Feb. 26, 2020

The Social Enterprise that Empowers Refugee Women

The Social Enterprise that Empowers Refugee Women

Social enterprise as a business structure is increasingly being chosen by conscientious people to do business while living key values. Capitalism can be such a force for good and when a business is designed with intention to serve all stakeholders,...

iHeartRadio podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconAmazon Music podcast player iconAudible podcast player iconPandora podcast player iconApple Podcasts podcast player iconPodchaser podcast player iconDeezer podcast player iconAudacy podcast player iconYoutube Music podcast player iconSpreaker podcast player iconPodcast Addict podcast player iconCastbox podcast player iconJioSaavn podcast player iconCastamatic podcast player iconCastro podcast player iconFountain podcast player iconGoodpods podcast player iconOvercast podcast player iconPlayerFM podcast player iconPocketCasts podcast player iconPodimo podcast player iconPodurama podcast player iconPodverse podcast player iconPodyssey podcast player iconYouTube podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon
iHeartRadio podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconAmazon Music podcast player iconAudible podcast player iconPandora podcast player iconApple Podcasts podcast player iconPodchaser podcast player iconDeezer podcast player iconAudacy podcast player iconYoutube Music podcast player iconSpreaker podcast player iconPodcast Addict podcast player iconCastbox podcast player iconJioSaavn podcast player iconCastamatic podcast player iconCastro podcast player iconFountain podcast player iconGoodpods podcast player iconOvercast podcast player iconPlayerFM podcast player iconPocketCasts podcast player iconPodimo podcast player iconPodurama podcast player iconPodverse podcast player iconPodyssey podcast player iconYouTube podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon

Social enterprise as a business structure is increasingly being chosen by conscientious people to do business while living key values. Capitalism can be such a force for good and when a business is designed with intention to serve all stakeholders, the social impact it cascades can lift entire communities and change lives. In this episode, we learn how Jin-Ya Huang has been championing social impact and community development her whole life and became an accidental entrepreneur along the way.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.080
There are some people that make their
work just another thing they have to do,

2
00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.720
and there are those that make their
work something that they want to do.

3
00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:18.920
Welcome to Working on Purpose with your
host Elise Cortes. In our program,

4
00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:23.839
we provide guidance and inspiration from those
people who have found deeper meaning and

5
00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.000
personal connection to their work life.
It's beyond nine to five, it's working

6
00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:39.079
on Purpose. Now Here is your
host, Elise Cortes. Back to the

7
00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:41.960
Working on Purpose Show. Thanks for
tuning again this week. I'm your host,

8
00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.079
doctor Eleas Cortes, joining live from
Dallas, Texas, which is home

9
00:00:45.119 --> 00:00:47.560
base for me. You've been tuning
in for a while. You know this

10
00:00:47.560 --> 00:00:52.200
program is an inspirational thought leadership platform
that advances the conversation I'm living and working

11
00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:55.640
with fashion, inspiration and purpose.
I'm committed to helping create a world where

12
00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:59.840
business and capitalism are a force for
good, constantly working to address the immense

13
00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:03.599
for a problem society faces, serving
all stakeholders, certainly its employees among them.

14
00:01:03.959 --> 00:01:07.680
The Gallop Organization reports that eighty five
percent of the global workforce does not

15
00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:11.000
want to go to work on Monday
or whatever the shift starts. Let's change

16
00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:15.000
that together instead, make work an
enriching part of life that expresses the legal

17
00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:19.560
contribution and helps us grow into our
highest selves, all in service of the

18
00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:23.159
organization's purpose. Each week in these
conversations, I hope you walk away with

19
00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:26.200
something that changes the way you think
or that you can immediately put to use.

20
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.280
Much of the content we discuss in
this program is a reflection of the

21
00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:30.879
work I do. So as you
listen, if you catch a glimpse of

22
00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:34.560
anything I can do to help,
go to my website at a leasecore test

23
00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:38.159
dot com and use the contact with
the feature to message me. Let's talk

24
00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:40.319
about what's going on for you and
how I might be able to help,

25
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.719
whether it's consulting on visioneering for a
greater purpose among your stakeholders, the vitally

26
00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:48.719
inspired leadership program, the online catch
fire learning communities, or speaking for your

27
00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:51.719
company or conference at any rate.
I'm glad we're connected, and thanks for

28
00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:55.400
listening. Now onto this week's program
with us. Right next to me is

29
00:01:55.480 --> 00:02:00.159
jin Ya Huang. She's a social
impact in community development and creative innovator with

30
00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.040
a focus on the intersection of human
centered design, equity, diversity, and

31
00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.599
inclusion. She's the founder of break
Bread Breakboorders and catering with the cause Social

32
00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:13.919
Enterprise, empowering refugee women economically through
the storytelling of cooking, food and culture.

33
00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:17.879
She was also a clean interdisciplinary artist
who has shown new galleries in Dallas,

34
00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:22.719
Miami, and New York. Her
work examines her Asian identity and diasport

35
00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:27.879
immigrant experience. She has produced innovative
and interactive experience projects with museums in the

36
00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:31.520
DFW Metroplex. We'll be talking about
how she became an accidental entrepreneur, what

37
00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:35.800
break Bread, Breakboorders is out to
accomplish, and here from some of the

38
00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.439
amazing women in the kitchen who help
power. We're actually conducting this program on

39
00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:43.680
site from her Richardson kitchen here outside
of Dallas area. Gina, welcome to

40
00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:46.360
Working on Purpose. Thank you so
much for having me, and you are

41
00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:49.599
so welcome. I'm so glad you're
here, and I want to share with

42
00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:52.319
our listeners, of course, how
I found you or picked you up as

43
00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:57.479
I like to say, yes,
so I had the wonderful opportunity listeners to

44
00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:01.719
experience Gina sharing her ted ex her
ted talk at SMU called the Bridge Builder

45
00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.000
and really what first robbed me was
her love of her mother that had just

46
00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.479
passed and that she so revers and
loves and was honoring. She shared this

47
00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:15.080
beautiful philosophy cinema and she said something
along the lines of we all die two

48
00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:19.439
deaths, one where we take leave
of our physical body, and two when

49
00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:23.039
people stopped talking about us. And
I was completely arrested by this utterance and

50
00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:25.400
knew I had to have her on
the show and share her with all of

51
00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:30.639
you. So let's start with that
beautiful sentiment that how you feel about your

52
00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:38.439
mom? Wow? How do I
count the waves? I really just grew

53
00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:44.879
up with my mom being such an
incredible model, a role model, And

54
00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:53.400
we had actually moved to America because
my dad had lost his job and so

55
00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:59.560
my parents decided to bring the younger
kids to America to how about my aunt

56
00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:03.520
and uncle the restaurant business. And
so my mom was a chef and she

57
00:04:03.719 --> 00:04:13.400
actually really just you know, went
about running the kitchen a lot differently than

58
00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:17.519
most people. And she was really
conscious about hiring immigrants, reputees and you

59
00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:21.519
know, women to come and work
in our kitchen and really train them and

60
00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:27.920
with job skills and send them on
to bigger and better opportunities. And so

61
00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.079
when I lost her to cancer,
I really struggled, and so I thought,

62
00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:36.879
what a better way to honor her
legacy than to build something that you

63
00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:44.319
know is her work and continue her
work and pay homats to her as as

64
00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:46.720
we go. And so that's that's
how brig Bread break Quarters was born.

