Victor Koo built one of the largest video platforms in the world as co-founder and former CEO of Youku - often called the “YouTube and Netflix of China” - creating billions in value and reaching millions of people. But at the height of that success, something didn’t add up. In this episode of the Aconic Podcast, Victor shares his journey chasing achievement across tech, media, and finance… to realizing that all of it had become noise.

What happens when everything you’ve worked for no longer feels meaningful?

Victor opens up about the moment the external wins stopped answering the deeper questions—and how that led him inward, toward clarity, purpose, and a different kind of success. If you’ve ever felt stuck chasing more, this conversation will challenge how you think about wealth, ambition, and what actually matters.

Samantha Tan joins the Aconic Podcast to share her incredible journey from a small rural town in Canada to becoming one of the most recognized drivers in international endurance racing. As the first Asian woman to win a major international endurance championship, Samantha opens up about her path into motorsports, the mindset required to compete at the highest level, and the challenges of building a racing career in a male dominated sport.

In this episode we explore Samantha Tan Racing, her partnership with BMW, and what it takes to compete in global endurance events like the 24 Hours of Dubai. Samantha also shares powerful insights about representation in sports, overcoming stereotypes, and using adversity as motivation to win.

Kristi Yamaguchi, the first Asian-American Winter Olympic gold medalist and trailblazer, shares her powerful journey from world champion figure skater to becoming a symbol of the Asian American Dream. In this episode, Kristi reflects on determination, discipline, and identity, opening up about winning Olympic gold at 20, representing the Asian American community, and finding purpose beyond competition.

She discusses the pressure of the Olympic stage, the meaning of representation, her work advocating against Asian hate, and how her foundation is transforming early childhood literacy in underserved communities. Kristi also shares the inspiration behind her children’s books and how perseverance over perfection, shaped her success.

Kristi also talks about her work with her foundation, Always Dream and its mission to ensure children have access to high-quality books in the home environment and extensive family engagement support.

This is an emotional, insightful conversation about legacy, resilience, and what it truly means to dream big.

In this deeply human conversation, host Soon Yu is joined by Abigail Hing Wen (author, filmmaker, and creator of The Veil) and Ashley Liao (actor, poet, and advocate) to explore creativity, identity, and mental health through the lens of what it means to stay human in an age increasingly shaped by AI.

The discussion begins with their groundbreaking work on Love in Taipei and expands into the importance of Asian American representation, coming-of-age stories, and choosing creative paths in industries that often reward conformity. Ashley shares candid reflections on mental health struggles, vulnerability, and learning to extend gentle love to herself. Abigail also opens up about rejection, power dynamics, and advocating for visibility in corporate and creative spaces.

The conversation then turns toward the future of storytelling and AI. Abigail discusses The Veil, a novel centered on clean AI, ethical creation, and the tension between innovation and humanity. Together, they examine how AI is changing Hollywood, authorship, and creative labor. We also dive into the associated risks of AI such as deep fakes, consent, and cultural erasure. Ashley explains why imperfection, empathy, and emotional presence remain uniquely human and irreplaceable.

This episode is a thoughtful exploration of resilience, leadership, creativity, and identity, offering insight for artists, technologists, leaders, and anyone navigating personal growth in a rapidly evolving world.

Aconic host Soon Yu sits down with Jane Marie Chen, entrepreneur, bestselling author of Like a Wave We Break, leadership coach, and co-founder of Embrace Innovations. Embrace created a life-saving infant warming blanket that has helped save over one million babies worldwide.

Despite extraordinary success, Jane shares the truth few leaders talk about: even after saving a million babies, she still felt like a failure.

In this powerful conversation, Jane opens up about resilience, leadership, mental health, and the hidden emotional toll of high achievement. She explores how cultural expectations, generational trauma, and self-criticism shaped her leadership—and why outward success alone cannot heal what’s broken inside.

Soon and Jane dive into:

-The difference between grit, endurance, and true resilience

-Why psychological safety in teams starts with inner psychological safety

-The pressure many Asian and AAPI leaders face around achievement and identity

-How Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helped Jane heal

-Why self-respect must come before filial respect

-Letting go of beta blockers and fear around public speaking

This episode offers a deeply human perspective on resilience, authentic leadership, psychological safety, and self-acceptance. If you’re a founder, leader, creator, or anyone navigating personal growth, this conversation will change how you think about success.

In her most recent role as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the organization behind the Oscars), Janet Yang helped move AAPI stories from the margins to the mainstream, reshaping how Hollywood sees and celebrates Asian voices.

A quiet insider turned cultural trailblazer, Janet reflects on her journey from being the only Asian kid in her Long Island neighborhood to producing The Joy Luck Club and Empire of the Sun, and on helping make the Oscars more inclusive than ever.

She shares how moments of exclusion fueled her lifelong mission to bridge East and West, the lessons she learned from mentors like Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone, and how a painful incident at the 2016 Oscars ignited a movement for representation that led to Gold House and beyond.

This episode offers a powerful look at how one woman’s persistence turned isolation into influence and changed Hollywood forever.

Just days before announcing his retirement, Jeremy Lin sat down with the Aconic Podcast for his final interview as an active player. In this candid conversation, Jeremy opens up about the decision to step away from basketball, the questions he wrestled with, and what might come next.

He shares raw reflections on purpose, impact, and faith, asking himself, “Am I really living up to who I said I wanted to be?” Jeremy discusses whether his greatest contribution now lies off the court, using the resources and platform he’s built to serve others, especially marginalized youth through his Foundation.

For the first time, Jeremy reveals how he struggled to balance on court demands with being fully present for his off-court mission, and why he believes “mental health is more important than Kumon.”

This exclusive conversation offers an unfiltered look into the mindset behind one of the most impactful decisions of his life and the possibilities for his future beyond the game.

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