Deep Dive with Siqi Chen on Being an Asian Leader and Entrepreneur

Awaken* newsletter

March 14, 2024

On December 11th, I had the honor to chat with Siqi Chen. Siqi is a legendary figure in the startup space. He has led product at Zynga and growth at Postmates, served as CEO at SandboxVR, and is a 3x founder with two exits. Siqi currently works as the founder and CEO of Runway: a company which develops tools to allow businesses to painlessly model their finances. We had a great conversation which touched on topics such as high/low agency, PMF, insecurity. I thought this conversation was especially fruitful. Without further ado:

DEVELOPING AGENCY

I started out the conversation by asking Siqi if he felt he was always a high agency person, and it seemed so, he said:

Looking back, there were memorable things from my childhood that suggest that I probably did. For instance, when I was three or four, I would ride my tricycle in the yard. When my grandparents closed the gate, I would turn the tricycle around and ride it through the vegetable patch to get to the other side. That seems pretty emblematic of how I turned out. But it’s hard to tell when you’re young… One of the more profound impacts on how I turned out is–my dad is a physicist and he gave me a book by Richard Feynman when I was in the 6th grade. It’s called “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman”. That had a huge impact on my development. I recommend that book to everyone. He was a very iconic, first principles thinker, didn’t care what other people think.

I followed up by asking how people like me can work on developing more agency. The short answer is self-awareness, but here’s the complete answer:

In my interactions with people, I think there are feedback loops that can become very productive or very negative, depending on where it starts. And I think maybe where it all starts is self-awareness. Like, what are the feedback loops that are feeding you right now? Where people become low agency, is when they ascribe blame or responsibility to people, to things outside of them. And it’s not even wrong, right? Like, we’re all affected by things outside of our control. But when everything that happens, you assign blame to something outside of you. Then you’re right, and it’s confirmatory. Next time it happens, you’re going to do it again and you increasingly get into this loop where you have less and less agency. And the converse is also true, right? If everything that happens, I could have done something about that. Increasingly, you become more capable and you have more agency. So I think it’s like identifying which feedback loop you want, and understanding what feedback loop you’re in now is probably the way to do it.

I agreed with Siqi and added that I thought that the positive feedback loop was the more meaningful, but difficult way to live life–surprisingly, Siqi had a different opinion, explaining that a low-agency life is actually more difficult because you end up at the whim of other people, living a life you don’t want to live.

PRODUCT MARKET FIT

Naturally, as the master of all things growth, I had to ask Siqi about PMF. I started by asking him how he defined PMF:

One way I think about it is that product market fit is something that you want to always constantly be chasing. You can have perfect product market fit with the market that you have, but in order to grow you need to extend to new markets and increase the capabilities of it. There’s always going to be a customer in that new segment that is unsatisfied with your product and it’s going to feel bad.

I think it is a continuum that you chase, but there is also another part of my mental model about product market fit. I don’t think it’s a line. I think it’s actually a 2D grid.

When I think about starting a new startup, there is like, are you even on the path to increasing product market fit? Initially, you’re just like searching in the wilderness for something. You don’t necessarily know what is the right target customer. You don’t know what the right solution is. There’s a bunch of unknowns. As you talk to more customers and you build more things, you can see further out into this forest, you can maybe see the exit from the forest, and that’s when you start getting on the tracks.

So I think it’s very much a 2D grid, and so you want to first get on the track. To make sure that you understand what you’re doing. You have a pretty good understanding of what your ideal customer profile is, and you’re going to build towards it. Then it becomes like, okay, how many of the market can I actually service? Today is it 10, 100, a thousand? And can I expand to different segments?

Siqi also mentioned another framework he used for PMF which to me seemed retention focused:

One framework I do have is this idea of a boat. The problem with the boat is if you don’t have product market fit. The best boat will sink if there’s a hole in it. You can try to compensate by having a nicer boat, a bigger boat, or a faster boat, but if there’s a hole, you won’t be able to see it unless you focus on it. In terms of metrics, that’s retention. You could be really good at growth hacking and have a million people come in, but if they’re not sticking around, you probably do not have product-market fit.

