In Luffy Huang’s Vision for Pulse Events, Cultures Align Through EDM Music
Stories
September 22, 2024
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CEO of Pulse Events Luffy Huang made waves across New York City this past Labor Day weekend. Known as “the world’s wettest party,” the S2O event made a splash in the Brooklyn neighborhood, delivering euphoric EDM melodies with Thai-inspired traditions that stretch across borders to America.
But as the CEO of Pulse Events, his vision yearns for unity and togetherness through the power of music. Throughout the years, Luffy has been a driving force behind the diversification of the EDM festival scene, condensing the beats into a spectacular celebration of culture and community.
The Sounds of Luffy Huang’s Chinese Upbringing and American Dream
Growing up in China, his early passion for music led him to a career as a singer and TV host between 15 to 20 years ago. Encouraged by the eclectic soundscape in the U.S., his American dream for a successful music career was granted by one of the artists he was touring along with, paving the way for his move to the States.
“I grew up in China and following my passion for music, I became a singer and TV host 15 to 20 years ago. Since it was always my dream to break into the music industry in the U.S., I began touring with artists and finally came to America with one of them in 2020.”
When he arrived in the U.S., Luffy was bewildered yet determined. The hustle in a foreign land might have caught him off guard for a moment but it also helped him head towards a new direction. “I found the industry here to be very open-minded and felt inspired and encouraged to start my own entertainment company here,” he says.
Luffy left China for the U.S., driven by the fast-paced music scene.
This geographic shift is a tableau of music inspirations, cultural shock and a deepening sense of identity, all of which prompted him to create Pulse Events, an event agency focused on bridging the Eastern and Western cultures through music and community.
Cultural Harmony Through Music and Luffy Huang’s Pulse Events Journey
“What inspired me the most was seeing people of different cultures embrace shows produced in Asia and influenced by Eastern traditions,” he says.
Such ethos were themselves echoed throughout his work, by introducing a global audience to the purpose he wanted to share more of, from highlighting notable Asian creatives and talents, to celebrating the vibrant culture of the Asian community. “I realized that this experience was missing in the U.S. and it became my mission to produce shows here that expose fans to the traditions and dance community culture in Asia,” he says. “I am proud that my shows include elements like Asian night markets, lion dances and spraying water that is the Songkran Thai New Year custom.”
One of the drawbacks of starting Pulse Events in a new country, however, is the balance and harmony among different communities, especially in the U.S. where multiculturalism has long been its celebrated trademark. Yet, despite this animated diversity, Luffy needs to traverse the tricky waters of inclusivity, representation and U.S. culture:
“Turning my vision into a reality took a bit of time. But once we put on our first Pulse Events show, we learned from the process and got into a good rhythm where we put on multiple shows annually and continued to expand. One of thechallenges I face on a daily basis is figuring out how to represent Asian culture in the most authentic way possible, while having our shows appeal to a diverse audience. Striking that balance takes a lot of thought and hard work, finding the right partners to bring that to life. Another challenge I face is that English is my second language, so I sometimes have to take the extra step of using translation tools or making a greater effort to make sure my ideas are communicated correctly.”
Luffy Huang leads Pulse Events with determination, expanding the reach of Asian culture through unforgettable shows
While those challenges might have vexed him in the beginning, every show, event and festival was an emblem of the connectivity that he always has in mind for Pulse Events. The 2023 Spring Festival that Pulse Events had orchestrated last year was an EDM-heavy event to honor Lunar New Year and pull together traditional elements, joyful moments and different communities. It was the first event to infuse electronic music and Asian culture that introduced the beauty of this cultural festival to more American youths:
“I am proud of every show Pulse Events has put on and the legacy we are slowly building by making them annual. We are gearing up for our second Winter Festival in November and our third Spring Festival next year, and planning to bring back S2O after debuting it to the U.S. this past Labor Day weekend. I feel fortunate that we have established a good working relationship with one of the most famous venues in New York City and the world, The Brooklyn Mirage. I am also proud to be the founder of the Krazy Super Concert elevating K-pop in America.”