65
00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.639
Oh my gosh, that is so
beautiful. And of course I lost both

66
00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:57.839
of my parents almost exactly yourgo today. I can appreciate, but really embraced

67
00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.879
what you said about remembering and can
you to talk about and honoring our parents

68
00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:04.160
because like you, my parents are
both entrepreneurs too, and we grew up

69
00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:09.160
in the restaurant business. I have
that, yes, but to mendous way

70
00:05:09.160 --> 00:05:12.839
to start with. Yeah, so
I want to hear a bit more about

71
00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.399
what drives you that you're pursuing in
your life. There's a lot going on

72
00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:17.319
for you. And if I were
at first, let me back up and

73
00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:20.680
ask just you to say this.
If you were just to quickly try to

74
00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:25.519
presence yourself and introduce yourself to someone
to see that you just met at a

75
00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:29.600
dinner party who knew nothing about you, what would you say? I would

76
00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.079
say, Hi, my name is
Jenia Genia Long. I am the founder

77
00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:36.720
of Great Breath, break Boarders.
This is a social enterprise that stem from

78
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:45.879
actually my social practice, artistic practice, and it is an economic inclosure program

79
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:50.560
empowering refugee women from war torn countries, and we set them up with job

80
00:05:50.600 --> 00:05:55.800
skills and send them onto bigger and
better opportunities and honor. My mom is

81
00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.160
a chef. And if you have
any questions, please let me know.

82
00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:01.680
Oh my gosh, that's beautiful.
Okay, So that's I need to learn

83
00:06:01.720 --> 00:06:04.959
how to do that myself. Thank
you for that. That nice role model

84
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:10.600
right there. Thank you. You're
welcome. So I knowing my listeners who've

85
00:06:10.639 --> 00:06:13.319
been listening for a while, know
that, among other things, I'm an

86
00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.720
identity researcher and I care about motivation. And of course that's why I care

87
00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.360
about inspiration, because it's a form
of motivation definitely. So I want to

88
00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:23.319
know what drives you to pursue all
that you're doing. I mean, you're

89
00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:28.279
a single mom. You here,
you are powering break bread, break borders,

90
00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:31.000
and you've got some principles that are
really important too. So what first,

91
00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:33.319
what is it that drives all of
that? How do you summon the

92
00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:39.240
energy? Well, it's difficult,
you know, I mean, it is

93
00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:44.839
definitely hard to get up every day
and be responsible for so much. But

94
00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:49.879
I do remember my mom taught us
to be such bridge builders, right,

95
00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:54.879
and the top three things that she
always talked about is, you know,

96
00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:59.639
number one, always do the right
thing, and number two just remember to

97
00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.920
always be a good neighbor. And
number three is to simply practice compassion every

98
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:08.560
day. And you know, when
you wake up with those kind of you

99
00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:13.160
know, gratitude for moments that you
had the ability to do all this,

100
00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.720
they're there. They seem like simple
practices, but they're very difficult to actually

101
00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:23.480
execute by, you know, but
having that you know in mind and just

102
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:28.839
going about it, and there's something
that drives me just because that's the way

103
00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:33.399
I was taught and that that's what
gets me going every day. Well,

104
00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:36.120
we all need a dose of that. Whatever whatever you end that for the

105
00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:43.439
rest of us. Way, yeahs
a little doubt. One of the things

106
00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.519
that you said in your Ted talk, which I absolutely loved and I thought

107
00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:49.199
was funny and what I also what
I also got from it to Jenya was

108
00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:56.079
it was so self deprecating and authentic. You refer to yourself as the accidental

109
00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:59.800
entrepreneur. I would totally like,
I want to understand what you mean by

110
00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:01.439
that, is that how break Bread, Break Borders came to be? But

111
00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:07.839
why an accident? Well, so
here's the thing, Like a last I

112
00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:13.959
set out to create this artistic project
to actually to honor my mom and I

113
00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:18.759
break Read, Break Borders actually was
created to be at this beautiful community dinner

114
00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:24.920
where we were going to have difficult
conversations and really break read with the communities

115
00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:28.560
and break down borders at the same
time. So, you know, we

116
00:08:28.759 --> 00:08:35.000
had set out to invite you know, people to talk about really you know,

117
00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:39.120
over food, what what these you
know, implicit biases that we set

118
00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:43.519
around us, you know. And
the ladies that we cooked with at the

119
00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:48.600
time one was from Iraq and the
other one was from Syria, and you

120
00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:54.799
know, and we we sat down
and not only you know, they're beautiful

121
00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:58.840
cooking, and they actually also stood
up and shared their life stories about you

122
00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.720
know, who they were, you
know, before they escapeboard torn countries and

123
00:09:03.799 --> 00:09:05.440
then you know what it was like, you know, for them to travel

124
00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:09.720
abroad and you know, survive in
refugee camps and then coming here to America

125
00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:15.080
and then also what it's like to
cook with break Broad Breakwaters and you know,

126
00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:20.279
I really honestly thought I was just
gonna like throw these community dinners and

127
00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.080
have it be a beautiful experience.
And that was it. And but next

128
00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:28.279
thing, I know, people came
up and said, gosh, the food

129
00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:31.679
was so amazing. How can I
get this at my home? Or I

130
00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:35.000
have a conference coming up and you
know, and I'm doing this you know

131
00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:37.639
workshop, and you know, like
I really would love to, you know,

132
00:09:37.720 --> 00:09:41.759
get this catering, like if people
are going to get woke and you

133
00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:46.639
know, they might eat woke food. And I really just thought that's interesting,

134
00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:50.240
you know, and I thought,
well, gosh, you know,

135
00:09:50.360 --> 00:09:52.159
like how would I even go about
doing that? But then you know,

136
00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:54.320
I thought about, you know,
my parents, you know, having a

137
00:09:54.320 --> 00:10:01.080
restaurant and you know, being in
the entrepreneurial spirit, and also the ladies

138
00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:03.840
actually you know, coming to me
and you know, being so excited about

139
00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.480
getting paid, you know, for
the first time for cooking and people coming

140
00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:11.840
up telling them how important they're cooking
is and you know, maintaining their culture

141
00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:15.840
and their heritage, and you know, they sat there and they just told

142
00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:18.279
me, they said, Ginya,
that's really cute that you want to hold

143
00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:22.759
these so help these you know,
community dinners. They're beautiful, but what

144
00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:28.120
we really need is what we need
jobs and and that's how we got started.

145
00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:33.320
And we basically created this company to
create job opportunities and you know,

146
00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:37.159
chances for them, you know,
for a population that didn't have a voice

147
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:41.840
before to have one. And that's
like I totally accidentally stumbled into this,

148
00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:46.240
this entrepreneurship, and it's just by
people asking me, like, hey,

149
00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.879
can you cater And then here we
are two years later. It's stunningly beautiful.