I also brought up an article I had read recently, The Tyranny of the Marginal User, which is a great article that I recommend our readers read. Essentially, the main idea of the article is that modern apps are catering to the marginal user, the next user they’re going to get. By adding features or tuning our apps or products to reach the widest audience, the product can be degraded, especially for existing consumers. I had Siqi give his thoughts on this:

Andrew Chen referred to this as the next feature fallacy ten years ago. The next feature is the thing that’s going to get you there. What you’re describing is a version of that at scale, where you can only do the next feature because you have so many users. I think the framework that I have about this is that products are path dependent. If you start with a certain audience and a certain user base, they will lead you towards the shape of a certain product. Their asks and their problems are going to be a certain shape. That might not at all intersect with some other segment that you would find really valuable.

If you’re building a product for a brand new startup with ten to 20 people, there’s a lot of these companies out there. It’s a pretty big market. There’s nothing wrong with that. You’re going to be building new products, but the things that they ask for a lot of the time, if not most of the time, are going to be very different from the things that an enterprise customer will ask for. If you actually want to get the enterprise with any level of latency, sooner rather than later, you have to go directly attack them. You can’t just next feature your way from there to here. You have to figure out, okay, I can focus on this product, but there is some other segment, another value we’re probably going to solve, and I’m going have to treat that almost independently of the product that I have.

I asked Siqi if he had run into this problem with Runway:

It’s a lesson I took for Runway. Initially, the thinking was, we’re going to build something for startups and just for startups. Like, companies of a certain size and we’ll grow with them. We built a product focused on reporting and Runway. It helps you understand your spend because you’re a brand new startup. What do you care about? You just care about burn. You’re not a very sophisticated business. What we quickly found is that we solved that problem.

It’s not that valuable a problem, as it turns out. Once you’re a startup, you learn that Runway tells you very succinctly, that you spend all your money on people this month and next month doesn’t change, right? Meanwhile, you have these larger companies who are making multimillion-dollar decisions, and they need some kind of modeling planning tool. These use cases are so far apart. We could have gotten a million startups, but they wouldn’t have had the pain and the detail of this problem. So we kind of threw it away after a year and focused on the SMB use case or 50,000 employees and you’re on excel, and there’s a lot of complexity. The product, as a result, looks completely different. If we kept on chasing more of those startups, the product would have looked completely different and would never have gotten us to where we are today.

I asked Siqi if they still offered the original product, turns out they’ve sunsetted it to focus their limited resources on building tools for SMBs, but they are planning to eventually go back and serve the very early startup market.

BEING ASIAN AND INSECURITIES

As Asian Hustle Network, I was obligated to ask Siqi how he felt being Asian qualified his experience as a founder–his answer was similar to Webflow cofounder Bryant Chou’s:

I try to avoid it as much as I can. Not because I’m not proud of being Asian. I think there’s plenty to be proud of. It’s generally seen as one of the model minorities. But I do think about it sometimes. I think about conflict avoidance. Or I can be introverted. And I noticed that it will surprise people who don’t know me, but I’m an INTP. I’m super introverted. And I tend to be kind of conflict avoidant. And I do wonder, when I look at people who are more outgoing and into football, would my career would have turned out better if I liked “white people” things. So I have thought about it, but I actively try to avoid thinking about it because it comes back to agency. Whether I’m Asian or not, it’s not something I can control.

I think being introverted is something a lot of Asians can relate to, so I asked him to drill down on that:

I felt like over time, you become confident in the things that you are good at. For me, at least, that was a big moment in my growth as a kid. Finding something that I could be proud of, something that I’m good at. And then you focus on that. I feel like once you have that, the introversion matters a lot less. Because you can focus on the thing that you’re good at and develop more confidence in there. As a byproduct, you sort of express or come off as less introverted.

What I took away from Siqi’s comments was that introversion/shyness and insecurity in your abilities were pretty related. I brought this up, and Siqi had a pretty interesting comment on the relationship between insecurity and extreme outcomes:

One of the things that a lot of entrepreneurs and high performing people have in common is this sense of insecurity. That also causes a desire to please people because you’re insecure. So that you have to push yourself to be better and you want to make sure other people like you because of that insecurity. And that is highly motivating for me, and I think many people. It’s like how people get, I think, to certain points in their life or certain levels of success, at least somewhat. And then once you’re there, all of those causes become less useful. Like, the insecurity, the willingness to please as a CEO, those are, like, really toxic things. That paradoxically got you to this point because it made you push yourself to be better. But once you’re there, it doesn’t get you further.

BEING A LEADER

The last topic Siqi and I talked about was leading others, the first thing Siqi brought up was something he had recently heard in a Brian Chesky interview.

