Products from AANHPI Entrepreneurs!

In celebration of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, I was delighted to share Asian-American businesses and their entrepreneurs from all over the country on Washington DC’s Fox 5 News! Catch the segment here!

FOOD

Plant-Based Ice Cream | $15, Lavender and Truffles

Are you ready for a taste bud awakening?

This delicious, plant-based, non-dairy dessert is from LAVENDER AND TUFFLES founded by Alicia Liu. She specializes in taking unexpected and inventive Asian flavors and mashing them up into the most delicious combinations including:

Metamorphosis: a best seller is coconut whipped with butterfly pea flower and bits of coconut and vegan dark chocolate.
Mango Sticky Rice: a bestseller
Miso Butterscotch
Matcha Stracciatella
Salted Chocolate
Black Tahini
Sumac Roasted Strawberry - sumac, that Middle Eastern spice that’s like berry and tart
Lychee Rose
Ginger Tumeric
Trinity Yuzu Vanilla
Passionfruit Honey…and more

All handcrafted and small batch. She uses 7 essential, all-organic ingredients in her non-dairy dessert (like oat milk and coconut cream) and it’s healthier for you! Each pint contains 40-50% less calories and fat than when compared to traditional ice cream.

I was drawn in from the very start by the minimalist packaging. As a 25-year veteran of the global fashion industry, Alicia brings that eye and a modern aesthetic to her packaging and to her embrace of unique flavors. I’m really into trying new things lately? And her entire premise is built upon heightening your senses by introducing new flavors to your palate.

BEAUTY

Biology Functional Fragrance, from $32 | Biologyfragrances.com or UrbanOutfitters.com

Biology is a natural, functional fragrance brand that’s formulated to give you an extra boost to your day. Founder Steve Sun curates them with restorative qualities and they are free of parabens, synthetics, phthalates and cruelty-free. For example:

Fragrance #1 is Joy and features jasmine to uplift, tuberose as an aphrodisiac, bergamot and sandalwood for stress relief.

Fragrance #4 is Immunity and features Sichuan peppercorn for immunity, bergamot, ginger and neroli for stress relief and myrrh for anti-inflammatory.

Incense is also available in conjunction with the functional fragrances, and you can get a bundle of 3 for $80.

FASHION

Handmade Jewelry, from $59| PeggyLi.com

As a chemical engineer major at UC Berkeley, Peggy Li would often wander Telegraph Avenue in San Francisco, mesmerized by the artisan and art scene she encountered there.

Now as seen widely on TV shows and movies, Peggy Li Creations is her handmade jewelry company that began as a side hustle but has morphed into her full-time career and features a simple, minimalist and sophisticated line of delightful pieces. Peggy has been designing handcrafted jewelry for over 20 years, and sources as ethically and eco-friendly as possible.

She raises money for a number of AAPI causes, just check out the “Giving Back” section of her website. The Fortune cookie necklace available in silver and gold gives back 50% of proceeds to the San Francisco Chinatown Community Development Fund

Minimalist Bodywear, from $17; loveokko.co

Phoebe Kunitomi was raised with both Japanese and Korean heritages and grew up in a minimalist household. She’s extended that upbringing to her line of minimalist bodywear that focuses on essential pieces for everyday living with function and simplicity top-of-mind.

She has tops (bras) available in a wide range of sizes: xxs - xxxl

Bottoms that include thongs to briefs.

Reusable nipple covers in 3 shades at $17 a set.

Additionally, she has a Take Back Bag program, where if you pay $10, you can fill the bag up to 8 lbs with unwanted bras, undies, bodysuits and socks. This gets sent to okko’s partner For Days using the prepaid label and then you get a $15 okko site credit! Pretty cool.

Wellness Journals from $24.95 | Silkandsonder.com

Founder Meha Agrawal had reached an inpass in life where her stresses were weighing too heavily on her. Ouf of this emotional quagmire Silk + Sonder was borh as a means to help women (but really anyone) achieve self care, improvement and growth through regular writing.

Her journals are at once beautiful and thought provoking with sections to draw and track goals, jot down recipes and thoughts. She has a monthly subscription journal that you can buy once for $34.95, or for $19.95 with the annual subscription.

There’s a free app by which you can get inspiration and daily writing prompts, and those who’ve used the journals report a 95% improvement in mental health: 96% of users consider it an essential part of her self-care routine.

Meha has sold 1 million journals to date.

I love the Life Workbook ($34) as a gift for grads.