Renegades | 2024’s A100 Has Arrived

Welcome to Renegades, a series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way. In honor of our annual A100 List launch, we sat down with not just one, but seven of our culture-changing A100 honorees. These newly-crowned Renegades represent a new wave of change, actively shaping the way we see the world and ourselves. 

Business & Technology | Sehr Thadhani (Chief Digital Officer, Nasdaq)

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

A pop star!

As a leader in innovation and transformation, what do you think economic transformation is so important right now?

The world is changing, and the pace of change has never been faster than it is now - what worked for the past 50 years won’t work for the next 50.  Many regional and national economies face stagnation if they don’t identify pathways to economic transformation – now is key.  The macro problems we face are increasingly interdependent, leading to unprecedented complexity in developing solutions that can be deployed at a systems level. 

Technologies like AI, quantum, and cloud computing are platform shifts that will change the way every industry operates. Development cycles are getting shorter, meaning that technological disruption is happening more frequently and with greater impact.  At the same time, there is such an immense opportunity to unlock step-change growth, particularly with the democratization of key technology tools. To meet this moment, new modes and models for collaboration are necessary – both to futureproof corporations and futureproof our systems to become more resilient.

Lighting Round 

• Best advice: Find the things that make your eyes light up. Do more of those.
• Talk to me about: Manifesting!

Entertainment & Media | Alex Norström (Co-President & Chief Business Officer, Spotify)

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today? 

My Mum wanted me to be either a top-surgeon or a concert pianist. Neither of those have come true, yet. But I do think to build a business you have to be willing to perform surgery on yourself, professionally and personally. At work that means not being afraid to make a change to your core business if it opens up the next phase of growth. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing when we’ve introduced podcasts and audiobooks alongside music on Spotify. Personally as well, you have to be willing to challenge the way you would ordinarily do something, and stay open to growth. So I guess, on some level, I “operate”, LOL.

How has data analytics and user insights transformed the music industry, and how does Spotify leverage these insights to drive business decisions?

Before streaming, at least in Western markets, music was dominated by US and English speaking artists. You would walk into a record store and there would be a small shelf of ‘World’ music. As an artist there was a physical limitation on just how many fans could hear your music. Streaming has changed that completely, the music map has completely changed. Today fans can discover and listen to artists from anywhere in the world - and that’s helped genres and artists break out onto a truly global stage. We’re always working to help users find music they love. It’s also where programs like the Gold House accelerator program are important. By working with artists like Emei, Paravi and Towa Bird we can support their career, helping fans discover them on playlists like Gold Beats.

Lightning Round

• Best advice you ever received? A boss I had early in my career told me to “be near the laughter”. What he meant was when times were difficult, laughter is what gets a team through it. And when times are good, laughter is how you celebrate as a team. I’ve tried to stick close to the laughs since then.  
• Fun fact: I cook a really good Hong Kong-style steamed fish

Fashion and Lifestyle | Alok Vaid-Menon (Comedian, Author & Public Speaker)

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today? 

I wanted to be a fashion designer. In a world that often felt desolate, I wanted to bring more beauty to the world. What inspired me most about fashion was the idea of being able to take art with you everywhere you went: a tangible reminder of your belief and commitments. I've had the opportunity to design some clothes for myself, and hope to do more in the future. But what I like about writing now is that I get to design sentences, jokes, turns of phrases that people can decorate and accessorize their own conversations with. That feels similarly rewarding.

How does humor and storytelling contribute to challenging societal norms and perceptions in the fashion and entertainment industry? 

Reality is composed of the stories that we are told about it. Certain stories get told so many times they become congealed and on the other side people see them as unshakeable truth. What's beautiful about storytelling is the ability to take what so many people see as "permanent," and offer a more expanded sense of possibility. What I'm always trying to do with my work is to expand the horizon of what's possible, especially for trans and gender non-conforming people. Lightning Round

• Best advice: Don't let anyone dispossess you of your imagination. 
• Fun fact: My toxic trait is I listen to audiobooks at 2x.

Gaming & Sports | Jess Park (Chief of Brand and Fan Engagement, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee)

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today? Growing up, I was always enamored by the power of pop culture and its influence on an entire generation of people - how a show, song, game or amazing sports moment could create a shared emotional experience and leave an indelible mark on millions of fans at once.  Personally, I remember watching Kristi Yamaguchi win the Olympic Gold Medal in Albertville in 1992; I was fully immersed in awe of her athletic achievement, the ambition of the journey, and the strength of seeing an Asian-American woman represent for us all. Today, as the Chief of Brand and Fan Engagement at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, I am humbled to be able to shine a light on the stories of our amazing Team USA athletes as we head to the Summer Games in Paris, and ignite the flame of fandom for a new generation who will find their ones to root for and can see themselves in our Team.

How do you see technology reshaping the landscape of fan engagement in sports? 

We live in a world where the cultural conversation is driven by the stories of amazing athletes.  Fans crave deeper connections to athletes both on and off the field of play; technology superpowers that experience, helping fans discover more personalized news and offerings.  Whether it’s providing access to behind-the-scenes moments or introducing experiences in new worlds, the goal is to meet fans where they are and invite them to follow along for more, connecting them with their favorite sports, athletes, and ultimately finding community with each other.

