Contact
  • HOME
  • / MEDIA /
  • The Story Behind VIZIO Founder William Wang’s Lifetime Achievement Award
William Wang's

News

November 25, 2024

SHARE:

This October, William Wang was honored with Lifetime Achievement at the 75th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards. As the founder of VIZIO, Wang has revolutionized the television industry, shattering the cost-related concerns about whether quality and pricing can go hand in hand. From a Taiwanese immigrant to a trailblazer, his journey is one of innovation and persistence.

Humble Beginnings and Pursuit of the American Dream

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, William Wang immigrated to the United States as a teenager with his family. Settling in Southern California, cultural barriers arose as a major problem for an immigrant teenager like Wang. However, his persistence shone through: he excelled academically, leading him to pursue engineering at the University of Southern California (USC).

Image Soure: VIZIO

After graduation, Wang was on his way to materializing his dream: starting a company in the tech industry. Yet, he failed multiple times, draining his resources and budget. However, each failure gave him the opportunities and lessons to grow his entrepreneurial endeavors.

The Turning Point: A Life-Altering Experience

But life comes with unheralded events. In 2000, the Singapore Airlines Flight 006 that he was on encountered a crash, and he was one of the few survivors of that fatal incident.

This disastrous event completely altered his outlook on life: he became more grateful for his relationships and the comfort they provide, such as families spending cozy time together watching TV. This newfound perspective catalyzed his entrepreneurial shift into his next venture, fostering an idea that would transform the consumer electronics market. He envisioned a future where the gap between top-tier technology and affordability disappeared—a vision that soon became VIZIO. In 2002, he launched VIZIO. 

By 2007, just five years after its founding, VIZIO had become the top-selling LCD TV brand in the United States—a monumental achievement in an industry dominated by global giants like Sony and Samsung.

Wang’s Humble Reflections on the Achievement

William Wang's
William Wang (center) with his family at the 75th Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards. (Image Source: VIZIO)

When receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Emmy Awards, he couldn’t help but feel emotional about his near-death-inspired vision. At that moment, his survivor’s guilt had driven him to enrich lives, saying, “My life has been dedicated to bringing great technology to consumers in America.” As influential as he is, he expressed his gratitude for his team, stating, “This recognition is also a testament to the incredible team at VIZIO – it is our lifetime achievement. Together, we’ve challenged the status quo and have created new possibilities for the future of television. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and excited for the journey ahead as we continue to push the boundaries of technology and entertainment.”

Featured Image Source: VIZIO

Related Articles

Image Source: InvisaWear

Stories

Capitalizing On Her Advocacy For Women’s Protection, Young CEO Now Leading Safety Device Company Invisawear

Taking it from her unforgettable and scary experience involving safety and security, Rajia Abdelaziz realized the importance of women’s self-protection which made her put up Invisawear, now a leading safety device manufacturer.

Together with her best friend and now business partner Ray Hamilton, they designed a piece of wearable tech that allows the user to call for help and alert emergency contacts at a double-press.

InvisaWear is jewelry that can save lives. Although their components resemble ordinary accessories, they are actually safety devices supported by America’s top security supplier (ADT).

The devices have a secret panic button that can be set to dial 911, send a pre-programmed text message to five emergency contacts, and send a GPS location to the emergency services. They are worn on the body so they are nearly always available.

The co-owner was quoted saying “InvisaWear also partnered with ADT to provide access to video streaming, voice activation, and self-defense classes as a way of “equipping people to protect themselves,” 

Compared to a cellular phone, it is a more accessible safety device which comes in the form of a charm necklace.

Considering women’s safety as a very important issue, Abdelaziz rejected high-paying job offerings related to her electrical engineering training just to prioritize her advocacy even if she struggled with many challenges in starting it up.

Though laborious, Invisawear was able to raise millions of funds for the safety device.

Five years after its founding, the business has grown to produce more than just gold and rhodium-plated jewelry. It now makes fitness bands, hair accessories, and keychains, all of which have timeless appeal and fashionable, practical designs.

According to Abdelaziz in Forbes, several of their items are now also available in unisex versions since they discovered that safety wasn’t just important for women but also for some guys.

The business intends to grow in Europe and the Middle East and just announced a new cooperation with a Canadian security company.

Invisawear is a technical advancement that has significantly improved people’s lives.

Abdelaziz emphasized “One of the best moments of my life was the first time one of our devices saved someone’s life,” she says, “a young woman had been badly injured in a car accident and her keychain saved her life. Her dad was able to get to her and be with her while they waited for an ambulance, who knows how long it would have taken to find her otherwise.”