Brian described the job of a leader as believing that people can level up and exceed their own expectations and get them there. That was really a point of reflection for me. I believe in smart people and hiring and talent and all these things. But if you want to get the best out of people, the prerequisite is that you have to actually believe that they can be amazing. Because if you don’t even believe that, you’re not going to set those expectations or deal with any kind of motivation or inspiration.

I didn’t quite understand this, because I would expect Siqi to only hire people if he believed that they could be amazing. Siqi explained to me:

It’s just that my temperament is to quickly write people off. “They’re good at this particular role that we hired them for, and that’s all they’re going to do.” But people want to know that you have their interests in mind, that there is a growth path for them. If you don’t believe that there is, that’s a problem. You want to hire the best people that you can, but in how you lead and manage them, you have to always believe that they can do better than they are.

We also chatted a little about what made a good employee.

Edwin: One thing I’m curious about. What kind of person do you notice is the best employee? What matters more, their talent and technical ability or how much they believe or align with the mission of the startup?

Siqi: It’s a difficult question to answer because there’s a lot of wisdom out there that says, “This is the most important thing.” I think the reality is they’re all requirements. They’re all important. And you don’t want to compromise on any of those aspects. What are those aspects? High integrity, proactiveness, high agency. Some people think integrity is the most important thing. Others think intelligence is the most important. Those things are important, they’re all absolute requirements. You want extremely high intelligence, extremely high integrity, and extremely high self-awareness and agency. But out of all of those, I think the thing that is the most important is high agency. Intelligence is a lot of nature, so that’s fairly difficult to change, but there’s a certain baseline that you want.

But everything else outside of that is almost entirely driven by agency. Whether you are successful, whether you blame people, whether you can grow. Whether you’re a good collaborator, whether self-aware. There’s so many things that one thing affects. That is the thing that I look for the most.

SHOUTOUTS

Runway is hiring for engineering and customer-success roles! You can check out current job openings at https://runway.com/careers/

[Hint: if this isn’t you but you still really want to work at Runway, I would drop Siqi a line and articulate how you would add value to the company, bonus points for bringing a demo/a plan]

If you are currently having financial planning problems, sign up for early access for Runway at https://runway.com/

Thank you to Siqi for chatting with us!

Stories

Lucy Liu Stars in “Rosemead,” a True Story of Immigrant Mothers Facing Fear and Mental Health Challenges

Lucy Liu is once again bringing us a powerful performance with Rosemead, a film that has been picked up by Vertical for a December theatrical release. The story follows a mother who begins to see troubling changes in her teenage son, opening the door to a deeper look at fear, love, and mental health.

Recently, the film gathered strong early interest after drawing a full audience at a special screening held at the Metreon in San Francisco. Hosted by Dave Lu, the event sparked conversations about topics often avoided in public spaces, especially within immigrant communities.

With its growing list of festival honors, positive reviews, and a narrative inspired by real events, Rosemead is already being recognized as one of Liu’s most powerful and personal performances to date.

Image Source: BBC

A Story Built on Fear and Family Pressure

At the heart of Rosemead is a mother who becomes concerned as her son’s behavior shifts in unsettling ways. What begins as quiet anxiety slowly grows into a frightening urgency as she realizes the situation may be more dangerous than she imagined.

As her fear rises, she faces the painful question of how far a parent can go to protect the child they love. The tension builds with each scene, making her inner struggle feel both real and universal.

The story takes place within a Chinese American household where cultural expectations and unspoken worries create additional layers of pressure. Lucy Liu captures these emotions with precision, while newcomer Lawrence Shou brings a raw, unpredictable intensity that deepens the film’s emotional impact.

Image Source: The Traveler’s Take

Building Momentum Through Festival Wins

Before reaching theaters, Rosemead had already made a strong impression on the festival circuit. Its premiere at Tribeca drew praise for its gripping approach to storytelling and its standout performances.

The film’s momentum continued as it won Best Narrative Feature at the Bentonville Film Festival, adding to its early recognition. It gained even more attention after earning the Prix du Public UBS audience award at the Locarno Film Festival.

During its time at Locarno, Lucy Liu also received a Career Achievement Award that highlighted her long-standing influence in the industry. Vertical’s Peter Jarowey praised her work for its emotional depth, while also recognizing director Eric Lin’s bold and confident vision in his feature debut.

