Verizon HQ Talk: Think Bold, Act Bold, Be Bold

Verizon invited me to their headquarters to speak to employees, upper management, and their diversity initiatives for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month -- in celebration of this year's theme, "Think Bold, Act Bold, Be Bold." 

In this conversation, I talk about:

-- The importance of having diversity on your team, for the input and the output
-- The story of my parents escaping Vietnam as refugees, coming to the U.S., and building a life in Boston
-- My early experiences realizing race, being an "outsider," cultural shame, and "Pajama Day"
-- The turning point when I started to embrace my culture: activism, political awareness, and self-empowerment
-- Internal work + external work go hand in hand
-- Navigating different values and expectations in both the American context and Vietnamese/Asian context; ie. leadership
-- The importance of shifting culture, rather than just adapting or ditching in the bicultural context
-- My advice for those seeking to be bold: practice consciousness
-- How I transitioned from poetry to films
-- The relationship with my parents as I pursue a creative career 

I had a blast. Let me know what you think below. Thanks for watching! xo