150
00:10:50.919 --> 00:10:54.039
All the things you're addressing, and
there's even more to it later,

151
00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.879
which we're going to get to in
the third segment. But before we go

152
00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.639
too much further, I think it's
really important for listeners who made are new

153
00:11:00.840 --> 00:11:05.240
to more of the forward thinking business
concepts like conscious capitalism, et cetera,

154
00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:09.279
and being intentional and mindful serving all
stakeholders, et cetera. First help us

155
00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:15.159
understand what is what makes it a
social enterprise? So it's a business that

156
00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:20.759
is not only an enterprise or entrepreneurship, it is actually a business that is

157
00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:28.320
doing social or environmental good. And
so our business is directly impacting the refugee

158
00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:33.080
women for fore torn countries, this
population that normally, you know, that

159
00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:39.399
that normally does not have a chance
to really you know, share out you

160
00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:45.159
know, their rich culture and their
rich you know, heritage, and we're

161
00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:50.080
creating job opportunities where you know,
there's interaction between you know, not only

162
00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.559
the women that cook with us,
but also the diners that come and dine

163
00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:56.639
with us, and you know,
they're hearing about stories of food and culture

164
00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:01.279
and you know, and really being
impacted to practice compassion every day. And

165
00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:05.360
that is not something you know,
a normal care or does. That sets

166
00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:09.720
us apart. That's what makes us
unique in this space. So where can

167
00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:11.960
we get a meal with you?
If you're not bringing it to us the

168
00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:16.679
sert place that you do have a
cafe here, I wish that. No,

169
00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:18.480
not right now, not yet,
Not right now, listeners, let's

170
00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:24.279
get on there's somebody interested in investing
in that, then we should chat right

171
00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.080
absolutely absolutely, Okay, So you've
been let this now for what two years?

172
00:12:28.120 --> 00:12:31.799
Just two years just I was I
was at a corport for a full

173
00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.080
time corporate job, being a single
mom, and then I was running this

174
00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:39.000
as actually as a side household.
The past couple of years that recently have

175
00:12:39.320 --> 00:12:43.799
just taken leave to the to the
corporate position, and I'm actually focusing on

176
00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:48.039
break orders full time now. Yeah, and I definitely want to process.

177
00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:52.279
As for listeners, you do have
a question here from Dan who asks how

178
00:12:52.360 --> 00:13:00.000
do you find time to do all
this? And honestly, right it's overrate.

179
00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:05.399
So that's the answer, Dan,
Just don't sleep. I really want

180
00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.480
a presence for our listeners. Just
really what it's taken for you to do

181
00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:11.000
this, because I really respected admire
this, and I know that it hasn't

182
00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.200
just been like, oh, look, Pixy does this. This is easy,

183
00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.960
it's a great idea. Let's just
make it happen. To pull something

184
00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:20.480
like this off, it really takes
something. And I almost understand what you

185
00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:24.679
have to do to persevere. You
are a single mom, you did have

186
00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:28.759
that full time job until recently you
were working to buildad break borders along the

187
00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:31.440
way, talk to us about what
it's taken to really make these things start

188
00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:39.200
to fly so much. It really
has been challenging along the way. And

189
00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:43.559
the thing is, you know,
there's so many things that people you know,

190
00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:46.879
talk about they like, you know, we don't want to you know,

191
00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:50.720
romanticize like all the success and all
that we want to talk about all

192
00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:52.440
the struggles too. And that was
the thing. It was, it was

193
00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:56.039
difficult for time and time, like
you know, I would like go get

194
00:13:56.039 --> 00:14:01.720
my kiddo and then you know,
like my evening would start and like after

195
00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.600
my day job and then my night
job would bank begin. And it was

196
00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:11.000
really challenging along the way to delegate
delegate time for that. But the thing

197
00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.200
is, you know, when you're
so passionate about something, you know,

198
00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:20.039
you really just find the time for
it. And and we didn't get here

199
00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:24.600
by ourselves either. And the awesome
thing is that our communities along the way

200
00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:30.799
have really lifted us just every step
of the way. We have not advertised

201
00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:35.080
at all. Every business that we
have gotten is by word of mouth and

202
00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:37.919
people saying, gosh, you know, have you tried break bread Great Borders.

203
00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:43.039
You know, it's incredibly healthy,
like Mediterranean food. It's really it's

204
00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.919
delicious, and you get to hear
the stories behind it. The women who

205
00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:50.360
you know are in this business are
you know, in it one hundred percent.

206
00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.759
They work so hard and you know
they want to contribute, and you

207
00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:58.240
know, and people just sharing this
out has been so incredible that you know,

208
00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:01.159
we haven't had to like average ties
at all because of that. And

209
00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:07.039
that was actually when you know,
when we first got that boost of you

210
00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:09.000
know, the Bush Institute actually called
and said, you know, oh,

211
00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.360
you know, you guys are doing
such a great job, like you know,

212
00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.200
please, you know, come and
cater for us and and things like

213
00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:20.679
that. That just doesn't happen every
day. And it's all been like very

214
00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:24.639
organic media and just you know,
people jumping in to help out, and

215
00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.240
that's the thing. But we fall
flat on our face every day. There

216
00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:33.799
are so many things that are tough
about, you know, even just you

217
00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:37.639
know, capacity building, you know, trying to train you know, someone

218
00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.759
you know, English is not only
their second language and maybe their fourth or

219
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:46.639
fifth language because of all the refugee
camps that they've been through and the trauma

220
00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:50.919
that they've gone through, you know, dealing with all the PTSD that that

221
00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.600
comes along with with those, and
you know, trying to find you know,

222
00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.480
that common denominator and you know,
using cooking and using food as almost

223
00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:03.360
a form of therapy, and that's
you know, it's it's been challenging but

224
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:07.960
really rewarding at the same time.
Oh, it's just it's so inspiring.

225
00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:11.519
And of course when I heard her
story. There were two things I wanted

226
00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:12.600
to do. One, I wanted
to share you with the world, because

227
00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:17.360
I think the work that we're doing
is incredible and so necessary and a perfect

228
00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:22.720
example of how business, in your
case, social enterprise, can it start

229
00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:26.039
to really address some critical social problems, world problems. Yes, and that

230
00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:30.320
is a lot of the message that
I wanted to wanted to be able to

231
00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.879
share it. But then also too, I wanted to support to any way

232
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.720
that I could thank you. Yes, I wanted to cheer you on and

233
00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:41.720
say, yes, keep going,
don't quit. And that's really like,

234
00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:45.200
I love what you're saying about that. Actually, I've pulled up this really

235
00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:51.279
great quote from Winston Churchill that I
kind of wanted to share with everybody.

236
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:56.039
And I'm actually reading a really great
book by Wanted a Bunch right now,

237
00:16:56.080 --> 00:17:02.480
and this is kind of like towards
the beginning. Uh, just think about

238
00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:07.240
this, Okay. So whenster Churchill
said this success is not final, failure

239
00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.519
is not fatal. It is the
courage to continue that counts. And there's

240
00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.799
something about that really resonates with me, you know, because there were so

241
00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:19.200
many people that told us, like, you know, you're doing this as

242
00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:22.000
a side hustle. You're a single
mom, You've got a full time job.

243
00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:29.359
This cannot last, This won't work. This you have to find you

244
00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:33.279
know, you've got to, like, you know, give up one thing

245
00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:38.519
to do the other. And we
said no, We kind of bucked against

246
00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:44.039
all that system and just said,
you know, when we believe we can,

247
00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:47.640
we will. And that was the
thing that that you know, we

248
00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:51.720
just say it's purely out of my
stubbornness. I think I think it works.

249
00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:56.400
It's a necessary to entrepreneurs. So
be stubborn. That's another thing,

250
00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:00.079
Dan, be stubborn. Okay,
with that, let's rub our first break.

