How Deena Kong Is Rewriting Representation in Children’s Literature
Stories
April 18, 2025
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Growing up Cambodian in North America, Deena Kong often felt invisible—a feeling that followed her from Canada to the U.S. and ultimately inspired her to write Grateful Being Me, a book to help children understand representation matters.
Deena Kong with her book Grateful Being Me (Photographed By: Jamie Sutera)
Seeing Herself in Stories
Growing up Cambodian in North America, Deena often felt invisible.
“I truly believed as a child that no one else could relate to these feelings I was experiencing,” she shares. “That’s why I wanted to share my story with others.”
Raised by supportive parents, Deena became a passionate reader, ultimately leading her to create a book that would help children from similar backgrounds see themselves represented.
“Representation matters,” Deena explains. “When a child wanders through a library or bookstore, they should be able to find themselves in the stories and pictures. I hope Grateful Being Me encourages self-acceptance, celebrates diversity, and promotes inclusion by empowering children to connect with one another.”
Grateful Being Me (Photographed By: Jamie Sutera)
The Making of Grateful Being Me
Finding time to write proved challenging while working full-time as a Government Contractor in Ethics & Compliance and raising a family. Yet Deena’s determination to promote diversity and inclusion kept her going until her book was ready for publication.
“Modeled after my real-life experiences, this book follows a young girl named Rosila on her adventure in an unfamiliar place,” Deena says proudly.
The story chronicles Rosila’s first day at a new school in a new country, where she discovers what makes her unique and learns the power of self-love.
“Rosila’s first language isn’t English, so her vocabulary stands out,” Deena notes. “She brings ethnic foods that seem unusual compared to typical American cafeteria lunches. The story captures her nervousness about how classmates will react as she navigates this new environment and makes friends.”
Through Grateful Being Me, Deena offers a powerful tool to help children understand they belong anywhere. The book thoughtfully explores the complex emotions children face when encountering unfamiliar situations, ultimately showing them that their uniqueness is something to be celebrated.
To increase search quality, Google introduces the E-E-A-T framework—an acronym for Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. These four qualities drive SEO and ultimately audience search. Here is a deep dive into the framework to boost your SEO game.
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SEO is constantly on the run, and what used to be your waving lucky cat might lose its charm the next day. Here are three key signs that your SEO’s “waving lucky cat” mode may have been deactivated.
Dropping Search Rankings
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Running a successful paid ads campaign is not just about budget–paying hard doesn’t mean paying smart. To maximize your ad performance, here are three tips that AHN Solutions believes you can take to step up your paid ads game.
Define Your Audience Clearly
Bring out the magnifying glass because we’re going deep into our target demographics, interests, behaviors, and lookalike audience. Make sure you’ve got everything covered and detailed as much as possible. By doing so, you gain a much deeper and more unique understanding of your audience; henceforth, you can adapt your strategy to target them.
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In celebration of Women’s History Month, we shed light on the incredible women transforming the world and driving the community forward. This month, we are honored to interview the visionary at the helm of the world’s toughest multi-course race—the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon: Jennifer Lau. As the Vice President of Action Sports Events at IMG, Jennifer is a proud Chinese American who has constantly stayed at the forefront of the sports and entertainment industry for over 25 years.
PIONEERING CHANGE IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
It’s the era of women making big moves and solidifying their status in society. Jennifer is also part of the movement. Fueled by a passion for storytelling and inclusivity, Jennifer made her way into the sports and entertainment industry through determination and a vision for change. “I always knew I wanted to work in sports and entertainment,” she shares. “Growing up, I loved reading and watching movies, TV shows, and sports that featured stories I could relate to. Regardless of economic class, gender, or ethnicity, these stories resonated with me, and I wanted to be part of that creative process.” And what is her goal? It has always been through storytelling that she wants to connect and uplift others.
Jennifer has been dreaming of a narrative where she could pave her own path in the male-dominated industry, earn the top ranks with her own talent, and she did just that. She rose through the ranks at IMG and earned her place at some of the world’s most iconic sporting events—the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
From dreaming of change to leading it, Jennifer Lau is making waves in the sports and entertainment industry.
Reflecting on this, Jennifer shares:
The sports and entertainment industries have historically been male-dominated, presenting challenges in leadership and visibility for women, particularly women of color. Throughout my career, I’ve had to advocate for myself, push boundaries, and challenge preconceived notions about what leadership in sports looks like. I’m grateful to the executive team at IMG. Over the last 25 years, they have always supported me and continue to encourage me to pursue new business opportunities and ideas, which has allowed me to grow and evolve.
FOSTERING INCLUSIVITY IN THE ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ TRIATHLON
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon has roots in this stretch of odds, which holds a powerful claim of Jennifer’s commitment to inclusivity. The race, known for its strenuous course—plunging into the ice-cold waters of San Francisco Bay, biking on steep and bumpy hills, running through the dirt and rocks—pushes the envelope for many athletes. What makes the 2025 race special is that this year, an impressive number of 405 women will take part in this challenging race, exemplifying the growing influence of women in endurance sports.
This marks a significant milestone as women have long been underrepresented in the sports industry. Jennifer recognizes the need for greater Asian representation in the triathlon space.
Asian females, like many women, are underrepresented in sports and entertainment—whether behind the scenes, in management, as athletes, or as content producers. Growing up, I rarely saw stories that reflected my identity in the industry, which motivated me to push for more representation. The perspectives and stories from the Asian community are essential in shaping the future of the industry, not only for visibility but for driving meaningful business and cultural impact.
EMPOWERING ATHLETES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
Beyond race day, Jennifer’s commitment is a reminder of sportsmanship, which is unity and camaraderie. She aims to highlight the human connections behind the competition, with a focus on the fact that the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is not about elite athleticism. The race is a beacon of people connecting, sharing, and uplifting each other. “The camaraderie that emerges as athletes cross the finish line makes the achievement even more meaningful. It’s a celebration of resilience, determination, and unity.”
Sportsmanship is not just about health and fitness, it’s also about unity and camaraderie.
“With the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, we’ve noticed that not many Asians participate in the sport,” she explains. “While many run or bike, swimming opportunities are often limited in Asian communities due to a lack of access to pools or open water environments. Our priority is to engage with Asian communities and other underrepresented groups, creating opportunities for them to experience this incredible sport.”
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER LAU
“One of my proudest achievements is seeing the events I’ve helped create continue to provide opportunities for athletes, inspire future generations, and entertain global audiences. Witnessing athletes who started in our events go on to compete at the Olympic level is incredibly rewarding.”