When East Meets West in Luffy Huang’s Vision for Pulse Events
As an organization that holds the same values as AHN to uplift and highlight the Asian community, AHN takes this interview as a special opportunity to explore how Asian talents are being showcased and represented in the industry. Luffy’s vision remains unchanged:
“Themission and vision of Pulse Events is to bridge the East and the West through music events that unite people of all backgrounds and educate them. Through bringing fans of all kinds together through the common love of music, we are able to open their minds and hearts to understanding Asian culture and embracing the immense talent within our community, from music producers and DJs to entrepreneurs like myself and my colleagues.”
This determination and commitment has led Luffy on a road of success, producing annual mega shows like the Lunar New Year Spring Festival, the Winter Festival and most recently S2O New York, all to celebrate cultures and unite communities through EDM. Even just at the start, Pulse Events has landed performance deals with many prominent artists in the electronic music scene, from the enigmatic Marshmello to platinum record-selling DJ Afrojack.
Luffy’s goal is clear: bridge the East and West through music, uniting fans from all backgrounds while showcasing Asian talents.
Connect With Luffy Huang
Much of Luffy’s current success comes less from pure luck and more from a consistent performance of hard work and innovation. Whether it be electric live festivals, or getting deep down into his heritage, Luffy knows better than ever that Pulse Events was a child of hustle and resilience, no matter where you came from and who you are:
“From my own journey,I believe that if you hustle hard enough and never give up on your dreams, you will succeed, even in a foreign country or place outside of your comfort zone.”
Its key product, Dongnae FLEX, offers short-term, fully-furnished rentals with low deposits, appealing to fresh graduates or travelers unable to cough up the hefty deposits typically required of Korea’s apartments.
Former WeWork executives Insong Kim and Korean-American Matthew Shampine founded Dongnae in 2020. They are “Making it a better experience for the brokers, for the landlords, and especially for the tenants,” Shampine said in an interview.
Dongnae has welcomed local and global investors. Its $21m series A funding round in March included Lyft and Doordash backer NFX, Airbnb backer MetaProp, and Korea’s oldest investment fund Daol Investment and Hana Financial.
More than 80% of Korean household wealth is in real estate, but it’s increasingly harder to become a homeowner. In Seoul, South Korea’s capital and most populated city, the average apartment price doubled between 2017 and 2021.
The startup company began as a listing platform for renters to book agency visits, but it was unsuccessful. Shampine believes the business model’s early failure generated “good and healthy” but painful reflections. According to Forbes, conversations with customers, brokers, and team members on the ground informed Dongnae’s goal of “becoming the supply, instead of hunting for the supply.”
The firm switched to serviced apartments in July 2021. At the end of its current investment, the business had 60 apartment buildings; now it has 80 across 12 Seoul districts.
Dongnae wants to offer more home services to its residents in the future, taking advantage of Korea’s booming market for furniture and other lifestyle goods.
Who wouldn’t want to engage in something that generates value? It took a while before you could achieve something like this. You had to be determined and keep going to get through the process.
Think about how CEO Sun Yong Kim-Manzolini runs Lush Enterprises as an entrepreneur and, at the same, an investor. After working in the medical field for 33 years, she transitioned into entrepreneurship and trading options. She used her same can-do spirit and created opportunities.
All of her struggles, Kim-Manzolini told the USA Today, have helped to mold her into the woman she is today. She grew up as an orphan in Korea and was adopted by an American couple at 14. As an adult, she got into an unhealthy relationship but eventually got the courage to leave and move forward.
Kim-Manzolini knows that changing careers requires a great deal of hard work and self-control on her part. For years, she dedicated many hours per day to studying the ins and outs of the options trading industry and eventually mastered it. She simply had faith that she could pull it off, so she gave it her all without holding back.
Trading options expose investors to a diverse range of potentially significant risks. Even a single misfortune can completely wipe out a trader’s profits on the foreign exchange market due to the high risk associated with trading. But Kim-Manzolini did not let the challenges she faced discourage her, as she started gaining a new perspective on the situation. Instead of questioning why her experience was challenging, she adopted the mantra “Why not me?”