251
00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:03.240
I'm your host, Alice Cortez.
We do the year with Virginia Kwang,

252
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:07.400
who is a social impact, community
development, and creative innovator with a

253
00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.640
focus on the intersection of human centered
design, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

254
00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.119
She's the founder of break Bread,
break Boarders and Catering with the Cause

255
00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.319
Social Enterprise, empowering refugee women economically
through storytelling and cooking food. At PATURE,

256
00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.720
we're conducting this conversation on site life
in the kitchen here and Richardson,

257
00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:27.319
we've been talking a bit about how
this enterprise got started after the break,

258
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:30.480
Kevin, this is for you.
We're going to hear from some of the

259
00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.000
women who are here in the kitchen
working who are part of the cause.

260
00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:57.279
Stay with us, We'll be right
back. Alice Cortes is a speaker and

261
00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:03.440
engagement and development catlet. She designs
and delivers professional development, leadership and engagement

262
00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:08.240
workshops and can bring her expertise to
your organization. She will help ignite meaningful

263
00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:14.680
development within your workforce that will increase
employee engagement, performance and retention. To

264
00:19:14.759 --> 00:19:18.680
learn more or to invite Elise to
speak to your organization, please visit her

265
00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:23.400
at www dot Elisecortes dot com.
She would welcome the opportunity to help get

266
00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:34.680
your employees working on purpose. This
is working on Purpose with Elease Cortes.

267
00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:41.319
To reach our program today, send
an email to a lease Alise at Aleasecortes

268
00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:53.200
dot com. Now back to working
on purpose. Thanks for seeing with this

269
00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.279
and welcome back to working on purpose
if you're just joining us. My guest

270
00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:00.640
is Genia Hwang as social impact,
community development creator, creative innovator with a

271
00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:04.960
focus on the intersection of human centered
design, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

272
00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.720
She's the founder of break Bread Break
Borders a catering with the cause Social

273
00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:14.039
Enterprise, empowering refugee women economically through
the storytelling of cooking, food, and

274
00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:18.279
culture. She's also an acclaimed interdisciplinary
artists who has shown in galleries in Dallas,

275
00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:22.039
Miami, and New York. Her
work examines her Asian identity and diasporic

276
00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:27.200
immigrant experience. She has produced innovative
and interactive experience projects with museums in the

277
00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:32.960
DFW Metroplex. I'm your host,
Alis Cortes, So for this next segment,

278
00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:34.839
listeners, you're in for a treat
what we're doing here. Because since

279
00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:38.160
we're in the kitchen here a break
Bread Break Borders, several of the women

280
00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:42.000
who are part of the organization wanted
to I asked them to come and share

281
00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.599
their experience of being part of this, and so I've got the first woman

282
00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:48.720
with us here, and i want
to make sure that you all understand as

283
00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:52.960
they share their stories. Most of
all of these women, English is their

284
00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:56.279
second, third, fourth, or
maybe fifth language, and so please understand

285
00:20:56.279 --> 00:21:00.079
that she's working very hard to relay
her mind susage to you, and so

286
00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:03.799
you know that's a hard thing to
do. So recognize that. So our

287
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:07.200
first guest that we have here.
Please tell us your name and where you're

288
00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:11.640
from. My name is Misa.
I'm from Syria. From Syria, from

289
00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:14.799
Syria. Homes and how did you
get your hameld with it in the United

290
00:21:14.839 --> 00:21:18.440
States. I have been here for
four years. I came here at two

291
00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:22.720
thousand and six, twenty sixteen.
Yeah, okay, and how did you

292
00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:26.880
find Ginia? I saw my friend
that they are in. They are my

293
00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.559
neighbor before their friend, so I
saw them. They speaking a lot about

294
00:21:30.599 --> 00:21:36.000
some a woman who support them,
and she is good with them, and

295
00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:41.240
they are cooking like a family.
So I want to be with them,

296
00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:47.960
but I wit my opportunity is come. So they need more people because they

297
00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.519
have more. Event is an event, So I told my friend if they

298
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:56.079
want more, so for that I
enjoyed with them. It's so beautiful to

299
00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:02.440
have you and get to know you. Hope our listeners understand what what What's

300
00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:07.519
what was happening in your country that
made you want to leave anyway? There's

301
00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:11.599
no safety. There's no safety,
okay, not safety. This is this

302
00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:17.839
is the idea. When you got
it, you have to leave anywhere,

303
00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:22.319
So there's it's not safety. Yeah, So glad to have you. Thank

304
00:22:22.359 --> 00:22:25.720
you what makes America great? Thank
you, thank you, thank you for

305
00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:27.680
invite us for this absolutely before before
you go, hold on, I got

306
00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:30.480
a couple more questions. Don't run
away just yet. We want more of

307
00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:34.480
you. So I want to understand
how long have you been working with Gina?

308
00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:37.960
About six months? Six months?
Yeah? Okay, I mean you're

309
00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:41.839
with them, and what do you
like about this kind of work? But

310
00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:48.519
working in this organization gathering people around
the table and give them the love and

311
00:22:48.119 --> 00:22:55.960
we told them the main idea about
us and about our culture and that's it,

312
00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:02.319
and give them the love about and
tell them we may this food to

313
00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:07.519
make everything is right because the media
maybe tell a lot of things bad thing

314
00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:12.359
about us, so we need to
correct everything and tell them who we are.

315
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.480
It's beautiful and I love your food
by the way, and I happen

316
00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:21.119
to be an excellent eater. Yeah, yeah you have. Would you like

317
00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:22.759
any just say anything else to our
listeners? You no, thank you,

318
00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:30.480
and we thank our support Genia for
make us famous and we we just want

319
00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:34.839
not to success. We want to
continue in our work, so please invite

320
00:23:34.880 --> 00:23:37.759
us for anything they want. Thank
you, You're so welcome. Thanks so

321
00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:41.440
much for sharing with us. Thank
you, and welcome to the United States

322
00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:44.400
and being here and making us better. Thank you, thank you. Our

323
00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:52.000
next guest will be Rocha run Ya. Hello Runya. I remember meeting you.

324
00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:56.079
I think were you there and you
talk talk talk. Yeah, yeah,

325
00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:00.599
I remember you know, I remember
those gorgeous eyes of course. Okay,

326
00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:03.200
so do give me the kindness of
you were saying, introduce yourself,

327
00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:07.880
tell us your name and where you're
from. What you're from. Yes,

328
00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:14.119
my name is Rannie Ahmad. I
am from Syria. I have for kids,

329
00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:17.200
and I came to here with my
husband and my kids. And how

330
00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:18.559
long have you been realizedic speak up
a little bit so we cant hear you

331
00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:25.000
more. Okay, I've been here
threes and a half. Okay. And

332
00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:30.440
how did you meet Gunia? I
meet her through my nearbirth, my my

333
00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:37.519
friend. She told me about the
community with great burdens. I was very

334
00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:47.240
very excited, excited, very excited. Sorry, mine, this is not

335
00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:51.400
good. Yeah, I'm very excited
to work with this community. It's it's

336
00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:56.000
wonderful because it's support special women and
refugee women. Yeah, special women and

337
00:24:56.039 --> 00:24:59.640
refugee women. So and again,
so let me make sure that you know

338
00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:02.640
this two run. I did tell
our listeners that when you come on and

339
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.480
shair that this you speak many other
languages. Poles is just one of them.

340
00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:08.960
So don't worry about your egoations.
Okay, we're We're grateful that you're

341
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:15.039
here sharing. So what what you're
doing here is so important as an organization,

342
00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:23.200
bringing people together and trying to break
break break down barriers and yeah,

343
00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:26.599
and she she talked about, you
know, some of the biases, the

344
00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.759
implicit biases that people have, and
so I think the work that you're doing

345
00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:34.839
together as an organization is so important. What is it about the organization?