Image Source: Yahoo

A Strong Screening at the San Francisco Metreon

The event at the Metreon brought together creators, film lovers, and local community members for an open discussion about the upcoming release. The gathering served as a space for people to share expectations, explore the film’s themes, and talk about the real-life issues it aims to portray.

The audience noted how the film reflects real family struggles, especially those found in immigrant households. Its grounded approach to fear and uncertainty sparked discussions about mental health and cultural expectations.

After the screening, conversations centered on Liu’s controlled yet deeply affecting performance. Lawrence Shou also drew attention for his breakout role, adding to the anticipation for the film’s one-week run in selected theaters this December.

Experience the film in theaters and see why it’s already drawing strong early interest. Rosemead is set to premiere in select theaters on December 5, 2025 in New York City; December 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, and more cities to follow on January 9, 2026.

Image Source: Nikolas Liepens

Nov 25, 2025
4 min read

Stories

The Story Behind Inspire To Create Media: How Trysen Kaneshige Uses Art to Heal and Connect Community

Born and raised in Kauaʻi, Hawaii, Trysen Kaneshige never imagined that a series of brain injuries would redirect the course of his life. Art, which had once been a hobby, became his lifeline—a way to heal, process, and reconnect with the world around him.

What began as a personal form of therapy soon turned into a mission: to use creativity not only for his own recovery but to uplift his community and share stories that mattered.

As he experimented with murals, branding, and design, Trysen discovered that each project could bridge culture, healing, and connection in ways he had never anticipated. Through perseverance and collaboration, he began working with brands like Volcom, Olukai, and Soulection Radio, while also leading projects for schools, nonprofits, and community organizations across Hawaii.

From these experiences, Trysen founded Inspire To Create Media, a healing-centered creative agency that blends streetwear aesthetics, cultural storytelling, and design to create work that resonates far beyond the islands.

Finding Inspiration in Adversity

Trysen’s path to entrepreneurship was shaped by necessity and resilience. “I wasn’t able to work a regular job since I would have a lot of migraines or dealt with depression etc. It’s been challenging but I’ve learned to be resilient and not give up. What also inspired me was to create something for my community and for the next generation that is after me,” he recalls. The setbacks could have ended his creative ambitions, but Trysen chose to focus on what he could control: his art and his recovery.

Instead of succumbing to frustration, he saw opportunity in every challenge. He began creating small pieces, testing ideas, and using art as a method to regain focus, confidence, and purpose. These early efforts helped him realize that healing and creativity could coexist and even amplify one another.

What started as a personal journey of recovery soon became a mission to uplift others. Trysen wanted to leave something meaningful for his community and for the next generation, showing that creativity could transform not only individual lives but also the cultural landscape of Kauaʻi.

Overcoming Challenges Without a Safety Net

The road to building a creative business was far from smooth. Trysen faced difficult challenges that he considered walking away from everything, grappling with both the physical and emotional toll of head injuries. Each day was a battle between self-doubt, pain, and the desire to keep moving forward.

Beyond personal health struggles, he had no investors, no team, and no corporate backing. Every decision, every financial risk, and every project came solely from his determination and willingness to learn through trial and error. “If I had someone that saw what I was creating in the beginning, it would’ve been easier,” he admits.

Gratitude and persistence became his anchors. By embracing the lessons from failures and small victories alike, Trysen built a foundation that was resilient, flexible, and authentic. This mindset allowed him to continue pursuing his vision even when support was scarce and the path ahead was uncertain.

Turning Achievements Into Community Impact

Despite obstacles, Trysen’s journey is marked by achievements that combine personal growth with community recognition. He takes pride in consistently showing up, even on days when recovery felt impossible, and in taking creative risks that shaped the identity of his agency.

Inspire To Create Media has earned acknowledgment on multiple levels—from Proclamations by Mayor Derek Kawakami highlighting community murals and workshops to features in local newspapers chronicling his evolving projects. These recognitions validate his belief that creativity paired with purpose resonates far beyond personal satisfaction.

For Trysen, the real measure of success is impact. Each mural, logo, or art initiative tells a story and strengthens the connection between people and place, leaving a lasting mark on Kauaʻi’s cultural and creative landscape.

Building a Healing-Centered Creative Vision

At the heart of Inspire To Create Media is a philosophy that creativity can heal, connect, and inspire simultaneously. From large-scale murals to branding and apparel, every project is designed with intention, reflecting local culture while appealing to a global audience.