And as a result, she made $178,000 in her first year of live trading. Kim-Manzolini is now the owner of a multi-million dollar business. Her understanding of how to trade successfully was aided by the incredible commitment and sacrifice she made.
The fact that Kim-Manzolini didn’t give up when it would have been simpler to do so is something for which she is grateful. She decided to focus on the positive aspects of the situation rather than ruminating on the potential downsides. She also put in a lot of time and energy and came up with a unique approach.
The best part is that playing weddings “doesn’t even feel like working. We’re just partying.” Moses Lin told CNBC Make It’s Millennial Money series.
Early in Lin’s career in 2016, he played at a coffee shop for three hours and got $3 tips. Today, his work takes him from New York to Hawaii, even to Cancun, and earns $175,000 before tips.
In the last two years, Lin has invested most of his wedding earnings into real estate.
Before becoming a real estate investor, Lin left college with just one semester left to pursue music full-time back in 2017. Several months later, Disney saw his YouTube videos and hired him to play in Disneyland’s hotels and restaurants. He took the job and decided he was never going back to college.
In the same year, Lin played a friend’s wedding as a favor and enjoyed it. He then charged $250 for his first wedding booking. After learning that wedding musician rates are $1200, he doubled his prices. Despite raising his rates, clients kept coming. Now, he charges $4,000 to $6,000 per wedding, depending on when the couple wants him to play.
Lin became interested in real estate investing in 2014 and bought his first property in May 2020 as a “pandemic pivot” when Covid restrictions slowed his wedding gigs. He found a 4-bedroom house for $120,000 online and put down 20% plus $10,000 to renovate. His wedding earnings helped him buy a $40,000 home in Little Rock, including closing costs.
He rented the house for $1,425 and quickly found a tenant. He liked the process so much that he decided to buy a second property before the end of the year.
Today, Lin owns and rents out four properties in Little Rock. Lin didn’t turn a profit on his rental properties in 2021, but is in it for the long haul.
His goal with real estate is to get to a point where the passive income from his rentals pays all of his bills.
Lin pays a property manager to handle things on the ground, “so I’m able to focus 100% of my attention on weddings [and] on music, and real estate just makes money on the side.” he tells CNBC, “My whole master business plan is make money in weddings, dump it into real estate and let that grow itself.”
Recognized as one of the world’s top 100 venture capitalists by Forbes for 11 years in a row, Singaporean venture capitalist Jenny Lee stayed in her hometown to raise money for four new funds launched by her firm GGV Capital at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
For four months, according to Forbes, the veteran VC barely slept as she made 250 zoom calls and remotely raised $2.5 billion from investors around the world. Lee and her team raised the most capital in GGV’s 22-year history, boosting assets by 27% to $9.2 billion.
Long before she became one of Asia’s most powerful businesswomen, she earned a bachelor’s and master’s in Electrical Engineering at Cornell in 1995. She became an aviation engineer at Singapore’s ST Aerospace, where she modified F-16 fighter planes.
In 2001, the company sent Lee to attend Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management where she earned an M.B.A., but she had wanted to be a venture capitalist for a long time, so she quit her job that same year to follow her hidden passion.
Lee paid ST Aerospace $300,000 for not finishing the 11-year scholarship bond that paid for her bachelor’s, master’s, and M.B.A., but she has no regrets. For her, it was the best move.
She got her start as a venture capitalist at Morgan Stanley and Jafco Asia, but she made her name in China after joining GGV to create its office there in 2005. One of Lee’smore successful discoveries wasthe mobile phone maker Xiaomi before it had sold its first handphone.
Today, Lee is one of GGV’s top-tier managing partners along with Singaporean Jixun Foo, an early Grab investor. Hans Tung, who’s been on the Midas List 11 times. And VCs who have U.S. investment, industrial, and entrepreneurial expertise.
GGV’s 354 firms are balanced between Asia-Pacific and the Americas (GGV claims its investments include more than 85 unicorns). With the U.S. having more investments, at roughly 130, and 77 in China.
The company’s assets under management have expanded more than 50 times since its founding in 2000.