346
00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:45.240
And it's work that excites you?
Uh, this community actually teach me how

347
00:25:45.359 --> 00:25:53.279
to be brave, how to be
It's encouraged me to work, encourage me

348
00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:59.960
to meet people, to meet new
people, to uh to to talk American

349
00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:03.960
people. Hey, I'm a refugee, but I don't want to make any

350
00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:08.400
problem here. I want to be
I want to have a safe life here

351
00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:15.200
with my kids and with you beautiful. And when you think about the experiences

352
00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:18.119
that you're really proud of being part
of this organization, what would you say,

353
00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:30.160
excuse me just so yeah, So
one of the things that I'm super

354
00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:34.920
proud of Ranya. Is actually that
she used to actually get really really scared

355
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:40.440
to have to cook for eight people
for lunch. Yes, yeah, and

356
00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:44.359
she she would like fret over losing
you know, sleep over that. And

357
00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:47.559
but now you know, you ask
her to cook for, you know,

358
00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:51.240
weddings of hundreds of people, she'll
tell you no problem because she's got a

359
00:26:51.319 --> 00:26:53.920
sisterhood of people that can help her
to accomplish that. So that's one of

360
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:57.880
the moments that I'm proud of her
of. But she may have others that

361
00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:02.000
she wants to just as well.
Be great. The worker's teaching me how

362
00:27:02.039 --> 00:27:04.880
to be raped and how to be
Oh, that's so beautiful. That makes

363
00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:08.680
me so happy because you know,
you should grow into your full potential.

364
00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:14.400
And I'm so happy that the organization
Genia hadn't helped you to do that because

365
00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:17.599
we need more of you. We
need more of you in the world.

366
00:27:18.480 --> 00:27:22.480
Thank you. So she's asked Cougar
too, Yeah, did you want to

367
00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:27.279
add more not just to explain some
some questions? Okay, go ahead,

368
00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:32.079
Okay, I don't I didn't have
any other questions for you. Would you

369
00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:34.319
like to offer anything else to our
listeners? You know, this This show

370
00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:38.799
is listened to by people all over
the world and they come to be inspired

371
00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:41.799
and to learn. Is there anything
else you would want to share with them?

372
00:27:42.680 --> 00:27:48.279
Yeah, just I wanted to talk
the American person. That's We've got

373
00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:52.839
very hard experience, very hard strip
from from my country, from my home

374
00:27:53.279 --> 00:28:00.119
until I arrived at to America.
It's not easy to be here. Then

375
00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:06.319
I want to tell them. I
want everybody to hear about recreat borders and

376
00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:15.079
about the refugees. The refugees people
they want to got life here. Just

377
00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.799
they want to be seeing you.
They want to have a good future for

378
00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:25.480
their kids and their families. They
don't want to make any problems with the

379
00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:30.720
American pupil. And I'm very proud
because I'm here and I am very happy,

380
00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:34.799
and the American people will come to
me and they told me almost you

381
00:28:34.880 --> 00:28:38.480
are very welcoming in America. How
beautiful. I'm very happy, happy,

382
00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:41.759
Virtue. Thank you, thank you, and look forward to seeing you grow

383
00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:49.759
more. Thank you. Okay,
and Max to school. Hello, Hello,

384
00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:53.119
so you have to stay very close
to me so we can see you

385
00:28:53.160 --> 00:28:56.400
and hearing the small screen. Okay, so if you would and again listeners,

386
00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:00.279
remember she is speaking from her second, third, or maybe fourth or

387
00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:03.519
fifth language. So understand when I
asked you a question, she might take

388
00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:07.559
some time to answer. So give
us. Please tell us your name and

389
00:29:07.599 --> 00:29:10.839
where you're from. Well, my
name is Kurude, I'm from Syria.

390
00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:15.039
Clude clude from Syria. Okay?
And how long have you been in the

391
00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:21.279
United States? We arrived in twenty
sixteen, twenty sixteen, okay. And

392
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:26.079
did you meet Gina to the same
apartment complex? Okay? Okay. So

393
00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:29.960
what I want to understand is what
do you like about getting to work with

394
00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:34.640
break bread or break borders? Why
is the word interesting? Meeting people and

395
00:29:36.279 --> 00:29:41.680
let them understand what we are and
break the borders with our food, and

396
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:48.839
it's very I become very happy when
I see the people and how they love

397
00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:52.240
our food. And I love it
too. I love Middle Eastern food,

398
00:29:52.960 --> 00:29:56.640
and as I said before, I'm
an excellent eater, so I'm good at

399
00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:00.480
it. So and I do know
I grew up in the restaurantiness too,

400
00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:04.960
and I do know that there's something
about bringing people together and feeding them that's

401
00:30:06.119 --> 00:30:11.319
magical. And then tell us more
about when when you bring people together and

402
00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:15.640
you bring them maybe a different food
or cuisine that they're not used to eating.

403
00:30:15.880 --> 00:30:21.359
Is there something about that that's important
or magical? Yes, the reaction

404
00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:25.119
when I see the reaction of the
people on the faces of the people when

405
00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:27.880
they taste the food, if they
like it or they doesn't like it.

406
00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:32.440
Yeah, you can tell yeah,
absolutely, yeah, right, I know

407
00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:34.119
it's exactly between. Oh, that
one wasn't a favorite, but that one

408
00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:40.799
was okay, awesome And if you
could. So this show is listening to

409
00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:44.880
by people all over the world.
What else would you like to share with

410
00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:48.519
our listeners to help them understand your
experience or who you are, or what

411
00:30:48.680 --> 00:30:53.559
break bronds. We are trying so
hard to fit in this community and we

412
00:30:53.720 --> 00:30:59.160
want to be accepted. We are
trying hard to be accepted by the people.

413
00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:03.000
That's it. I only want them
to accept us and listen to us.

414
00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:08.079
We're not bad people. We just
had but circumstances that lead us to

415
00:31:08.359 --> 00:31:12.680
arrive here. And you're here in
the United States, working and contributing and

416
00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:17.559
making a difference. It's beautiful.
Thank you so very much. Thank you.

417
00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:21.920
Before you go, can you tell
everybody about your heritage from Chechnya and

418
00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:26.799
coming from there to see so watch
what Gina has asked her to talk about

419
00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:33.400
is her headers before she came to
Syria. My grandfather came from Chechnya in

420
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:41.519
Russia. He arrived to Syria in
nineteen ten. And so we are like

421
00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:47.960
it's in our family that moved from
one place or another. We also have

422
00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:52.279
some food. We share some of
our Chechen food also with them. So

423
00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:59.880
it was really challenging for Kulu grandparents
to be dislike displaced from Chechnya and then

424
00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:04.000
they moved to Syria and they were
displaced from there again, and you know,

425
00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:07.599
for her whole family to be here
in America. She's told us many

426
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.799
occasions that she feels like she's won
the lottery. Yeah, that's beautiful.

