In 2006, Yul Kwon became the first Asian American to win Survivor — a cultural milestone that made him one of the earliest, most visible Asian American men on national television. But behind the strategic gameplay and the "sexiest man alive" headlines was a much more complicated story.In this episode of Hyphen Nation, Dave Lu sits down with his longtime friend Yul Kwon — Survivor: Cook Islands champion, former FBI advisor, ex-McKinsey consultant, and now a VP at Google — for a conversation that goes far beyond the show. Yul opens up for the first time in detail about growing up in Concord, California, as the child of Korean immigrants: a childhood marked by racist bullying, undiagnosed OCD, severe social anxiety, and a private, deeply shameful condition called paruresis (shy bladder syndrome) that shaped nearly every decision he made — including almost keeping him off Survivor altogether.Yul traces the full arc of his life: a bullying incident in elementary school that triggered decades of hidden struggle, the loss of his best friend Evan to leukemia at Stanford (and the bone marrow donor registry campaign it sparked), his pivot from law and public policy to McKinsey and Google, his winding path to Survivor, and the personal reckoning that came with sudden fame. He also shares the "competence, integrity, benevolence" trust framework he now uses to build relationships at work and at home, and reflects candidly on why so many Asian Americans are trusted to work hard but not trusted to lead — and what it takes to break that pattern.This is a conversation about identity, mental health, and the difference between being liked and being trusted — from someone who spent years hiding his story before deciding to use his platform to tell it.Topics covered:Growing up in Concord, CA as a child of Korean immigrantsUndiagnosed OCD, social anxiety, and paruresis (shy bladder syndrome)A childhood bullying incident and its decades-long psychological impactLosing his best friend Evan to leukemia at Stanford, and organizing bone marrow drives for the Asian American communityThe path from Stanford → Yale Law → Capitol Hill (Sen. Joe Lieberman) → McKinsey → GoogleNearly turning down Survivor because of his hidden conditionBecoming the first Asian American to win Survivor, and the disorientation of sudden fameBeing named one of People's "Sexiest Men Alive" and navigating stereotype-breaking visibilityThe "competence, integrity, benevolence" framework for building trustWhy Asian Americans are often trusted to be hard workers but not trusted to lead

Julie Kim made history this year as Takeda's first female CEO in the company's 245-year history — and the first Asian American and Korean American to lead a top-tier global pharmaceutical company. Unlike most East Asian American CEOs, she didn't found her company; she rose through the ranks to get to the top. In this episode, Julie opens up about growing up as one of the only Asian kids in Northeast Ohio, living a "double life" between her American school friends and her tight-knit Korean community, and the pivotal moment at her mother's funeral that reshaped how she thought about leadership and relationships. She shares the hard feedback from a mentor that pushed her to "lead from the front," how she learned to manage being an introvert in the spotlight, and why staying true to herself — not conforming to a stereotype of what a CEO should look like — is what got her to the top.A conversation about identity, quiet resilience, and redefining what leadership looks like.

Most leaders overlook the power of storytelling—until they realize it’s the secret to inspiring trust, driving change, and embracing leadership authenticity. Neela Montgomery’s journey from a small town near Manchester to leading global brands like Crate and Barrel, CVS, and sitting on the Logitech board reveals how mastering storytelling shaped her rise through some of the toughest markets and industries.In this episode, Neela shares how her early experiences growing up in the UK’s immigrant community taught her resilience, cultural agility, and the importance of authentic communication. You'll discover how her backgrounds—an English literature major turned marketing strategist—became her superpower in leading diverse teams and turning around brands. She breaks down practical tactics: how to raise your hand for leadership opportunities, the importance of managing P&L to reach executive levels, and why embracing tangents in your career can unlock unexpected growth.We also explore the often-overlooked organizational nuances—how navigating cultural gaps, political savvy, and code-switching are critical for success in global and diverse environments. Neela emphasizes the value of mentorship, building a network, and being relentlessly curious beyond your comfort zone—especially for Asian-American professionals seeking to break ceilings or those eager to lead with impact.Why does storytelling matter most in leadership? Because it creates trust, aligns teams, and influences decisions—especially when managing complex challenges like the COVID vaccine rollout or navigating market disruptions. Neela’s insights on embracing imperfection, taking risks, and prioritizing significance over success are invaluable for anyone aspiring to elevate their career and influence.This episode isn’t just a career deep-dive—it’s a masterclass on authenticity, resilience, and strategic storytelling as essential tools for modern leadership. Perfect for business leaders, aspiring executives, and anyone eager to make an impact while staying true to themselves.

Grant Lee is the CEO and Co-founder of Gamma, an powerful AI tool to design presentations, websites and more. In November of 2025, Gamma raised $68 million at a valuation of $2.1 billion. With a team of less than 50 people, they were generating over $100 million in annualized revenue with over 70 million users. They have continued to grow their revenue and customer base, because people love their product.In this episode of Hyphen Nation, I sit down with my friend Grant Lee, founder and CEO of Gamma, the AI-powered platform reinventing presentations, documents, and storytelling. Grant shares his journey from growing up in Pleasanton, California, in a family that ran restaurants and worked at the post office, to Stanford, Optimizely, and ultimately founding one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world. We talk about:Growing up as one of the few Asian Americans in his hometownThe sacrifices his immigrant parents made and the entrepreneurial lessons he learned from themWhy he walked away from a traditional engineering careerThe power of relationships, mentorship, and playing the long game with your networkHow to discover work that genuinely energizes youWhy too many people stay on the "default path" instead of pursuing what they truly wantThe early struggles of Gamma and the lessons learned when growth stalledBuilding conviction as a founder when everyone doubts your ideaLeadership, storytelling, and what Asian American professionals can learn from leaders like Jensen HuangWhy it's never too late to reinvent yourself and pursue your life's workGrant's story is a powerful reminder that success isn't about following someone else's definition of achievement. It's about finding the work that gives you energy, having the courage to leave your comfort zone, and taking ownership of your own path. Whether you're a founder, creator, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply wondering if there's more to your career than the path you're currently on, this conversation will challenge you to think bigger about what's possible.

