated to developing the perfect katsu recipe, Kim and Shin knew their traditional thick cuts of meat would stand out with modern Korean ingredients like cheese.

Amazing Katsu’s kitchen and pick up point is at the Elite Event Center on El Camino Real. They offer four different types of katsu including pork loin, pork tenderloin, cheese, and their signature. Kim and Shin are using their ghost kitchen to give new customers delicious but reasonably priced katsu and are looking to expand their business into a franchise.

Ghost kitchens are proving that a fancy dining area is not necessary to serve tasty food. It just takes creativity, passion, and timely delivery. The next time you are deciding what to eat for dinner on DoorDash, check to see if you’re ordering from a hidden gem like these because chefs have found a new way to share their culture through food.

The AI luminary behind ChatGPT and DALL-E rebuffed a colossal offer from Meta amid a frantic AI talent war.

Mark Chen led OpenAI’s researchers in their pioneering AI successes but the only splash he made was by turning down Mark Zuckerberg’s offer, reportedly valued at upwards of $1 billion, to lead Meta’s belated AI push.  

As OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer Chen described the “visceral feeling” he felt in mid-July as like having been burglarized after Zuckerberg had successfully poached 8 of his AI team since late June.  Instead of joining the exodus Chen worked “around the clock” alongside CEO Sam Altman to stop more defections by AI researchers.

Chen’s research since joining OpenAI in 2018 has been instrumental in shaping the modern AI landscape highlighted by ChatGPT’s explosive growth to over 100 million users within two months of its December 2022 free preview.

The transformative text-to-image model DALL-E which revolutionized generative AI was created by Chen’s teams in 2021.  He also spearheaded the integration of visual perception into GPT-4.

Completed in just 7 weeks Chen’s ingenuity led to Codex, a sophisticated code generation model prompted by natural language.

Such contributions have led the company’s valuation to go from under $1 billion to $300 billion during Chen’s tenure.

Prior to joining OpenAI Chen developed machine learning algorithms for trading firms, including Integral Technology LLC where he was a partner, and Tech Square Trading. Chen’s childhood was split between New Jersey and California before he completed high school in Taiwan.  He returned to the U.S. to earn a bachelor’s degree in math and computer science from MIT in 2012.  Chen is currently a coach for the USA Computing Olympiad team.