427
00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:15.559
Yeah, that's beautiful. We're almost
out of time for the segment. Did

428
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:19.200
we want to yes? Please,
yes, thank you so much. Please

429
00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:24.799
come. That's that's okay. So
sue Halea is coming in and she's reminding

430
00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:29.519
us that she doesn't speak English very
well, so please remember that as as

431
00:32:29.559 --> 00:32:31.880
she shares her story. So your
name is su Hala and you're from where

432
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.720
from Syria? Okay? And what
is it that you like about being part

433
00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:49.759
of break Bread break Borders? Why
is this important to you? She's getting

434
00:32:49.799 --> 00:32:55.160
coaching. It's okay, she's in
terms of you know, after happened,

435
00:32:55.200 --> 00:33:02.000
and she's away, Go ahead,
a friend and never we love to do

436
00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:07.279
that, like h So what she's
what they're this is so beautiful. We're

437
00:33:07.319 --> 00:33:12.160
rendering this conversation together as a community. You're in the kitchen among the four

438
00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:15.680
of us, and and what they're
saying is that she likes to do this

439
00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:20.599
work together. There's something about this
being together in a community that's important.

440
00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:25.440
As a family, that's important.
Yes, and this show is listening to

441
00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:30.200
buy people all over the world.
Is there a message or something you'd like

442
00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:39.920
to share? Yes, just a
minute, we're doing a translation. Go

443
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:45.440
ahead, you have to taste our
beautiful food. You have to taste our

444
00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:51.039
beautiful food. Yes, it's a
healthy food. It's healthy food, and

445
00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:54.799
that's one of the reasons I love
it. Wonderful. Thank you so much

446
00:33:54.839 --> 00:33:59.240
for joining us. Thank you you. And with that, listeners, let's

447
00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:01.960
go on to our lab break.
I'm doctor Elis Cortez, your host.

448
00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:07.200
We've run the year with Jinja Hwang
and her team. Ginya is a social

449
00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:10.000
impact, community development, and creative
innovator with a focus on the intersection of

450
00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:15.320
human centered design equity, diversity and
inclusion. She's the founder of break Bread

451
00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:21.320
break Boarders, Catering with a Cause, Social enterprise, empowering refugee women economically

452
00:34:21.639 --> 00:34:24.639
to the storytelling of cooking, food
and culture. We're conducting this conversation live

453
00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:29.239
on site in Richardson in her kitchen. After the break we're going to hear

454
00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:31.079
more about all the other things that
Ginya's up to and how she stitched a

455
00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:35.800
beautiful life together from disparate parts.
Stay with us, We'll be right back.

456
00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:51.440
Alice Cortez is a speaker and engagement
and development catalyst. She designs and

457
00:34:51.559 --> 00:34:57.039
delivers professional development, leadership and engagement
workshops and can bring her expertise to your

458
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:01.480
organization. She will help ignite meaningful
development within your workforce that will increase employee

459
00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:07.039
engagement, performance and retention. To
learn more or to invite Elise to speak

460
00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:12.559
to your organization, please visit her
at www dot Elisecortes dot com. She

461
00:35:12.679 --> 00:35:22.639
would welcome the opportunity to help get
your employees working on purpose. This is

462
00:35:22.840 --> 00:35:28.679
working on Purpose with elease Cortes.
To reach our program today, send an

463
00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:35.800
email to a lease Alise at a
Leasecortes dot com. Now back to Working

464
00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:45.599
on Purpose. Thanks foresting with us, and welcome back to Working on Purpose

465
00:35:45.679 --> 00:35:47.800
if you're just tuning in. My
guest is Genia Huang, a social impact,

466
00:35:47.840 --> 00:35:52.440
community development, and creative innovator with
a focus on the intersection of human

467
00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:55.639
centered design, equity, diversity,
and inclusion. She's the founder of break

468
00:35:55.679 --> 00:36:00.559
Bread Breakboarders at Catering with the Cause, Social Enterprise and power refugee women economically

469
00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:05.119
through the story of telling of cooking, food and culture. She's also in

470
00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:07.920
a clean interdisciplinary artist who has shown
in galleries in Dallas, Miami, and

471
00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:13.400
New York for work examines or Asian
identity and diaspora immigrant experience. She has

472
00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:16.840
produced innovative and interacting experience projects and
museums in the DFW complex. I'm your

473
00:36:16.880 --> 00:36:21.840
host, doctor Alis Cortes. So
for this last segment here, listeners,

474
00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:23.880
we're going to cuddle back up here
with Ginya since we heard from her team,

475
00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:28.360
and what I wanted her to share
for this part is really she's got

476
00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:34.639
this amazing ability to fuse all of
her different interests into one entity or identity,

477
00:36:34.679 --> 00:36:37.400
which I think is fabulous. So
that's what I want to focus on

478
00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:39.679
next. And we had a few
conversations in the chat room, people just

479
00:36:39.719 --> 00:36:43.800
still astounded about how you do everything
that you do and still manage to read

480
00:36:43.880 --> 00:36:49.440
as well. Yes, yes,
so you have married what appeared to be

481
00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:52.800
very different aspects into your essential identity
and combine them in a way in a

482
00:36:52.920 --> 00:36:57.719
life and a creative offering that I
think is just stunning. And as our

483
00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:00.800
listeners here to say, you describe
yourself as a social impact, community development

484
00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:05.320
creator, creative innovator with the focus
on the intersection of you set are designed

485
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:08.480
equity, diversity, inclusion. So
I want to if you will say more

486
00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:13.440
now that we've heard from some people
about break read raak borders, how does

487
00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:17.119
all that help help you express it
through break Bread, break borders as a

488
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:23.400
social impact? You know, it
translates into metrics that cannot be measured.

489
00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:27.840
Right, There are so many things
that you know, we talk about,

490
00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:32.159
you know, growth, and you
know economic growth is supposed to equate to

491
00:37:32.719 --> 00:37:38.920
success, and that is not always
necessarily true. The case is about economic

492
00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:44.920
inclusion in the way that you know
that everybody is able to participate and so

493
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:46.920
in this way, if you really
think about it, you know, women

494
00:37:47.519 --> 00:37:53.719
actually you know invest ninety percent of
our income into the communities versus men really

495
00:37:53.800 --> 00:37:58.920
invest probably about only like thirty to
thirty to forty percent you know, of

496
00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:02.079
their income into the community. And
so when you invest in women, you

497
00:38:02.199 --> 00:38:06.440
win. You know, they not
only you know, pour it back into

498
00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:09.519
their families, they pour it back
into you know, the community. And

499
00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:13.840
also, you know, if you
really think about this, there's a whole

500
00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:17.840
multiplier effect that's happening. You know, when we work with these women,

501
00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:22.800
they're working, you know, to
pour all this back into the families,

502
00:38:22.880 --> 00:38:25.760
into the communities, and also the
people that we're speaking to, you know,

503
00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:31.800
at the events. You know that
it could be you know, twenty

504
00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:36.760
women that we help and then eighty
families that we you know, reach out

505
00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:40.400
to, and then you know,
getting to speak to you know, probably

506
00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:45.320
about eight to ten thousand people that
who dine with us, and then they

507
00:38:45.440 --> 00:38:49.679
go home and like you did,
you know, go and share the stories

508
00:38:49.719 --> 00:38:54.360
of bread break boarders with other people. That could be sixty thousand people that

509
00:38:54.480 --> 00:39:00.719
we've reached, you know, by
just the storytelling aspect, you know,

510
00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:07.960
of sharing these incredible resilient women their
stories of you know, survival, their

511
00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:10.920
stories of success, and all those
things you know, come about in the

512
00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:15.920
way that you know, that is
what translates into social impact for us.

