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I grew up watching the usual teenage flicks—one consistent thread weaving through everything I watched was the protagonist dealing with, and overcoming, the pressure of fitting in. And this was something I never really understood, not until I moved to Canada about four years ago. That's when things got too real; I suddenly felt the pressure of not speaking a certain way or not knowing specific pop culture references. Something that kept me going was seeing so many others with similar backgrounds make significant impacts in their respective specializations within the creative, media and communications industries.Considering the rich and diverse contributions that Asian communities have made to the Canadian media landscape, I wanted to share some of the incredible individuals who have inspired me and many others to pursue our communications and media dreams.Whether you're starting your journey in PR and creative, or looking for inspiration to level up your skills, these Asian professionals are definitely worth following.
Madelyn ChungMadelyn founded RepresentASIAN, a platform celebrating outstanding Asian talent in media and beyond. As a second-generation Chinese-Canadian, she aims to help others feel seen and heard.
Snigdha SurOut of frustration due to the lack of media coverage on South Asian news, Snigdha Sur founded The Juggernaut (derived from the Sanskrit word "Jagannath," juggernaut means a massive force or campaign). What started as a weekly email newsletter analyzing South Asian news is now a media tech company that delivers original stories about the community and its contributions to the South Asian diaspora here, and beyond.
Meg Emiko LeeMeg is an Asian-American, trans, non-binary artist who creates powerful art and apparel that empowers and advocates for the QTBIPOC community. They’ve been part of various social movements and often donate portions of their proceeds to causes that they're passionate about.
Deborah Lau-YuDeborah is the founder and Editor-in-chief of Fête Chinoise, a cultural platform that celebrates Chinese culture in Canada and across the globe. She’s a highly skilled Creative Director and a seasoned storyteller. She is the VP of Ferris Wheel Press, the Course Director at York University and has also co-founded Palettera Inc.
Pranavi SuthagarA Toronto-based Tamil Art Director, Pranavi is an excellent designer and illustrator with extensive experience. She is the mind behind Not Sari, an online store highlighting the South Asian experience. She also co-founded Parva—பார்வை, vision in Tamil—which is a comprehensive 10-week arts program designed for South Asian women (and non-binary folks) between the ages of 14-17 living in Scarborough.
Farhan Mohamed Born to immigrant parents, Farhan built ‘DailyHive.com’ into what it is today. He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the media outlet, which started when it was a single-city blog. He built the organization’s newsrooms and helped expand Daily Hive into seven cities across North America. He also co-founded Overstory Media Group, a news company that creates, acquires and builds community publications.
Gurdeep AhluwaliaThe famous radio host of ‘The Pooja and Gurdeep’ show, he is a Canadian TV personality who frequently appears on CP24, Breakfast Television and Cityline. He started his career as a television host and worked his way up. Today “The Pooja and Gurdeep Show” is a people’s favourite and one of the top morning shows on radio.
Elaine LuiA Canadian TV personality, Elaine is CTV’s etalk host. She is also the founder and editor of Lainey Gossip, an entertainment media outlet. She initially started Lainey Gossip to keep her friends updated with the latest news, and eventually fully committed to blogging before starting her career in the media industry. Since then, she has covered the Oscars, the Super Bowl, the JUNO Awards, Cannes, TIFF and many more events.
Ritu BhasinRitu is an award-winning empowerment coach who faced a lot of bullying and racism in her early life. She is an unapologetic, fierce leader today who stands for DEI and advocates for belonging. Having written books on authenticity and belonging and delivered talks to thousands, she inspires leaders everywhere to take a more inclusive approach and lead truly integrated, diverse teams.
Anu BidaniAnu founded STEM Minds, a social enterprise that empowers youth through STEM education. She had no background in entrepreneurship or education but ran the program out of Montessori school. Today, STEM Minds has expanded in teams and has a wide range of programs for kids and parents.Although this is just a small sample, Asians have made significant contributions across various industries and will continue making a lasting impact on the world. Have we missed anyone?