Today, I'm joined by Matthew Veland, President of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Metro DC and Dyanna Volek, proud Filipina American and native San Franciscan who during the day, works in government affairs and is a champion of the Filipino community. We discuss:

• Biggest challenges that Filipino business owners face
• Need to address mental health and business owners' relationship to money
• Entrepreneurial and mental health resources for business owners
• Ways we can support Filipino-owned businesses on both coasts

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Matthew Veland is a highly respected financial planner with Prudential Financial in the Washington D.C. area, distinguished by his deep commitment to empowering Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) business owners and medical professionals. Beyond his professional expertise in financial planning, Matt is a leading advocate for the local Asian American business community, with a particular focus on the significant economic contributions of these enterprises.

As the current President of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Metro DC, Matthew spearheads an organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering over 200 entrepreneurs and business owners across the DMV region. Under his leadership, the Chamber actively promotes economic development, fosters networking opportunities, and amplifies the voices of Filipino American businesses.

Further demonstrating his dedication to community development, Matthew is also a co-founder and Treasurer of FilExcellence, a non-profit committed to fostering personal empowerment and professional development within the Filipino diaspora.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgveland/

IG: mgveland

Dyanna Volek is a proud Filipina American and native San Franciscan who blends civic service with cultural passion. By day, she navigates government affairs with over a decade of experience in public affairs—but her heart beats for community, culture, and connection. Outside the office, Dyanna is a champion of holistic wellness and vibrant living, spotlighting the local businesses that are the lifeblood of cities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyannavolek/

IG: dyannaluna

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Today, we welcome Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson to the show. Following an accident and a skull fracture, she advanced her education. She is the founder and executive director of
the Girls education initiative of Ghana (GEIG), providing
academic and financial support for girls including applicants with special needs, so they may access higher education, and professional opportunities. We discuss:

• De-stigmatizing special needs and empowering individuals with disabilities to lead meaningful and productive lives
• The importance of family in recovering from an accident
• The value of girls having role models
• Her new memoir, My Life After Death (https://www.amazon.com/MY-LIFE-AFTER-DEATH-Overcoming/dp/1960299751/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1V3710TWGSJ4Q&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.unRwEE8yzjTli3PzRVeRVtSAoBgX5tQw9E2LPZNHr0-sU3cQ6kd9cYNEzsQ7rwcmLvPM7873axRXL_q_qdl0TQ.kumUS4f1ols75P3toNRgH88z5RWgapMJpRbgZCJQIu4&dib_tag=se&keywords=my+life+after+death+patterson&qid=1754443953&s=books&sprefix=my+life+after+death+patte%2Cstripbooks%2C337&sr=1-1)

To learn more and support GEIG: https://www.girlsedgh.org/

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To purchase Dr. Wong's book: https://www.amazon.com/Cancel-Filter-Realities-Psychologist-Podcaster/dp/1960299239/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ESHqItd-7JIevntWhPXNHw.D6QfeRDu2mzbsQQ9vUM-uSzxKxxYNNsNxjw2DOzSrfI&qid=1705532812&sr=8-1

Jackie Dallas followed her passion, which led to her break-out role in Season 1 of "Stranger Things," as 'Jen,' Mr. Clarke's girlfriend, Jen Woo. In the Netflix series, The Hunting Wives, starring Dermot Mulroney, Malin Akerman, and Brittany Snow, she plays Jia-Yi. In this episode, we dive into:

• Career Transition from Medicine to Acting
• Her break-out role in Stranger Things and how it jump started her acting career
• How her surgical experience gives her perspective when facing rejection in Hollywood
• Ongoing advocacy for women's health, specifically education about urological issues
• Her role in Hunting Wives, streaming on Netflix!

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Full bio:

Jackie Dallas plays ‘Jia-Yi’ in the upcoming Netflix series “The Hunting Wives,” (July 21, 2025) starring Dermot Mulroney, Malin Akerman, and Brittany Snow. Based on the book of the same name by May Cobb, the series follows Sophie O'Neil, who relocates to deep East Texas and quickly falls under the spell of glamorous socialite Margo, leading to a world of obsession, seduction, and murder. Jackie plays ‘Jia-Yi,’ a sharp and strategic political advisor and campaign manager to Mulroney’s character.

You may recognize Dallas from her breakout role in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” as ‘Jen,’ Mr. Clarke’s girlfriend ‘Jen Woo’ from season 1. Her film work includes action thrillers alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo, and Juliette Binoche.

Outside of acting, Jackie remains connected to her medical background as a philanthropic patient advocate for women’s health. She has published 20 clinical research papers focused on surgical outcomes, including disparities in race and age.

Connect with Jackie on Instagram: @jaxdallas

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Hannah Ryu is a storyteller, AI Strategist, and the co-founder of Oak Theory, a creative technology studio specializing in UX/UI, web, application design, and development. We explore:

• Co-founding a creative technology studio, aiming to address the lack of diversity in UX design firms.
• Confronting negative self-talk/narratives when building a business
• The role of perfectionism in Korean culture
• The exciting utility of AI in creating tailored educational information for children, increasing accessibility to education
• Use of AI for self-reflection and as a starting point to engage in therapy
• How to maintain being human through curiosity, accepting that we make mistakes, and unconditional love

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Hannah's full bio:

Hannah is a storyteller, AI Strategist, and the co-founder of Oak Theory, a creative technology studio specializing in UX/UI, web, application design, and development. With over a decade of experience across branding, UX/UI, and digital strategy, she partners with organizations navigating transformation, helping them turn complexity into clear, scalable experiences.

