Originally published on Forbes
Every business leader faces challenges, but those within the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community often encounter additional systemic hurdles that can shape the course of their journey.
Research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that Asian Americans account for a mere 3% of executive roles in the United States, while a 2020 Diversity in US Startups report revealed that, of the $68B invested in startups by the top VC funds, only 17% went to Asian founders. For women, those numbers are significantly lower.
Simultaneously, “Asian entrepreneurs are constantly left out of a lot of VC funding that is geared towards minorities,” says Elle Wang, founder and CEO of Emilia George Inc., a motherhood lifestyle and retail brand. BCG reports that, because of the “model minority” myth, funds focused on Black and Latinx communities are five and three times more represented, respectively, than those focused on the AAPI community.
But where there are barriers, there too are those determined to break them. As we celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, it’s crucial to tell those stories: the triumphs of Asian American women who have navigated systemic challenges to build and lead successful companies and teams.
Here, seven women leaders of Asian heritage share the insights that have shaped their journeys and leadership approaches—a playbook of practical wisdom for any emerging leader determined to overcome obstacles.
Amplifying Visibility: The Power Of Sharing Success
“As a woman, especially in the tech industry, it is easy to feel deflated and not feel like you belong or worse, have your credibility questioned,” says Bosky Mukherjee, founder of PMDojo, a learning platform that helps women and minorities get hired and promoted faster.
An insight she had earlier in her career was to address this challenge proactively, ensuring her key contributions and those of her teammates were visible throughout the organization.
She recommends documenting accomplishments, including screenshots of kudos from managers, stakeholders, or clients. “Learn to reframe these into tangible business outcomes, regardless of how small they may feel,” she says. “Each drop adds up at the end of the year during promotion conversations.”
Priyanka Ghosh-Murthy, Chief Legal
Officer at Well&You, a medical brand elevating the quality of community healthcare, agrees. “Don't work in silence,” she says. “Work hard, work smart, get results, and as and after you get those results, tell everyone who needs to know about your specific contributions.”
Ensuring your contributions are visible is an effective approach for entrepreneurs, too, says Michelle Ng, founder and designer at reproductive health startup Neuemoon Health. “Actively advocating for your achievements and needs is key in the long entrepreneurship journey,” she says. “As an AAPI woman, overcoming our cultural reluctance to self-promote and seek assistance is crucial.”
Staying True To Your Vision: Focusing On Core Strengths
Leadership today demands more than just managing tasks; it requires strategic foresight, focus, and a commitment to innovation. “The world we live in requires us to constantly evolve and innovate, not only in products that we are selling via our business but, most importantly, in how we chart our own course,” says Wang.
For her, charting that course has meant differentiating between distinctions and distractions. “We are in a lifestyle and retail business where there is newness in the market between every breath we take. It takes our team and me, as a leader, extremely high discipline to focus on our core products and advantages,” she says.
Focusing on her business distinctions, rather than getting distracted by the fleeting popularity of the moment, has helped Wang build a fast-growing, profitable business that has started to attract investors and funding awards from Macy's Inc.
Caitlin Kawaguchi, co-founder and COO of nonprofit consultancy Parkes Philanthropy, similarly views her role as a leader as being laser-focused on creating the conditions for success. “You need to be thinking one, five, ten years down the line: where is the industry going, what will the landscape look like, how will our organization lead?” she says.
“From there, ruthless prioritization of the tactics to position your organization accordingly is key—identify what actions are having outsized impact, and figure out how to double down on those.”
Connecting For Success: The Importance Of Supportive Communities
“As an entrepreneur, one of the most valuable insights I've gained is the importance of creating your own community,” says Julie Zhu, a fractional CMO and marketing strategist who helps early-stage entrepreneurs and creatives raise their visibility through her consultancy, Julie Zhu LLC.
This sentiment is echoed by others, too. “Paving a new path, as you often are as an entrepreneur or as a leader, can be lonely. It's been important to me to intentionally seek out mentors who can relate to the unique experiences of being an AAPI woman in leadership and engage with supportive communities,” says Kawaguchi.
Ng agrees that assembling a supportive team has been crucial to the success of growing her startup, citing mentors, as well as fellow entrepreneurs from the Techstars Founder Catalyst program as key members of her network.
But you can do this even without official networks. Throughout her career, Zhu has hosted events and curated conversations that bring together people with shared interests and goals. “By fostering an environment of trust and collaboration, I've found that these purpose-driven communities lead to mutual growth and long-term success,” she says.
The Road Ahead: Persevering Through The Journey
For Ashley Chang, co-founder and CEO of executive assistant service Sundays, a profound insight has been to keep going—to power through the challenges inevitable in any leadership journey. “When we see stories of successful companies, it looks like the founders started a company, got traction, and succeeded immediately. That's not what the reality of building a company feels like,” she says.
“It's a lot of hard work for a long time. But, if you hold on to the problem that you want to solve, keep going, and learn at every step along the way, eventually you will find the right solution.”
In my next article, I’ll share the ways that AAPI leaders have embraced their cultural heritage as a source of strength and their advice for others in their shoes.