Trysen explains, “Art became my way to rebuild, reconnect, and serve. What began as personal recovery grew into a mission: to use art as a tool for transformation for myself, for my community, and for the next generation of island creatives.”

Today, Inspire To Create Media continues to expand its reach, bridging art, healing, and business. Trysen’s story proves that even the toughest setbacks can spark the most powerful creativity—turning personal recovery into a force that inspires communities, cultivates connection, and demonstrates that a small island studio can have a big global impact.

Follow Trysen’s journey:

📍 @trys.creates | @inspiretocreate.media

Nov 14, 2025
4 min read

Stories

Building Meraki: How Vivian Kwan Turned Passion into Purpose

The first time Vivian Kwan realized she could build something on her own terms was during her college years in the U.S. — a time that completely shifted her perspective on what a career could be.

She found herself surrounded by students who were running side hustles, freelancing, and starting companies before graduation. It was a stark contrast to her upbringing in Hong Kong.

“Back home in Hong Kong, the path was pretty clear: study hard, land a stable job, and climb the corporate ladder,” she recalls. “But in the U.S., I met people who were building something entirely their own. That inspired me to think differently.”

Curious and driven, Vivian began experimenting — running a small photography business and creating content for fun. That experiment grew into Meraki Group, a boutique talent management agency representing a diverse roster of lifestyle creators — and now a 7-figure business built entirely from the ground up.

Redefining Success as a First-Generation Founder

When Vivian launched Meraki Group in 2021, she had no network, no outside funding, and no PR machine behind her, just the belief that creators deserved better representation.

As a first-generation Asian immigrant, Vivian was raised to stay quiet and keep her head down. “But entrepreneurship requires something different,” she says. “I had to learn to advocate for myself and my talents loudly and unapologetically.”

Without big teams or resources, she leaned into what she could control: being hands-on, transparent, and relationship-driven. That boutique approach became Meraki’s unique selling point: brands and creators know they can reach Vivian directly, and that trust has allowed Meraki to thrive against the odds. Today, Meraki has closed 300+ brand campaigns with brand partners like HOKA, REI, Shark, Columbia Sportswear, Libman, Google, and UGG.

The Challenge of Balance

Motherhood has always run parallel to Vivian’s entrepreneurial journey — two worlds that demand her heart in equal measure. In the early years of Meraki, she often found herself caught between deadlines and bedtime stories, client calls and school drop-offs. The guilt was relentless: every hour spent growing the business felt like time borrowed from her children.

But over time, her perspective shifted. She began to see that showing her kids what fulfillment looked like was one of the greatest gifts she could give them. Building Meraki wasn’t just about proving something to the industry — it was about showing her children what resilience, purpose, and self-belief looked like in real life.

“My kids deserve a mother who’s confident and happy,” she says simply. “That thought keeps me grounded when things get hard.”

A Year of Growth and Gratitude

In October, the Meraki community came to life in a way that no Zoom call ever could. Vivian and her team hosted their annual NYC dinner — an intimate gathering of creators, brand partners, and friends who had helped shape the agency’s journey. The room buzzed with laughter, warm reunions, and stories that stretched back to Meraki’s earliest days.

For Vivian, it was a full-circle moment. Many of the guests were creators she had signed during the uncertainty of the pandemic — people she had championed from afar before ever shaking their hands in person. Watching them share a table, swapping stories and ideas, felt like witnessing the agency’s spirit materialise in real life.

It wasn’t a night of flashy sponsors or curated photo ops, but of genuine connection — the kind that has quietly fueled Meraki’s success from day one. “What I’m most proud of isn’t the growth,” Vivian reflects. “It’s loyalty. Many of my creators have been with me for three or four years. In an industry where talent often comes and goes, that kind of long-term commitment means everything.”

What Comes Next

As Meraki continues to grow, Vivian is laying the groundwork for a new chapter — one that strengthens the agency’s foundation while amplifying its impact. She’s focused on expanding her team and refining systems to preserve Meraki’s signature boutique quality, even as it scales.

“I’m being intentional with this next chapter,” she says. “Before stepping deeper into consulting and mentorship, I want to make sure the agency continues to run with the same care and creative integrity it was built on.”

With that foundation in place, Vivian plans to open limited consulting slots and launch educational programs for creators and emerging talent managers. Her goal is to nurture the next generation of creative leaders — empowering them to build with heart, purpose, and the courage to redefine what success can look like.

