Three Asian AAPI founders have combined technology and their personal experience to build 3 unique App Store apps which cultivate community. Developer Larry Liu of Weee! the app, Dawoon Kang of Coffee Meets Bagel and Annie Vang of HmongPhrases sat down with Apple for a heart-to-heart interview to share the concept behind their apps, the App Store, and advice for the next generation of AAPI founders.
- “Weee!” is a grocery delivery app especially created for Asian and Hispanic food.
- “Coffee Meets Bagel” is a dating app designed to promote meaningful conversations.
- “HmongPhrases” is an educational app to learn Hmong dialect.
AAPI founders want future developers to celebrate and embrace their cultural identity and diversity
In discussion with Apple, all three AAPI founders talked about the use of technology to turn a concept/idea into powerful apps, and how those apps empower their communities and influence positive change.
Founder of HmongPhrases, Annie Vang said that Apple educated and empowered her to build an app to preserve her Hmong dialect and identity which no one cared about. Vang hopes that her app will help users to learn the Hmong dialect, on the cusp of extinction, and bridge the language gap.
Her app allows users to search for a phrase in Hmong, hear what it sounds like, and then practice saying it out loud. As a true labor of love, not only does Annie do the coding for the app herself — she even records the phrases in her own voice.
Co-founder and Chief Dating Officer of Coffee Meets Bagel, Dawoon Kang explained that her app does not focus on finding a date but it is designed to give everyone an opportunity to find love, especially Asian American women.
Founder and CEO, Weee!, Larry Liu said that his app gives Asian and other immigrants a wholesome shopping experience where they can find cultural ingredients, share their recommendations with a community of shoppers and earn rewards. As ” food brings people together”, the Weee! app offers an inclusive and accessible experience to users of all ages and languages.
All three AAPI founders hope that the next generation of AAPI founders, entrepreneurs, and creators leverage their understanding of cultural diversity which is considered an asset in a rapidly globalizing world. And work as a supportive community. Here is the complete interview here.
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