  • 3 min read
Image Source: Ben Marcum Photography

News

Christmas is Merrier at Mall of America With 6 Diverse St. Nicholas Including the First Asian Santa

After three long years of not celebrating Christmas the ‘usual’ way, children at the Mall of America (MOA) were finally sitting again in amusement and happiness on Santa’s lap. 

What makes the experience even happier and better is to have six different Santas whom children and parents can choose from in making The Santa Experience happen.

In 2016, Larry Jefferson became the first African American Santa Claus in MOA. 

Now, Jefferson will not be alone in completing the Christmas vibe as a diverse group of Santas will be working together to do the task. Among them are two African Americans and the first-ever Asian Santa Allan Siu, named “Santa Allan” in MOA’s record.

All of them are ready to listen to the Christmas wishes from young and young-at-heart people.

With two of the Santas able to speak both Spanish and Cantonese, it adds color in telling the children if they were naughty or nice.

“To run across someone who speaks your language, there’s kind of a bond there. Not only is the language a bond but there is also some sort of psychological bond,” Allan told Fox.

  • 1 min read
Image Source: ESQA

News

First Indonesian Vegan Cosmetic Startup Obtains $6 Million Funding From Unilever Ventures

The first and top vegan cosmetics company in Indonesia, ESQA Cosmetics, raised $6 million in a series A round led by Unilever Ventures marking the latter’s first investment in the Southeast Asian beauty market.

In the said round, East Ventures also participated, the venture arm of the global consumer goods giant.

After spending over ten years living and working in Los Angeles, Cindy Angelina and Kezia Trihatmanto created ESQA in 2016, shortly after their return to Indonesia.

The two intended to redefine luxury cosmetic products and make them more widely available and reasonably priced.

With the acquired funds, the company plans to use the money to reach more cities and markets while also extending its omni-channel distribution.

Additionally, they want to expand their product offerings, foster talent development, and amplify their marketing initiatives.

Prior to this, the company reportedly increased its sales to Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia. 

TECHINASIA mentioned that one of the company’s expansion initiatives was to sell its goods through Sociolla’s physical storefronts, another East Ventures-backed startup.

Accordingly, the business stated that despite the pandemic, it had managed to turn a profit with its 120 vegan and Halal-certified products.

Avina Sugiarto, a partner at East Ventures, stated in Deal Street Asia that by having consistent profitability, they weren’t looking for high-quality, hyperlocal, and affordable beauty products.

She continued saying “We were certain that ESQA’s innovative, natural ingredients and wide-product offerings will propel ESQA to be a leader in the beauty market in Southeast Asia.”

  • 2 min read
Image Source: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

News, Stories

Enjoy Your Favorite Filipino Dishes Along With A Comedy Show at Eagle Rock’s Kusina Filipina

Big egg-shaped platters filled with famous egg noodle pancit, mouthwatering pork sisig, cold cans of beer, and blithe stand-up comic acts are offered as part of the restaurant’s unique dining experience.

The brain behind the comedy events is Filipino-American C.J. Toledano, who was born with the background necessary for such lighthearted entertainment.

The Eagle Rock neighborhood of Filipino Americans is the ideal fusion in creating the weekly program that is so exceptionally Los Angeles.

The restaurant’s co-owners, Jun Miranda and Vener Ramos, greased the wheels to serve the dishes and beverages that the predominantly Filipino audience was clamoring for when actress and stand-up comedian Felicia Folkes performed.

Toledano recalled how the Wednesday show got started and said in the Los Angeles Times that Jun Miranda was all about it.

“He just said, ‘The restaurant is yours on Wednesday nights,” Toledano stated which was backed by Miranda saying “I immediately said yes. Of course, I wanted to help the Filipino community.”

Toledano, who co-hosts the program with Orolfo and Rob Haze, stressed that the event is not just for mutual benefit but that “I have a specific vision for the show and the comedians who do it. [I want] people I’m fans of,” he continued.

He added that the intensely vibrant, funky, and fatty flavors of Filipino cuisine at “Motherland”— including the crispy sisig,a deep-fried chopped pork belly flavored with a little of lemon juice, diced onion, bell pepper, ginger and, a little of chicken liver spread;  dinakdakan, a combination of grilled and boiled pork belly mixed with onions, peppers — and mayonnaise; chicken adobo with quail egg and fried potatoes; and halo-halo, among others—are just as electrifying as the acts on stage.

“I’m a Filipino guy who grew up in Pennsylvania. I didn’t have many Asian friends. So the show is really killing several birds with one stone — I’m in touch with a culture I was never close to. I’m seeing old friends. New comics. It’s exciting for me,” Toledano admitted.

  • 2 min read