Instagram + NextShark: 2 Forbes 30 Under 30 Honorees on Asian American Experiences in the Pandemic

Both graduates of the Forbes Class of 2018 30 Under 30, Yuki and Luo’s discussion will stream on Wednesday, May 27 at 3 p.m. PST.

The Forbes group of change-makers spans 600 individuals from 20 different industries. Thousands of nominations from around the world are taken into consideration each year since the prestigious list’s creation in 2011.

Ashley Yuki joined Facebook in 2013 and graduated from the University of  Pennsylvania. She spearheaded the production of Instagram’s first self-service advertising products, advertising products on Instagram Stories and the launch of IGTV, among other achievements within the company.

She held a Zoom wedding with friends and family in Palm Springs on April 4, and reflected on life during the pandemic.

“Doing the right thing for our communities doesn’t mean that we can’t also have little bright spots and moments of normalcy to help get us all through this situation together,” she told Refinery29. “We all need some good news to hold onto during this time.”

Luo, a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, started NextShark in 2013 with just $3,000 which eventually gave rise to one of the top media destinations for Asian American communities, bringing in nearly ten million monthly unique visitors with a small team covering topics ranging from Asian culture to entertainment.

So far in 2020, NextShark’s team has worked tirelessly to cover over 500 stories of COVID-19-related discrimination against Asians as well as the Asian community’s response in donating to charities and advancing minority-community solidarity.

Instagram has been working to make sure users are aware of the efforts the company is making to spread safe and accurate information, including supporting health and economic relief efforts.

Don’t miss this conversation between two leaders in the Asian American community on Instagram Live on Wednesday.