513
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:20.199
It's not just the food, it's
it's it's the culture inheritage that really embed

514
00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:22.840
in our memories that you know,
make us go out and do more and

515
00:39:23.039 --> 00:39:27.480
you know and really think about,
you know, what is our purpose here

516
00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:31.000
right and what is the legacy that
we're leaving behind and you know, and

517
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:36.159
thinking about really like you know what, what what that sounds like? You

518
00:39:36.239 --> 00:39:39.519
know, for the greater good of
the community. Oh my gosh, that

519
00:39:39.880 --> 00:39:44.119
really just moves me to tears.
It's so beautiful. And that's the reason

520
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:46.280
I do the work that I do, genuine holping people get present to and

521
00:39:46.360 --> 00:39:52.800
discover, articulate and really mightily strive
to live their purpose because when they do

522
00:39:52.360 --> 00:39:55.480
the world's a better place. You're
making the world a better place. And

523
00:39:55.519 --> 00:40:00.360
I'm so grateful for that, and
I can't wait trying to food about it,

524
00:40:00.360 --> 00:40:04.440
absolutely so among them. So here's
this is, you know, the

525
00:40:04.519 --> 00:40:07.039
social enterprise offering that you've done and
along with the fact that you leave the

526
00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:10.280
storytelling, the food and the culture
into that that's so beautiful because I love

527
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:15.840
those things. Now I want to
talk that you're an acclaimed an interd interdisciplinary

528
00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:20.119
artist. You've You've shown in galleries
in Dallas, Miami, and New York.

529
00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:24.239
Your work examine your Asian identity and
diaspricic immigrant experience. You produce innovative

530
00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:30.039
and interactive experience projects with museums in
THEFW area. So and you focus I

531
00:40:30.119 --> 00:40:32.400
think on social justice, food security, and human rights issues in K through

532
00:40:32.480 --> 00:40:38.320
twelve and higher. So I want
to understand how this your artistic expression fits

533
00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:42.320
into all this You told me before, how it wove in. And I

534
00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:47.960
can't do blicanding you do it.
Sure. So you know, artists have

535
00:40:49.320 --> 00:40:52.400
a job in the community, which
is, you know, telling the truth.

536
00:40:52.960 --> 00:40:57.960
And so when we experience something,
we can't just hold the truth and

537
00:40:58.159 --> 00:41:01.320
not hold other spaces more people to
hear that truth. And so we share

538
00:41:01.320 --> 00:41:07.639
it out to the community. We're
the first investors into the community in the

539
00:41:07.800 --> 00:41:12.440
sense you know, we really really
bear our mind, body, and soul

540
00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:15.400
to the world in a lot of
ways. You know, when I was

541
00:41:15.440 --> 00:41:20.159
showing my photography, you know,
it really was incredible to you know,

542
00:41:20.280 --> 00:41:23.480
have people collect my artwork and you
know, and have it be in spaces,

543
00:41:23.639 --> 00:41:27.280
you know, private spaces in their
homes, on their you know,

544
00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:30.519
office walls and things like that,
you know, but at some point it

545
00:41:30.679 --> 00:41:35.599
is it is decorating a space,
you know, it is not moving forward

546
00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:43.199
as as a community space, as
us together as a family moving forward.

547
00:41:43.320 --> 00:41:46.679
And so I really wondered out loud, you know what that you know,

548
00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:52.519
would look like if if we were
to do this work together. And that's

549
00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:57.800
how great Regory Borders came about.
Is you know, we really rallied the

550
00:41:57.920 --> 00:42:02.760
community in a way that we ask
the community, you know, what it

551
00:42:02.880 --> 00:42:07.280
wants and what it needs. And
you know, as a social practice artist,

552
00:42:07.679 --> 00:42:10.880
when the community asks for fire,
I don't bring them water. And

553
00:42:12.119 --> 00:42:16.199
that's the thing that that really you
know, is powerful and that it could

554
00:42:16.239 --> 00:42:21.679
exchange. That we have that constant
loop. You know, we talk to

555
00:42:21.719 --> 00:42:27.320
our community about about our needs together
and we bring you know, these kind

556
00:42:27.360 --> 00:42:32.880
of social change about together and it's
it's it's with the people, for the

557
00:42:32.920 --> 00:42:37.760
people, by the people, and
that that that's what makes us difference.

558
00:42:37.480 --> 00:42:43.039
What I really want to call it
to our listeners is just how incredibly mindful,

559
00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:49.639
conscious, thoughtful, generous and kind
and just creative for your whole approach

560
00:42:49.719 --> 00:42:52.239
to life and workless. Thank you. It's really it's really enlightened you.

561
00:42:52.760 --> 00:42:55.519
And that's aeother reason I wanted to
have you on the show is that you're

562
00:42:55.519 --> 00:43:00.840
an example of what people could be
when we really are awful about who we

563
00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:04.559
are and what we're doing to our
communities into the world. It's beautiful,

564
00:43:04.639 --> 00:43:07.639
thank you, but we already are. I think a lot of times,

565
00:43:07.719 --> 00:43:09.920
you know, we wait for someone
else to kind of come along, and

566
00:43:10.119 --> 00:43:14.000
you know, and to be honest, what break Bread Great Borders is doing

567
00:43:14.159 --> 00:43:16.920
is nothing new. Under this on. There are many many other businesses doing

568
00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:21.559
this throughout the world, but I
just didn't see one in my own backyard.

569
00:43:21.800 --> 00:43:23.239
And I thought, you know,
and I asked our communities. Our

570
00:43:23.360 --> 00:43:28.199
communities needed it, needed this safe
space, you know, to share the

571
00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:31.280
love, to share the food and
the culture and to be able to you

572
00:43:31.360 --> 00:43:36.400
know, be ourselves. And so
I you know, wanted to honor my

573
00:43:36.519 --> 00:43:40.159
mom and in this love exchange that
you know, I was able to you

574
00:43:40.239 --> 00:43:44.480
know, loot the community together and
you know, to do this together.

575
00:43:44.639 --> 00:43:47.599
And without all of you, we
wouldn't be here today. And that's the

576
00:43:47.719 --> 00:43:51.800
thing. It's like, thank you
so much for holding space for us in

577
00:43:51.880 --> 00:43:54.800
this way, and thank you for
helping us grow. And we look forward

578
00:43:54.840 --> 00:43:59.719
to growing even more. I know
that you will. We have a little

579
00:43:59.719 --> 00:44:01.159
bit more time left. And there's
a couple of it. There's two other

580
00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:05.039
terms that I want to present further
for our listeners teachers. I think there

581
00:44:05.119 --> 00:44:07.239
might be newer for them as they
were for me. You mentioned earlier this

582
00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:13.000
idea that you're being a social practice
artist. Say more about what is it?

