“TORONTO, ON”
The Beginning
1986
My parents, both born in Hong Kong, met as students at the University of Toronto. I came into the world in 1986 and that year, my parents brought me to Vancouver to meet my poh poh and gung gung. They fell in love with the city and our family moved to be near the Pacific Ocean in 1989.
“CANADA”
The Wonder Years
1989-2011
My childhood was spent next to the forest. I learned to love taking walks and being in the woods. I also loved books, TV, and magazines, and spent many weekends curled up with a story and exploring faraway places.
After high school, I moved to Toronto to study English and Communications, and came back to Vancouver to finish my degree. I graduated from the Simon Fraser University Master of Publishing program in 2011 and moved to Montreal to pursue a career in magazine editing.
“VANCOUVER, BC”
Community Building
2011-2020
I moved back to the West Coast in 2011 to make it home. At first, I worked as a publishing and PR professional. Later, I joined the leadership of a youth organization engaging Asian diasporic youth in social and environmental justice.
As a volunteer, I helped to manage the Vancouver Chinatown Night Market, mentored high school girls, helped to manage an award-winning arts & culture magazine, advocated for local active transportation infrastructure, and co-created Canada’s first program to mentor the next generation of women of colour leaders in the arts.
Since 2017, I have worked in and alongside grantmaking organizations for independent filmmakers, artists, and other cultural workers, bringing an equity lens to outreach, adjudication, and other elements of program design.
xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Territories
Here, Now
The COVID-19 pandemic has indelibly transformed my relationship with work. I am as passionate about my role as a director of a women-led communications and marketing agency, supporting progressive campaigns and organizations, as I am about the essential labour of caring for my community, family, and my dog, Penny. I organize and facilitate avenues for more connections, equity, and creativity.
In 2022, I completed the SFU Community Capacity Building certificate.