As a first-generation Korean American and mother of two, Hannah brings a layered lens to leadership, blending creative instinct, cultural awareness, and operational know-how, especially during times of growth, change, or reinvention.

Her expertise has been trusted by industry leaders and universities like Google, Optum, Columbia University, and Vanderbilt University. She’s been featured at the Women in Tech Global Conference, on the top 0.5% business podcast The UpFlip Podcast, and in outlets such as Forbes, Success Magazine, and Entrepreneur.

The company's websites are oaktheory.co and undertheoak.co. Under the Oak is a media company that seeks to discuss how to be more human.

Socials: https://www.instagram.com/oaktheory.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahryu/

Joe Daru is no stranger to thriving in new environments. From living in various countries to playing professional baseball, and now acting and directing, Joe shares how he continues to navigate his life and career. He highlights:

• How he developed skills through baseball, such as competitiveness, motivation, and work ethic, which he now applies to his career in Entertainment.
• The importance of open-mindedness and flexibility, particularly when living in various countries
• His fight scene with QUEEN, Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun
• His dream project (spoiler alert: It's related to baseball)
• His recurring role in Peacock's crime drama, Long Bright River, opposite Amanda Seyfried.

==========================================Full bio:

Joe Daru is a Thai/Chinese-American actor born in Thailand. As the son of a diplomat, he has lived in Barbados, Laos, Hawaii, Florida, and Washington D.C.

After graduating from IMG Sports Academy in Florida, he played college baseball & also played internationally post-grad before moving to Los Angeles in 2017.

From there he went on to guest star on The Rookie (ABC), East New York (CBS), Legacies (CW), and Hydra (Apple), and recur on The Brothers Sun (Netflix), All American Homecoming (CW), and The L Word: Generation Q (Showtime).

Joe is currently anticipating the release of his latest Recurring Guest Star role in the new Sony crime series Long Bright River (Peacock) alongside Amanda Seyfried.

In his free time, Joe is an avid athlete and has played Division-1 baseball for four years for New York Tech. After graduating he went on to play in the Southeast Asian Games, World Baseball Classic Qualifiers and the Asian Games for the Thailand National Team.

In addition to sports, Joe also has a passion for directing and has won multiple awards - most recently an honorable mention in the AGBO 48 Hour Film Festival for his short film “A New Leash on Life”. Joe is based in Los Angeles and is represented by Entertainment Lab (Management).

IG: @joedaru

We are fortunate to have Producer, Winnie Cheung and actress, Celia Au on the show to discuss their short film, Last Call which premiered at the 2025 SXSW Midnight Short Program. This short fantasy thriller takes you on the psychological journey of a traumatized motorcyclist who daydreams about a sultry serpent woman and is haunted by her enchanting voice.

Winnie’s credits include being a co-producer on the SXSW Audience Award Winner “Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror” in 2021, and has won several awards at Sundance and more. Inspired by David Cronenberg’s body horror, American erotic thrillers, and Eastern fantasy films - LAST CALL reflects Winnie’s diasporic identity - a dreamlike blend of the ancestral East, and the rebellious West. Celia Au who previously starred in Wu Assassins and Lodge 49, brings Winnie’s vision to life in this story’s discovery of profound revelation.

We talk about:

• Integrating and displaying complex emotions in film
• Ways to deal with internal conflicts
• How Breath work, mental visualization, and Active Listening are key to facilitating a productive and safe work environment
• Storytelling as a powerful way to positively change the world.

SOCIALS

@LastCall_Film

In Season 7's premiere, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa and Dr. Stephanie J. Wong engage in an important conversation addressing:

• Dr. Oriuwa's experience being the only Black student in her medical class at University of Toronto
• Racial trauma in psychiatry to treat patients
• Challenges of connecting with friends and self-care in professional and personal settings
• Being honored with a Barbie made in her likeness and the impact this has on children feeling seen
• Strategies to navigate these challenging socio-political times in society.

To learn more about Dr. Oriuwa's work:

https://www.drchikaoriuwa.com/

Bio:

One of Time magazine’s 2021 Next Generation Leaders and named on Maclean’s Power 50 List in 2022, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a medical trailblazer spearheading change in health care and beyond. Currently a resident doctor in psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Dr. Oriuwa is a graduate of the school’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and has served a variety of board positions. Dr. Oriuwa was also honoured in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll made in her image to commemorate her contributions as a frontline health care worker. Recently, Dr. Oriuwa established the Dr. Chika Oriuwa Award for the Advancement of Black Health at Temerty Medicine, which will be awarded annually to a graduating medical student. She recently published her memoir, Unlike the Rest and you can purchase it now wherever books are sold!

I sat down with fellow Bay Area native, David Lim, one of the stars S.W.A.T. on CBS. He shares his personal experiences, career journey, and challenges he faced in the mortgage industry, acting, and modeling. We discussed the importance of resilience, self-belief, and adaptability in overcoming obstacles and achieving success in various fields. David shares the story of how he met his wife, and how they co-founded a jewelry company following a burglary of their home, losing sentimental pieces.

Bonus: My mom gets to ask her fan questions!

S.W.A.T is on CBS every Friday at 8:00 pm and moving to 10:00 pm in the New Year

To purchase Maya David jewelry: https://shopmayadavid.com/

Follow David on Instagram @davidbradleylim

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Full bio:

David Lim is an Asian American actor, raised in San Ramon, California, and received a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California San Diego. He decided he wanted to do something different, signed a contract with Ford Models and moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling and acting. He now stars as a series regular in the CBS drama S.W.A.T.