583
00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:15.519
What is that term mean? A
social practiced artist? So, a

584
00:44:15.639 --> 00:44:21.960
social practice artist, you know,
goes about making art that is conscious to

585
00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:29.079
making environmental and social change, and
it's being mindful, like you said,

586
00:44:29.159 --> 00:44:31.840
and very cognizant of you know,
what the community wants and needs are and

587
00:44:32.719 --> 00:44:38.400
really keeping our ears to the ground
and responding to that. And so that's

588
00:44:38.440 --> 00:44:44.079
how I bry social practice artists and
so BBBB is like, you know,

589
00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:50.440
our our gift to the community as
as a social practice art project and along

590
00:44:50.519 --> 00:44:52.599
those lines, if I have this, write and be correct me if I

591
00:44:52.679 --> 00:44:55.079
don't. In one of our conversations
after I met after your TED talk,

592
00:44:55.480 --> 00:44:59.280
you had said something about part of
what you've done earlier in your life,

593
00:44:59.320 --> 00:45:02.079
as you've been decorating people's homes and
you were doing it very intentionally, et

594
00:45:02.119 --> 00:45:07.199
cetera. But you felt that it
was still limited and as an expression for

595
00:45:07.280 --> 00:45:14.159
you, yes, I think you
know anything that is you know, I

596
00:45:14.239 --> 00:45:21.000
think with anyone the material aspects of
things, you know, they're they're definitely

597
00:45:21.239 --> 00:45:25.960
things that move us forward in one
way or another. But but something about

598
00:45:27.320 --> 00:45:34.320
concept policy, you know, things
that you know cannot be held tangible can

599
00:45:34.519 --> 00:45:39.880
really push us forward in a way
that you know that nothing else can,

600
00:45:40.199 --> 00:45:44.920
you know. And so a lot
of what we do here is also about

601
00:45:45.079 --> 00:45:50.000
you know, changing minds and changing
mindsets, and you know, those are

602
00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:52.519
the things that we kind of want
to move beyond. You know, a

603
00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:58.360
photograph that's decorating the wall, which
there's nothing wrong with that, it's not

604
00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:02.119
the space that we're in. You
know, we're in this space where we're

605
00:46:02.199 --> 00:46:07.920
social justice warriors and we want to
make sure that the population that we're serving

606
00:46:07.239 --> 00:46:12.760
that didn't have a voice before now
has a voice and that we're able to

607
00:46:13.639 --> 00:46:17.079
amplify amplify that voice and going forward, that's what we want to do with

608
00:46:17.199 --> 00:46:22.480
our community, and thank you for
helping us to you absolutely well happy to

609
00:46:22.519 --> 00:46:24.280
do it, and well work the
effort to do it. And along those

610
00:46:24.360 --> 00:46:29.400
lines, you're starting to hint to
it But the other the other term I

611
00:46:29.440 --> 00:46:31.760
wanted to talk more about what you
already said for about is this idea of

612
00:46:31.840 --> 00:46:37.840
inclusive economy. Yes, so you
you're really reaching into this group of refugee

613
00:46:37.960 --> 00:46:43.039
women to literally offer an opportunity to
them, embrace them into your bluesom into

614
00:46:43.119 --> 00:46:46.079
your organization, and give them a
place, a way to be able to

615
00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:50.679
take care of their famies. Yes, when you think about it any this

616
00:46:50.880 --> 00:46:55.559
applies to everyone, you know,
when everyone has a living wage and and

617
00:46:57.519 --> 00:47:01.719
really you know the problems that you
think think about are you know, not

618
00:47:02.039 --> 00:47:07.840
about sort of like how am I
going to get my next meal? And

619
00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:12.239
being going hungry or you know,
putting a roof over your head. It's

620
00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:15.320
about you know, gosh, you
know, where are the kids going to

621
00:47:15.440 --> 00:47:20.679
get to school? And you know
what am I doing after work tomorrow?

622
00:47:20.920 --> 00:47:23.880
Those are two very different issues.
And you know, we want to be

623
00:47:24.239 --> 00:47:30.480
inclusive in our economy in the setup
that we're we're taking care of, you

624
00:47:30.599 --> 00:47:38.159
know, different populations and have access
to to things that really can economically empower

625
00:47:38.239 --> 00:47:44.119
everyone, so we can remove those
barriers that you know, prevent success from

626
00:47:44.239 --> 00:47:49.480
from happening. And so it's embracing
those those kind of issues that we can

627
00:47:50.320 --> 00:47:53.760
better look at ourselves and and and
you know, invite everybody to the table.

628
00:47:55.400 --> 00:47:59.679
Again. I sit here just listening
to Jena, and all I can

629
00:48:00.440 --> 00:48:05.280
be present too is just the incredible
power of the human spirit, your spirit

630
00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:08.039
in particular, to really reach out
into the world and make it and make

631
00:48:08.079 --> 00:48:10.719
a difference. And so here we
are close to the very end of the

632
00:48:10.800 --> 00:48:14.760
show. I always had to give
my guests the last word, if you

633
00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:17.280
will, So you know, the
show is about leaving with passion and purpose

634
00:48:17.679 --> 00:48:21.559
is listened to across the globe.
What would you likely our listeners with.

635
00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:25.400
Guys, you make a difference.
You have a voice, use your voice,

636
00:48:27.119 --> 00:48:35.320
it matters. And if I can
do this, anybody can you make

637
00:48:35.360 --> 00:48:37.000
it sound like that? But I
suspect there is much more to it.

638
00:48:37.199 --> 00:48:42.119
So Ginia, thank you for being
such a beautiful force in the world.

639
00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:44.920
Thank you. I'm so glad our
paths across. I think I came in

640
00:48:45.280 --> 00:48:49.079
to listen to the SMU Ted Talks
just to find you. Thank you.

641
00:48:49.480 --> 00:48:52.639
I was so thankful that you came
along. And there have been so many

642
00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:57.559
incredible things that happened since we met, Like I was actually just accepted to

643
00:48:57.800 --> 00:49:04.519
the PLS Presidential Leadership Scholarship Program where
I'm you know, working with fifty nine

644
00:49:04.639 --> 00:49:08.880
other cohorts, working with four different
presidential foundations to continue to make this kind

645
00:49:08.880 --> 00:49:13.599
of lasting social impact. And so
I'm really thankful to be here. Thank

646
00:49:13.639 --> 00:49:15.519
you, it's amazing. Congratulations by
the way, thank you. And then

647
00:49:15.599 --> 00:49:19.559
with that we're at the end of
the show. If you want to learn

648
00:49:19.559 --> 00:49:22.920
more about Gina Wang and Break Read
Break Borders, the best way to douce

649
00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:24.320
to reach out to her is send
her an email. And the way you

650
00:49:24.440 --> 00:49:30.559
do that is send it to Ginya. It's ji n Ya at break Bread,

651
00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:36.039
Break Borders dot com. Last week, if you missed the live show,

652
00:49:36.079 --> 00:49:37.800
you can always schedule be a recorded
podcast. We were on the Earth

653
00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:42.480
doctor Ellen Keith lying Burn, the
co founder of her new Standard, The

654
00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:45.719
Playbook for Women Leaders, which is
a leadership consultancy focused on developing women leaders.

655
00:49:45.920 --> 00:49:50.400
We talked about why and how women
can distinguish their contribution as leaders and

656
00:49:50.519 --> 00:49:53.119
learn some specific ways women can immediately
apply her teachings to step into their role

657
00:49:53.159 --> 00:49:57.800
as leaders. Next week will be
on the airth Doctor Raj Sisodia, a

658
00:49:57.880 --> 00:50:01.519
conscious capitalist leader and co author of
The Healing organization, Awaking the conscious of

659
00:50:01.599 --> 00:50:05.880
business help save the world. We'll
be talking about the key concept of this

660
00:50:05.960 --> 00:50:07.880
book. It is work in the
conscious capitalism movement. See you there.

661
00:50:07.920 --> 00:50:10.280
I remember that work is at least
or third of our life, So let's

662
00:50:10.320 --> 00:50:20.239
work on purpose. Well, we
hope you've enjoyed this week's program. Be

663
00:50:20.400 --> 00:50:23.840
sure to tune in to Working on
Purpose, featuring your host Alis Cortes,

664
00:50:24.239 --> 00:50:30.320
each week on the Voice America Empowerment
Channel. This week, find your life's

665
00:50:30.360 --> 00:50:30.840
purpose at work.