Lightning Round

• Best or worst advice you ever received: Feedback is a gift.  Demonstrating empathy is the key to unlocking meaningful connections with your audience whether it’s with fans or with the people who you collaborate with to make big things happen.  Learning to embrace as well as provide honest, direct feedback is a practice that has enhanced the way that I navigate my life. 
• Fun fact: I grew up Figure Skating and practicing Tae Kwon Do in my youth.  The Olympic flame has always burned bright with me - Let’s go Team USA!

Social Impact | Ann Young Lee (Co-Founder & CEO, CORE)

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today? 

I was convinced I was going to be Margaret Mead. I was studying Cultural Anthropology in college and imagined myself living in some country immersed and versed in its culture and language, studying human behavior. Despite not becoming an anthropologist, it underpinned my approach to humanitarian response. So much of the work I do today relies on understanding the motivations of people and getting folk to come together and work towards something during really difficult times. Knowing their language, and building trust is so important and something I learned studying anthropology – and being sensitive to one’s culture, values, and beliefs helps understand what motivates them.  

What unique challenges and opportunities do you encounter in scaling sustainable solutions through CORE's philanthropic efforts? 

For CORE, listening to local community members and building tailored, culturally appropriate solutions driven by local hands is the key to success. The challenges we’ve seen usually well-meaning humanitarian agencies run into throughout the years have often come from looking at things from a one-size-fits-all perspective. It’s so critical to take a step back. To listen, to learn, and then to act. Investing in local partners and community members who will ultimately be responsible for driving sustainable initiatives is the only way forward.  

Lightning Round

• Worst Advice: "follow your gut". I don't even know what that means, and your most base and irrational part of your body that wants french fries every meal, should not be trusted!
• Fun fact: My most prized possession is the book 100 Years of Solitude, that was signed by Gabriel García Márquez with a note and a flower drawn for me. When my apartment was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake in Port-au- Prince Haiti, I was able to dig it out four months later, and it’s battered and stained, but still one of my most prized possessions! 

New Gold | Shaina Zafar (Executive at Next Gen, UTA Marketing) & Ziad Ahmed (Head of Next Gen, UTA Marketing)

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today?

Shaina Zafar: Model United Nations, MUN, 100% made me the person I am today, and I had imagined myself working at the United Nations for the longest time! I studied International Relations in college with a focus on the Islamic World and had always been so excited by the prospect of doing diplomacy work, traveling for cultural exchange, and creating policy. I quickly realized the power of the private sector to actualize change for the public sector and public good and got to build JUV, now the Next Gen Practice at UTA, with Ziad—whom I met at Model UN conference my freshman year of college. Today, we get to do translation work—not always the geopolitical kind—engaging in intergenerational dialogue, translating between brands and Gen Z sentiment, and traveling the world to be at conferences, stages, and client meetings where we get to highlight the world view of Gen Z.

Ziad Ahmed: I have been so privileged in so many ways, but perhaps most of all by having a Nani like mine – a Nani who relentlessly tried to convince all her grandkids that we should become doctors like her, but unfortunately for her – all five of us took alternate paths. I think when I was really little I was more obedient than I am now though, so I certainly told my teachers in elementary school that I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up as my obligatory answer. It wasn’t until my own imagination began to govern my decision-making that I aspired to be something else. I must have been in the fourth grade when I started playing around with Google SketchUp, where I would make hundreds of digital models of structures – and thereby decided I want to be an architect, specifically an environmental one (was oddly really passionate about recycling at the time). 

But, then, like many dreams, it was killed – by a teacher who made me question if I was good enough. I won’t name that teacher, but they did me a favor because they made me reconsider what I was really passionate about, and when I had to interrogate that question – the answers became obvious; advocacy, community, and creativity. So, then, I focused primarily on student advocacy work, which led me to being in rooms where young people were being spoken about without being spoken to – which provoked me to start JUV Consulting as a teenager, which is now UTA’s Next Gen Practice. 

I never thought that starting a company as a junior in high school would lead to this being my full-time job, would lead to employing employees with children, would lead to being acquired by one of the most influential companies in the world – but here we are. It’s been a winding, surreal road, but my God am I grateful for all of it – that I get to sincerely say that my job is at the intersection of my fourteen-year-old passions where I get to engage with advocacy, community, and creativity every single day – where I get to commit myself daily to creating space for more of us, to holding the door open for so many more of us after me. Alhamdulillah for all of it.

How does Next Gen at UTA Marketing adapt to emerging trends in influencer marketing and digital branding to connect with younger audiences? 

SZ: UTA has been at the forefront of digital and online talent. Building a digital creator practice in 2006 with the early days of YouTube, the UTA practice now has the likes of everyone from Emma Chamberlain to Issa Rae and been ahead of the pace of culture. As the Next Gen Practice at UTA Marketing, we are so excited to bring a future-facing perspective about influencer, socials, brand strategy, and Gen Z generally, to further uplift and amplify the perspectives and platforms that young people are investing in. UTA Marketing has an incredible roster of brands like Lyft and Delta that they work with and now at Next Gen brings our energy and enthusiasm and roster of amazing clients and brands to this practice. We continue to provide insights, strategy, and implementation, including influencer marketing and social media management along with the arsenal of new services in entertainment and media through UTA. Gen Zers are cultural tastemakers. 14 year old girls have always known what was hold and relevant before the rest of us (as a 14 year old that ran a One Direction fanpage, I can personally attest to this). Being at a place like UTA allows our Gen Z team to be co-conspirators with UTA Marketing to always put culture-first and we are so excited for this new chapter!