Follow Vivian’s journey:
📍 LinkedIn | Instagram

Nov 7, 2025
4 min read

Stories

The Founders Behind Anise Health: How Two Women Are Reimagining Mental Health for the Asian Community

When Nisha Desai and Alice Zhang met at Harvard Business School, neither of them expected that a casual conversation about their frustrations with therapy would spark the idea for something much bigger.

As they juggled graduate school and their own mental health, they often felt therapy wasn’t built for people like them – they spent more time explaining their background to their therapists than actually healing.

They realized it wasn’t just them – there’s a gap in mental healthcare that left many in the Asian and multicultural community feeling unseen and misunderstood.

That shared realization became the seed for Anise Health: a platform built to make therapy culturally attuned, accessible, and truly effective for the AAPI community.

A Problem They Both Knew Too Well

Before their paths crossed, both founders had already seen the same issue from different directions.

Nisha, who grew up in Florida in a family of healthcare entrepreneurs, had always been drawn to questions of access and equity in care. After studying finance and marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and earning her MBA from Harvard, she worked in healthcare investing and later in digital product management at Humana. It was there, while helping build a mental health app, that she started hearing a troubling pattern from thousands of users – the same barriers she had personally faced.

Nisha recalls that people weren’t saying therapy didn’t work. They were saying it didn’t fit, that they didn’t feel understood.

Alice, meanwhile, came to the same conclusion through her own deeply personal experiences. Born in China, raised across Japan and Canada, and now based in New York, she calls herself a “third culture kid.” Her multicultural background gave her adaptability, but also a sense of never fully belonging anywhere.

That feeling resurfaced when she sought therapy during business school. Despite being fluent in English, she found herself translating her own emotions for her therapist – explaining why criticism from parents felt like love, or why pursuing excellence felt non-negotiable.

Alice remembers feeling exhausted after each session, explaining her background again and again, and leaving each time feeling unseen.

Alice Zhang (left) and Nisha Desai (right)

Building a Culturally Grounded Model of Care

After that pivotal conversation at Harvard, the two women began mapping out what culturally attuned mental health care could look like. They spoke to clinicians, patients, payors and community leaders, testing how cultural nuance could be integrated into evidence-based therapy and coaching.

They envisioned a new kind of care model: one that didn’t require clients to educate their therapists or set aside their cultural identity at the door. Instead, therapy would start from a place of understanding.

“Alice and I really built Anise to be what we believe our community has needed during our upbringing. What we kind of wished for ourselves through our own personal journeys with therapy.”

But building what didn’t yet exist came with challenges. They had to prove — to investors, clinicians, and even the broader healthcare system — that cultural context wasn’t just a “nice to have,” but essential to effective care. Many mental health professionals hadn’t been trained to deliver culturally adaptive therapy, so Anise Health had to design that framework from the ground up: provider training programs, accurate diagnostic tools, tailored care plans, curated resources and a scalable model for personalized, culturally attuned care.

Their persistence paid off. What started as late-night brainstorming sessions between classes evolved into a fully fledged mental health platform that blends clinical rigor with cultural empathy.

Growing the Movement

Since its founding, Anise Health has facilitated over 10,000 paid appointments and built a network of 60+ licensed providers across multiple states. The company is now expanding through insurance partnerships that make culturally attuned care more affordable and accessible.

Behind the scenes, Nisha leads operations and product design, while Alice drives partnerships and provider training.

Their complementary strengths, coupled with a shared sense of purpose, have helped Anise Health raise $6.4 million in funding and gain recognition as one of the top 10 most innovative Asian Pacific-led companies to watch by NYSE, Y Combinator, and Gold House.

Redefining the Future of Mental Health for Asian Communities

For both founders, Anise Health’s success goes beyond numbers. It’s about shifting how mental health is understood and delivered, starting with a community that has long been underserved and stigmatized.

“Our goal isn’t just to make care available,” Nisha says. “It’s to make it effective, culturally relevant, and sustainable within the healthcare system.”

By creating a new gold standard of culturally attuned care, Nisha and Alice aren’t just helping Asian Americans access therapy that finally feels like it speaks their language – they’re reimagining what inclusive mental health care can look like for everyone.

Learn more about Anise Health at anisehealth.co

Nov 4, 2025
5 min read

DEVELOPING AGENCY

PRODUCT MARKET FIT

BEING ASIAN AND INSECURITIES

BEING A LEADER

SHOUTOUTS