In this episode of Hyphen Nation, Dave sits down with Caroline Tsay—Silicon Valley operator-turned-entrepreneur and board director who has served on four public company boards, including The Coca-Cola Company and Morningstar—to demystify what it actually takes to land a corporate board seat.Caroline breaks down the biggest myths (like “you must be a CEO to qualify”), and explains how her first board opportunity came not from a recruiter, but from building visibility outside her day job—speaking on panels, getting known for a clear point of view, and making her expertise legible to decision-makers.You’ll learn what boards really focus on—CEO succession, strategy, capital allocation, and risk—how board seats are commonly filled (often not through search firms), and why serving on a board is a long-term commitment where fit and governance dynamics matter as much as credentials. Caroline also shares hard-earned lessons from navigating activist shareholders, founder-controlled environments, and the fine line between giving oversight and getting too operational.If you’ve ever wondered how to position yourself for board service—especially as a woman, person of color, or “non-traditional” candidate—this conversation is a practical, behind-the-scenes playbook on how the game is played and how to start playing it.

Pixar director and Oscar winner Domee Shi joins Dave to share her journey from drawing anime in Toronto to becoming Vice President of Creative at Pixar. Domee opens up about the real inspirations behind Bao and Turning Red, why good storytelling requires emotional vulnerability, and how a side project changed her entire career. She also takes us inside Pixar’s story process, from pitching boards with sound effects to learning from legends like Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen. She shares what it was like to become the first woman of color to ever win an Academy Award for Animated Short and the first woman to direct a short film and feature film at Pixar.A must-listen for creatives, storytellers, and anyone navigating identity, ambition, and family expectations.

Founder and CEO of Tatcha Beauty Vicky Tsai joins Hyphen Nation for one of the most powerful conversations we’ve had yet. Vicky opens up about her childhood in Texas, the racism and sexism she endured across Wall Street and corporate America, and the personal trauma that shaped her path. She also shares the origins of Tatcha—from a stressful career that triggered acute dermatitis to rediscovering healing, purpose, and Japanese skincare traditions.This is a story of resilience, identity, and reclaiming power—and a reminder that we don’t have to stay small anymore.

Former Tinder CEO Faye Iosotaluno joins Dave to talk about her unlikely path from growing up in West Covina to leading one of the world’s biggest tech brands. She shares her family’s immigrant story, her dual finance and English background at Penn, and the career leaps that took her from Merrill Lynch to Viacom, SoundCloud, and ultimately the CEO seat at Tinder. Faye opens up about navigating male-dominated industries, learning to speak up, building products that serve women, and the responsibility of being one of the very few Asian American women to lead at the highest levels of tech.

In this episode, I sit down with Manny Maceda, the former Worldwide Managing Partner and CEO of Bain & Company, and now Chair of the firm. Manny’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and leadership across cultures. Born in Boston and raised in the Philippines under a dictatorship, Manny’s family fled to the U.S. after his father, then a senator, was forced into exile. What began as a visit to see his father turned into a lifelong journey in America that led him from Illinois Tech to MIT and, eventually, a 37-year career at Bain.We talk about how his early experiences shaped his empathy and adaptability, his path from a young immigrant engineer to the first Asian leader of Bain, and how he’s helped transform the company into a $6 billion global firm while keeping its culture of mentorship, diversity, and purpose at the core. Manny shares lessons on leading through transformation, building inclusive teams, and why culture, not strategy, is the most sustainable competitive advantage.We also discuss his remarkable encounters, from nearly derailing Jack Welch’s MIT speech (and ending up at lunch with him the next week) to navigating racial barriers in corporate America and staying grounded through mentorship and family. It’s a powerful conversation about leadership, identity, and giving back, both to the next generation and to the countries that shaped us.

Ju Rhyu is the founder and CEO of Hero Cosmetics, the company behind the cult-favorite Mighty Patch that redefined acne care and became one of the most successful K-beauty exports in America. Born in Korea and raised in Seattle, Ju’s story spans continents — from her father’s entrepreneurial journey in the logging business to her own winding path through Brown, an NGO in Kenya, Kraft Foods, and Samsung before taking the leap into entrepreneurship.In this conversation, Ju opens up about growing up between cultures, the lessons she learned from her father about independence and business, and how a simple patch she discovered in Korea turned into a $630 million brand acquisition by Church & Dwight. We talk about the early scrappy days of bootstrapping, the mindset shift from scarcity to abundance, what it’s like building a category-defining brand, and how she’s now reflecting on life and purpose after a major exit.For Asian American professionals and founders, Ju’s journey is a reminder that success doesn’t have to follow a straight line — and that sometimes the best way forward is to bet on yourself.